Posted on 10/25/2010 6:29:11 PM PDT by Wooly
Microsoft has been at the top of the heap for almost as long as people have used PCs. They’ve managed to sustain an overwhelming competitive advantage, even after a decade’s worth of antitrust action and the astonishing transformation of Apple into a profit-making machine that has built one billion-dollar business after another while the entire rest of the tech industry is stuck in neutral. Indeed, the presence of Apple and Google as direct competitors suggests that maybe Microsoft is overdue to take a tumble.
There is never a shortage of Apple-versus-Microsoft yammering in the blogosphere, but I haven’t seen much in the way of actual data. Is Apple really making a dent in Microsoft’s long-standing Windows monopoly? Are mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad taking over tasks that used to be done by PCs? Sales figures tell part of the story, but in my opinion the best data comes from analyzing how devices are being used in the real world. I went off in search of hard numbers, and I found them at the same source I used earlier this year to measure Windows 7 adoption rates (see When will XP finally fade away?).
(Excerpt) Read more at zdnet.com ...
The minimum cost of a productive apple is twice that of a Windows PC.
The routine productivity of an Apple is twice that of a Windows PC -- with far less frustration
That is fact. I have -- and use -- both.
So can you just run out and buy replacement components or upgrades for an Apple?
Can you just build one up from off-the-shelf parts?
“So can you just run out and buy replacement components or upgrades for an Apple?
Can you just build one up from off-the-shelf parts?”
Blasphemer! You are ignorant of Apple’s superior..sorry, I’ve seen so many Apple vs PC threads on FR I knew where this was headed. Carry on..
You can buy RAM, hard drives and in the case of the Mac Pros, video cards right off the shelf. Which is most of what people replace/upgrade right there.
I don’t know where it’s headed. I was just asking a question.
So, will the same thing happen to Apple when Jobs departs, just as the last time? Only this time it will be for whatever after life he has earned.
As second tier operating systems for consoles and phones have become more powerful, the market has returned to a level of fragmentation not seen since the mid 1980s.
Any survey attempting to assert any sort of market dominance on the part of anyone has to squeeze through some tortuous mental gymnastics to justify discounting entire classes of machines performing traditional computer tasks to make even a half assed try at it.
Steve Ballmer is to Microsoft as John Sculley was to Apple. You’ve got a test bed for your thesis right there. Care to speculate?
Windows PCs have come a long way and they are still a lot cheaper and without a doubt, the best value (IMO).
My Dad has always been a fan of the Mac. That’s okay.
I have been using PCs for 27 years.
Fanatic Windows users are like hard core Democrats. No matter how poor their software (or party) is performing, they will ultimately make the same selection over and over again. By the way a PC that is comparably equipped as an Imac is generally not half as cheap. I also have used both PCs and Imacs and MacBooks.
OK... honest question here: for an enterprise Mac environment how do you enforce whole-disk encrption of client machines and centrally manage encryption keys?
However, attempts by Microsoft to break into the PDA (few years back) or cell phone market hasn't been that successful, again IMO. Their OS doesn't perform very well in this technology.
Nice to see a third option — Linux. Lots of developers use Linux because it is free. And it is a pretty good OS, besides. Maybe not a good OS for the nontechnical user, though.
“The routine productivity of an Apple is twice that of a Windows PC — with far less frustration
That is fact. I have — and use — both.”
What metric did you use and how did you measure it?
I own and use both too. They are just computers. Coke vs Pepsi.
Jobs was called upon when Apple was in the depths of near bankruptcy and he did quite well. How much longer will he last with his borrowed kidney and the other problems associated with transplants?
Apple would have been dead before he was called if it had not been for the publishing industry, which to this day has stuck with them. I for one can’t stand them, but I also have a love/hate relationship with MS.
I would bet that when he is gone that Apple will have problems that may turn out to be terminal in an industry that would be glad to cut Jobs head off. Just as with MS, companies get so big they cannot be innovative and react quickly to trends. And let’s face it, Apple does some very creative and attractive packaging. As well, their PR/advertising campaigns are second to none.
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How do app costs compare?
If I remember correctly, apps were more expensive for the Mac, too.
Also, the PC is an open system. So, there is competition. Competition means cheaper hardware and software. Apple is not.
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