As reported at the Mac news site Macminute: “Apple captured 2.3 percent of the worldwide market share in the second quarter of 2003, down from 2.7 percent a year ago, but slightly up from the 2 percent it had in the first quarter, according to research firm IDC.“
Apple Worldwide Market Share Declines Year Over Year
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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“Uhh, why? The emachine will certainly have the same quality of components as a Mac. There’s nothing inherently worse about its particular athlon processor, or VIA chipset, or RAM, or whatever”
LMAO! Have you ever owned an eMachine? I’ve had 3, and they were all crap. Two harddrives crashed after less than 6 months of use, they were buggy and unstable (worse than windows usualy is) and one just stopped working, I replaced everything in it but it’s motherboard so it was probley a motherboard problem…
I agree that PCs are cheaper than Macs, but please don’t compare Mac prices to eMachine prices. eMachines are horrible…
“Apple is actually doing VERY well in the pro software department, Final Cut Pro and Shake kick Premiere and After Effect up and down the stairs”
Duh. FCP is a professional video editor, Premiere is not. Premiere is a prosumer product…
Wrong. Wintels win because it’s the o.s. with most (99%) games, people’s ignorance and lowest price. *Any* o.s. (or computer) can do what Windows does. Heck some do it better, WAY BETTER.
On a side note:
I can’t wait to see the sparks fly when Amiga OS4 is released!!! It’s even more proprietary than Mac OS X, works only on selected motherboards and has really limited hardware support. *sigh*
If Apple wants to get more market share it should concentrate on making sure that critical business and consumer information is available to MAC users. Too often this information is available to Windows users only and no matter how cool a computer looks or how easy it is to use, if the masses can only communicate with 2% of the population and cannot access information readily available to PC users,then Apple will be lucky to hold onto its measly 2% share. There are only so many graphic designers out there, what has Apple done for the rest of us?
Ronald,
I don’t know about you, but I have been hearing the Amiga OS4 thingie for as long as I can remember.
If thoses guys can sale vaporware for so long and still be around then Apple Market share really is irrelevant.
Phil
Apple needs to make it’s file types compatable with windows. People don’t buy MACs because they cannot exchange information with 97-98% of the population. As a mac user who is not a graphic designer, my partner, a realtor and I an Architect cannot do bussiness with a MAC due to incompatible file type and Windows only web sites. We’ll be switching to the other side if Apple continuess to do nothing to keep us in the fold. Running Virtual PC is slow and expensive when compared to buying a cheap PC that does it all.
“Apple needs more exposure. It’s as simple as that. Most people don’t KNOW about OSX”
Needs more exposure? I don’t think so, how many Apple Stores do they have open? Almost one in every major city in the United States! Not to mention the upgrade in TV commercials. Plus they have their product displayed is almost every CompUSA (true you should never buy an Apple from them). Exposure is not the answer for Apple, they got that taken care of and are doing a great job with it.
Now their prices are cheap for what you get, if you want to buy a PC that comes close to the likeness and core of the Mac, PowerBook, etc. then you’ll be spending about the same. The only difference is that these PC venders like Dell and Gateway, not only have the “Apple” priced boxes, but they got the low, low end ones. You can drop almost 2,000 with Dell but you can also drop about 499 with them also. Apple on the other hand, you’re lucky if you can get the price below 1,000! True you have the Emac and the low, low end iBook, but they are still up in the 799!
This is Apple’s problem . . . They can’t last in this business with their TV sitcom show contracts (because those are starting to drop), the wealthy, and designers. I’m sorry but there just isn’t that many of those people around dropping 1999 every new model.
But me personally, I’m sure they’ll be fine with just staying the same. I really don’t have a problem dropping that kind of money, because I know the product and know how to repair it myself, so in the long run I’m saving money. But they have to think about everyone.
@ Zeppelin
Apple is not winning ground in pro video. Premiere and Final Cut are by no means “pro” as in professional. The truth is that world + dog has a digital camera today and many people can afford to temper with it. There is nothing much left in the pro sector for Apple. Largely, it is mom and pop tampering with it.
