Nov 18, 2008 12:25 PM | 6 Comments

Are customers moving to Apple because of Vista, or are other factors at play? Alex Kidman looks at the real reason for Apple's revival.

Common wisdom would have it that one reason why Apple's market share in the wild (and often unpredictable) world of computer sales has increased so much in recent years has been to do with the market's general rejection of Windows Vista. It's certainly a comparison that Apple itself isn't shy about promoting, given that's one of the main thrusts of most of its "Get A Mac" ads.

I'm left wondering, however, how true that comparison is, and whether Apple's market share is down to other, non-Vista related factors.

Not that customers don't seem to (at least anecdotally) dislike Vista. Heck, even Microsoft seems to be according it the kind of leper status that I've not seen the company adopt since the dim, dark days of Windows ME.

Just look at the almost unseemly rush to get as many headlines for Windows 7 as it can, while quietly whistling nonchalantly whenever Vista's mentioned.

Vista was meant to "replace" XP, and yet you can still (sometimes with a little tweaking or downgrading) get XP on a "new" PC -- and particularly easily on a netbook. That's an operating system that Microsoft's been supplying and supporting for seven years. Even if you took the manufacturing release date of Vista (rather than the retail one), as your starting point, Microsoft would have to be shifting Vista boxes well into 2013. To put it politely, that doesn't seem likely.

My own Apple experiences started by reviewing Apple hardware up against the competition, something that became a whole lot easier once Apple shifted to Intel-based hardware. As I used OS X on a Macbook, I became more and more aware of how OS X wasn't crashing on me, or needing AV updates, or horrible program conflicts, or having sound drop out on me, or... and the list continued. I took the plunge and shifted my working platform over to the Mac, although I do still run Windows PCs as well for reviewing and testing purposes.

And all of that happened well before the general release of Vista.

Of those I've spoken to who have jumped over to a Mac, a general dislike of Windows (sometimes quite well and specifically founded, other times less so) seems to be the prevailing mood, rather than a specific dislike of Vista per se. Many Windows users I know have rejected Vista, admittedly. But more of them have tended to stick with XP than jump over to Apple as a sum total.

I suspect it's more accurate to say that Apple's marketing campaigns (which admittedly do target Vista, but also point out program compatibility, simple applications and the kind of things that general computer users are after), tied into the incredible success of the iPod brand, has had a great deal more to do with Apple's increased market share than Vista per se.

It's a bit of a tightrope walk, however, especially against the new pricing regime for Macbooks and Macbook Pros, which (until or unless other vendors are forced to up prices in response to the Australian dollar), make them a tougher buy for the undecided computer user.

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Adam Turner Nov 18, 2008 3:47 PM	I know I'm not alone in wondering how much market share Apple could grab if it released a notebook around the $1K mark. Apple doesn't want to cannibalise its own sales, but it might be a clever long term investment in new users - sucking them into the ecosystem of iTunes, iPods, iPhones and Apple TVs. The kind of pricing on a notebook would certain push many of those undecided computer users over the edge.
exitnow Nov 18, 2008 5:26 PM	I played around with Vista in its beta form (I’m have an MCSE) and was so un-impressed that i started to look at Mac's. Then Intel Mac's came out and I though i have nothing to lose as I can install VMware and run any windows app's I needed - which I did. After a month or so i found that the VM copy of windows was being used less and less and my hair was staying on my head as i did not have to fight the OS (OK a lot of the issue is not due to windows but bad 3rd party software) all the time. My wife started to use the computer more often as well so we bought an imac to go with the macbook and now that it’s getting close to update the imac my wife does not object at all, (it used to be a different matter when i wanted to upgraded the PC), she even knows which mac she wants . I might have started to look at Mac's because of vista but i stayed because of OS X and the hardware.
midbear Nov 18, 2008 7:10 PM	I've had a theory for a wee while why apple has started to claw its way out of niche markets and into the hearts and of millions of consumers. I believe it is the internet or should I say how well apple gets you on the internet to do those basic tasks such as web browsing and email that is the reason. The internet is everywhere and on almost every new gadget on the planet and unfortunately for a newbie it can be a sometimes flaky and frustrating experience to do so on a windows based pc. I know many of you may be scoffing at my suggestion that it is this simple (especially apple fanboys!) but have you tried getting your Gran back online after yet another windows or Gran related error - its murder, and this is one area Apple excel at - getting people on the net and keeping them on. And remember the only reason Gran got a pc in the first place was to look at pictures of the grand kids on flikr or to get and receive emails. The internet has reached a tipping point and is now almost everywhere. Adam Turner is right they need to come up with a netbook or low cost laptop if they are going to continue eating away at Microsoft’s share of the pie. As it won't be long till Asus or Msi or whoever come up with a proprietary version of Linux tied to tightly to their hardware that gets people online cheaply, quickly and easily. Well that’s my theory out there ;)
bbjai Nov 18, 2008 11:05 PM	I don't think they need a sub $1000 notebook, i think they just need to get the macbook back to $1500. At that price its great value.
neo Nov 19, 2008 12:48 AM	Regardless of whether we're talking Win or Mac, if i see another iWank or myArse product i swear i'm going to spew! ;-)
barrington Nov 19, 2008 1:24 PM	I've had my current Sony Vaio notebook for 3 years (on 5 hours a day) and it's never crashed running XP