Gartner and IDC Numbers out...but what if iPhones were computers...

Seth Weintraub
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July 16, 2008
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Gartner and IDC just released their most recent numbers on PC Marketshare and Apple, as expected, climbed up the ranks again.  Depending who you ask they are either slightly ahead or slightly behind the Acer/Gateway/Packard Bell mashup which puts them around tied for third place.  The interesting thing is iPod touches and iPhones aren't counted as computer sales.  Should they be?

  • iPhones have the same specs as laptops had about 5 years ago.
  • They can do most of the things a full computer can
  • They are as functional as UMPCs which are tallied in the total.
  • They are used in much the same way as computers, replacing computers much of the time for people on the move
  • Unsubsidized cost?  I'd venture to bet 50% of Dell and HP machines are less expensive that unsubidized iPhones
  • Some pretty smart people say they are computers

If you do count iPhones and iPod touches...you get a whole new ball game.  That three million computer lead that HP and Dell have on Apple starts to shrink.  Apple sold a million iPhones last week.  iPods are also flying off the shelves and with the 2.0 software, they do Exchange, Cisco VPN, Office apps, IM,  and have 1000 3rd party apps waiting for them.  That is a pretty good computer platform if you ask us! 

As these things converge with computers, Apples marketshare should explode!

Comments (5)

eNoob (not verified) | July 17, 2008 - 4:11am

Yeah, but if you look at it the other way around and drop the 5 UMPC's that were sold it doesn't effect the other guys much ;-)

DistortedLoop | July 17, 2008 - 6:06am

 The iPhone 1, and now iPhone 2 are unprecedented successes in the cellular market, and yes, they are "handheld" computers, but if you're going to lump them in with Mac sales, then you'd have to lump in all the Windows Mobile smartphones and PDA devices out there.  HP makes a line of PDA and smartphones called the IPAQ, and I'm sure they've sold plenty of those.  You'd have to include them in HP's computer sales to be fair.  I wouldn't even hazard to guess how many of those things are sold, but while they're no iPhone, the two different models I've had over the years were respectable, full featured pocket computers, that actually did some things that I still can't on my iPhone (like copy/paste and edit Excel and Word files).

MadMike | July 17, 2008 - 8:14am

Think about it this way. Yes, it is as powerful as a PC was 5 years ago, but on the flip-side my calculator is as powerful as PC's were 15 years ago and that is DEFINATELY not a computer. Symantecly.

Now, from a Computer Engineering point of view - It is a computer, as well as my calculator. It's like a Vespa versus Ducati, versus Harley Davidson. All three are "Motorcycles" but depending who you talk to only one is considered a "Motorcycle." You are comparing Apples vs Oranges (pun intended).

It all comes down to what its marketed as. The iPhone is marketed as a smartphone - because it most closely relates to the definition of a smartphone. UMPC's and Smartphones are similar - but I would only call smartphones a subset of UMPCs.

"Now, I don't want to get off on a rant here, but..." - Dennis Miller

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 17, 2008 - 10:56am

this is retarded fanboyism. i'd also like to point out that the palm pilot did many of these things like 10 years ago, and that wasn't a computer, either.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 17, 2008 - 11:12am

... yet I totally agree with commenter 2, 3 and 4. This is a silly idea, 9to5mac.