For example already three years ago when I was investigating into buying an Avid class NLE system, I talked to three regional authorized Avid resellers. Already at that time, they said that they hardly ever sell their systems Apple-based, infact only when the customer specifically demanded it. Look around how many systems (*real* pro editing boards) go with a Mac… it’s a Windows world in which you can hand-count Apple-systems.
Needs more exposure? I don’t think so, how many Apple Stores do they have open? Almost one in every major city in the United States! Not to mention the upgrade in TV commercials. Plus they have their product displayed is almost every CompUSA (true you should never buy an Apple from them). Exposure is not the answer for Apple, they got that taken care of and are doing a great job with it.
So how many apple retail stores are there in Europe? About the same number of tv commercials here I guess. Zero. Their marketing and sales department is just plain pathetic.
Look around how many systems (*real* pro editing boards) go with a Mac… it’s a Windows world in which you can hand-count Apple-systems.
*Sigh*, now the windows users even steal the reality distortion field
“*Sigh*, now the windows users even steal the reality distortion field”
Oh.. you need not sigh my friend, you can take an inch thick catalouge for pro-video products and then you come back here and report to the crowd how the ratio for PC/mac is… Now, isn’t that a nice offer?
<“Apple is actually doing VERY well in the pro software department, Final Cut Pro and Shake kick Premiere and After Effect up and down the stairs”>
“Duh. FCP is a professional video editor, Premiere is not. Premiere is a prosumer product… ”
Unless you were born yesterday (which I suspect), you might remember that not so long ago (ie before Final Cut Pro came out), Premiere was the standard.
“The US has only about 170 million citizens”
Uh? the population of the US is 291,566,466 people according to the US census bureau.
the tariffs imposed to electronic equipment is what causes the high prices of computers imported from the US to south american countries. Usually about 35 to 50% extra, because they’re considered luxury items at customs.
>>
Wrong. Wintels win because it’s the o.s. with most (99%) games, people’s ignorance and lowest price. *Any* o.s. (or computer) can do what Windows does. Heck some do it better, WAY BETTER.
>>
Yes some do that WAY BETTER, ie: Apple. 100% a painting game. Rainbow level of intelligence guaranteed, Ellen Feiss clearly taking the lead ( http://www.apple.com/switch/ads/ellenfeiss.html ); does ignorance get worse? And lowest price, heck, where can you find a cheaper “SUPER-COMPUTER”???
Hahahaha!!!
Seriously now, Apple makes fine computers and damn fine OSes, few people doubt that, the point here is really purely economical. Instead of bringing in switchers (Apple’s “cuz M$ sucks…” failed marketing) they are steadily losing market share, 7 percent in the third quarter of 1996 to 4.4 percent in the same quarter of 1997, 4.5% in the second quarter of 2001, 2.7% in 2002, 2.3% so far this year, and nothing more to it. “It’s going down, down, down…” (sing as Bruce Springsteen would).
A pause for sweet nostalgia.
>>
“Macintosh licensees find Apple not so sweet. Troubled computer firm retreats from supporting copies, angering allies”
Mac watchers say Umax has done exactly what Apple hoped clone makers would do. It has had success selling Macs in the Far East, and appears to have a hit with a line of low-end computers that start at under $900.
-.-
Norr believes the issue is crucial for Apple, which continues to suffer financial losses. The goodwill Jobs bought with his dramatic MacWorld announcements may already have worn off, Norr said.
-.-
If Apple kills the clone makers, he said, “it will be an utter disaster.”
>>
[ http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/business/97/09/02/mac-clones… ]
And who cares?, yeah! I like that attitude.
“Apple, Market Share, and Who Cares?”
[ http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/591 ]
Chuck digs Mercedes, errr… uses an Apple. Brrrrrunnn!-Brrrrunnn!-great. Notwithstanding, sales stubbornly declining.
Hey, I’m with you: who cares?, actionists? Forget ’em, check this out, El Rushbo and Santa dig Mercedes… errrr Apples too.
[ http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/ianman/macset/archive2.html#sinter…
http://www.macminute.com/2003/06/28/limbaugh ]
After reading all 115 posts I couldn’t help but notice that many people were touting 771,000 units shipped as a good sign. Sure it’s nice, but understand that shipping units is not the same as actually SELLING units. Apple made comments like this about several product lines. Hundreds of thousands shipped, but straight into retail warehouses where they sat on the shelves only to be returned to Apple because they barely sold.
t’s compatability not price
By nic golato (IP: 64.83.69.—) – Posted on 2003-07-21 17:21:06
Apple needs to make it’s file types compatable with windows. People don’t buy MACs because they cannot exchange information with 97-98% of the population. As a mac user who is not a graphic designer, my partner, a realtor and I an Architect cannot do bussiness with a MAC due to incompatible file type and Windows only web sites. We’ll be switching to the other side if Apple continuess to do nothing to keep us in the fold. Running Virtual PC is slow and expensive when compared to buying a cheap PC that does it all.
Apple can use windows file types no problem but its windows that needs to be more compatible, but since windows is in the majority it is being seen as apple as being incompatible.
Lets not forget there is MS Office for the mac and they are still .xls and .doc files so what files ARE INCOMPATIBLE ANYWAY?
Again another broadsweeping statement that causes other people to beleive this and thus further hinder apples efforts.
I use both windows and macs under a network sharing an internet connection. Out of the box its windows that WON’T connect to the mac but the mac can?
Think before you post.
I am sure Apple will prosper as an independent entity not a division of another company.
It is almost impossible to replace WinTel as the desktop OS especially in the corporate world. I noted that the current trend is towards notebook and further up the horizon, maybe handheld computer.
Most people view notebook as desktop as they run the same OS and applications. Can the OS for notebook be different from the desktop? Will there be applications that are suitable to be run on notebook but not in desktop? Well … I believe a good marketer can articulate that a notebook does require a different OS and that certain applications are best run on a notebook.
Grouping multiple posts to respond here….
Of course marketshare counts! Application writers are NOT going to write apps for Apple if there are few or no buyers.
True. But if Apple can sell 3+ million machines per year it will certainly be profitable to sell software to those users. And with software being written for the platform there will continue being users (barring other factors).
I am seeing lots of great apps coming out for Mac OS X every week.
They say. And if Apple is at 0.1% market share they will still say it. And by the next year these two last people who still used Macs will be gone also
0.00% Market share, but hey it doesn’t matter
If Mac sales remain constant but the Windows machines grow greatly there could still be 0.5% Apple marketshare while millions of Macs are being sold.
There is a certain point at which many developers will drop out of the race. But we simply are nowhere near that point.
Even with the Mac’s dismal marketshare Microsoft still makes money on Office v.X. Developers will stick around as long as there is money to be made. And in THAT sense, marketshare numbers ARE meaningless.
“So how many apple retail stores are there in Europe? About the same number of tv commercials here I guess. Zero. Their marketing and sales department is just plain pathetic.”
You do have a valid point, but to say their marketing and sales department are just plain pathetic, isn’t right. If you said their marketing and sales dept. worldwide, I would be singing a different tune. Their marketing is simply amazing, I’m shocked they’re not pushing their focus worldwide, but I think they want this thing to work in their hometown before pushing outside the states. Wouldn’t you agree? Better to keep a small problem within a small area. But also, don’t be surprise if they are getting ready to push for Apple Stores overseas. I mean, it took them about 4 year just to reach Seattle, Washington. When they had stores in the outskirts of the midwest. Who know how they do their thinking.
Well, there is iLife, right out of the box. Somebody said something about people not having iLives. Then who are all these people buying digital cameras and camcorders by the millions???
Apple has contributed richly to the world of computing. This petty sniping that goes on about Apple vs. PC is ridiculous.
I never said that the population of the US is 190million. If I were to give a number, I would guesstimate at around 285million.
I never said that the population of the US is 190million. If I were to give a number, I would guesstimate at around 285million.
Im a switcher! My AMD XP 1700+ is now burried in my closet in some box. The problem with it was heat, noice and the amount of power it demands! Instead i use a G4 Cube and i love it. My next computer will be a mac as well. probably one of the new G5 power-macs.
And who am i? Im 29, work as a software developer (java mostly) for a big swedish telecom corp., ride mountainbike in summer, snowboard in winter.
peace /texas
They should mention OS X in their commercials. They should mention what OS X can do.
Yeah. They should show people surfing the web from their bed over airport. They should show automatic bluetooth syncing of contacts. There are lots of really cool OS X things they could show (some of which Windows can do but that people don’t know OS X can do too!)
K, to continue with Bascule using SD’s quote., Bascule said sales UP 771k. Well, as we can see from SD’s article quote, they sold almost 38k less units this quarter from same Q last year. I’ve read the same thing in numerous other articles.
Considering that no one in their right mind would have bought a PowerMac last quarter I think they did surprisingly well. iMac sales were good and laptop sales were great.
Last year PowerMacs were only a tiny bit slower than this year’s top-of-the-line G4. And the best G4 available last year was slow. I cannot overstate the impact that continuing with the G4 in the desktop for so long did to Apple’s sales.
In another article someone linked above, it was also demonstrated that they made almost no money on their core business. All their profit was on their investments. In other words, their rainy day fund is keeping them dry.
LOL
Kind of like Microsoft. Most of their profits since the early 90’s has come from stock options (ie. printing stock) and investments.
You can call this #3 the most irrational, but it’s the the most common. They won’t because they won’t.
When I told people I decided to buy a Mac the look on their face suggested I may have accidently said, “I have decided to get AIDS.”
I am a Mac freak. I love Macs and all that. That said, the reason in my opinion why Windows will always dominate the computer world is simple. Most people buy what their friends have. Most people have Windows in their office. That’s what they know. So when someone asks them what computer is the one to buy, they say the brand they have at work. They don’t know if it’s better or not. They just know it’s what they have. People always work this way. For instance, I have a friend who always asks me what computer is better. I reply “Apple”. He says, “no, I mean in Windows!” Like Apple doesn’t even exist. That’s the reality of things. Believe what you will, but Apple will never be accepted until they are commonplace in office settings, and that will never happen.
Doesn’t this just prove the point about mindshare? So many different users posting against this one article, disproportionately against other types of articles here on OSNews.
Having mindshare won’t help Apple grow by itself, but it’s the main factor preventing Apple from plummeting. No doubt all of us will be watching with great interest where they go from here, with Panther, G5-based PowerMacs, and expansions to iTMS all coming over the next 6 – 8 months. Perhaps they’ll leverage something for once…?
I could no longer afford Apple hardware.. still love it, but last year after I lost my job and the iMac was getting long in tooth, I gave it to the girlfriend and built an AMD based box.
Now that I’ve been using Linux for a solid 9 months (Redhat 8 then 9). I must say it’s amazing how far it has come since I gave up on it in 2000.
The preemptive kernel patches make for a very smooth system, handling multimedia very well.
Sure I miss some of the apple apps (mostly iTunes) but I also love may of the Linux equivalents.
Finder to Kde
BBedit to Kate
MS Office to Open Office and Koffice
Best part was apple switching to Unix really help grease the rails when I switched to Linux.
I think all they really need to do is to market their stuff harder. I mean, they make increadable machines already and they look really cool as well! And the new powermacs are not that expensive either.
I dont really know about apples marketing in the US but here in sweden we see none marketing at all…
just my 2 e-cents
Ed, your attribution of “Uhh, why? The emachine will certainly have the same quality of components as a Mac.” to me was incorrect. It was the poster Sapper that said this. Please be more careful.