Apple rises as Windows market erodes

Jonny Evans
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July 03, 2008
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Windows usage could fall beneath 90 per cent by the end of 2008, while Apple's Mac OS X claims double-digit market share, Net Application's latest internet figures suggest.

Aggregating data collected from approximately 160 million website visitors every month, the company charts things like browser usage online, as well as operating system statistics.

June's figures reveal Mac OS X use to have climbed 0.11 points last month, ending with 7.94 per cent share - a new high for the platform. (And you can add the 0.16 per cent share currently enjoyed by the also OS X-driven iPhone to that, giving Apple a share of 8.1 per cent).

While Microsoft continues to be the dominant player, retaining the huge marketshare the pursuit of which led the company to fall foul of anti-trust bodies worldwide, that lead continues to atrophy.

Microsoft' various breeds of Windows ended June with a 90.89 per cent share, down from 91.13 per cent the month before. It's a pattern of loss that has been a constant for the last two years, and if users continue to abandon the platform - and given the lacklustre feeling for Vista, there's no reason for them to fall back in love with the Microsoft OS - then there's a chance Windows usage could drop before 90 per cent this year.

While Microsoft is declining, Apple's clearly ascendant. It held a 6.18 per cent market share (by OS) in August 2007. That the company's Macs continue to fly out the door at growth rates that exceed industry averages has now begun to attract enterprise users to the platform. Any dents Apple makes in the enterprise will significantly erode Microsoft's stranglehold on operating systems, as the enterprise is where so much of the bedrock of Microsoft's OS dominance is based.

Comments (23)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 6:58am

Here it comes. Everybody can feel Apple's snowball reaching critical mass. This iPhone release is going to be enough to start it rolling and from here on out it's bye-bye Winblows.

9to5MacSUCKER (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 7:54am

It takes more than 30 years for market shares of Microsoft to erode, I'd say it will be another 30 years for apple to break 10% of OS market shares...dream on fanboys.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 8:07am

Well

MS lives big on there monopol, and that games, and alot of busniess programs only runs on Windows.

But they are/have been making bad producks lately, and people wan't to use more refined operation systems, that do what is suppost to do, and not use resurses to make eyecandy and enforce DRM.
So people that can are switching to Linux and Mac.

The companys that makes games and buineiss programs can also see that there is a market on Mac, and are starting to program nativ to Mac.

So I won't say 30 years to have over 10%.
It all comes down to if the user can use his/hers program OSX.
No vmware, parrale, dual boot, wait 6 month to 2 years for you program/game to come out to Mac.

When that happens, then people will look at what OS they like, security, and how fast new tecnoligi comes to that system.(IPv6 is from 94, but Windows did not support it before Vista came out)

Ted Farley (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 6:43pm

Right on. I don't know anyone with a Mac.

Swede (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 5:24am

It must depend on whom you know. More than half the people I know and work with run Mac OS X and use Windows inside a virtualization program (e.g. Parallels) only when they have to. Of Vista users I know, about a third continue to use it, another third went back to XP and the last third has tossed their Windows boxes in favor of OS X.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 8:09am

well personally i cannot wait until people open their eyes to see that windows is just a disgusting conglomerate of crap and bad code all mixed together with a bad CEO who doesn't know in any way shape or form how to sell a product. I really just can't understand why people would invest in this hindenburg of a business.

Bradley Caldwell (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 8:21am

Apple will be at 10% by January. They already hold a 60+ percent share of computers over $1000. Generally those are the folks who make the decisions in companies. Apple is growing and will continue to grow. I switched 2 years ago and will not look back. The Microsoft organism had been tricking me far too long. This Apple stuff rocks and for a CNE to say that is something.

Ted Farley (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 6:45pm

I just ordered 10 computers from my company. None were Macs. All were over $1000 each, not including peripherals.

So much for your theory.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 8:46pm

You paid more than $1000 for a Winblows based corporate computer and it wasn't a Mac? If these aren't servers then you should probably be fired 'cause you're wasting the company's money.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 04, 2008 - 10:23am

How does your poor choice of Windows and wasted IT budget money refute the 60% statement?

Let's say that 60% of your friends (not counting the imaginary ones) wash their own clothes. The fact that your Mom washes your underoos for you doesn't somehow refute the experience of your friends who can figure out that scary, scary washing machine and remember to put soap in every single time!

I know, I know... it's shocking, startling, to face the fact that there are other people in the world who aren't you. Call Dr. Phil or Hello Kitty.

Swede (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 5:27am

There is nothing inconsistent in that. Your 10 Windows boxes are just part of the 40% of high-end machines that are still Windows-based. We call this statistics :-)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 10:34am

CNE = Certified Nurse Educator? That IS something!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 11:17am

Exactly! Once you convince the nurses, everyone else falls in line!

Michael Linehan (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 12:45pm

The market share number isn't really all that relevant. Most of those machines are bargain-basement priced, low end electronic "typewriters" and supermarket tills. Mac OS may have about one-fifteenth the "market share" of Windows, but Apple profitability is massively greater. Apple's market cap is what? Anyone know? Somewhere in the region of 40%, I believe.

Swede (not verified) | July 07, 2008 - 5:30am

Apple's market capitalization is about 150 Billion $US this morning (the value of its outstanding shares). Its profit margin is typically around 30% across all product lines.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 1:15pm

True - there are a million apps that run on Windows .... XP & 2000 .... many mid sized companies have in house programmers that code for these older systems, but I havent seen many companies that are going to Vista

Vista takes too many resources (even if everything works ...)

Vista's DRM is rediculous.... how about concentrate on making the system work the way WE want it to?

Vista was not ready on launch ... drivers were not up to date, also Windows 32bit/64bit is a mess. Why not take the Apple approach? They did it before...

Developers making apps for the iPhone can easily port them to the OS X desktop ... this and the fact that Mac users can run Windows - should mean 15% market share in the next 5 years.

Its really hard not to be a fanboy at this point... unless maybe you have your head in the sand.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 1:16pm

True - there are a million apps that run on Windows .... XP & 2000 .... many mid sized companies have in house programmers that code for these older systems, but I havent seen many companies that are going to Vista

Vista takes too many resources (even if everything works ...)

Vista's DRM is rediculous.... how about concentrate on making the system work the way WE want it to?

Vista was not ready on launch ... drivers were not up to date, also Windows 32bit/64bit is a mess. Why not take the Apple approach? They did it before...

Developers making apps for the iPhone can easily port them to the OS X desktop ... this and the fact that Mac users can run Windows - should mean 15% market share in the next 5 years.

Its really hard not to be a fanboy at this point... unless maybe you have your head in the sand.

9to5Mac Non-noob (not verified) | July 03, 2008 - 2:03pm

You can't add Mac % share to iPhone % share and get OS X share. The math doesn't work that way. They represent partially overlapping markets.

And to the people that point out that Apple is profitable: that's terrific, but it's the developer ecosystem that matters. It's this that's most exciting about the iPhone SDK. We're generating excitement and familiarity with OS X and Cocoa. Those skills will translate to Mac programming, and I think we'll see a major halo effect among Mac apps in the future. That's some serious good news. We don't have to bend over backwards anymore, and squint at data juuust right to find the silver lining :)

imat (not verified) | July 04, 2008 - 12:53am

At least not very much. Mac OSX has to be a choice for those fed up with Microsoft, or those who have chosen it because of their jobs.

If Mac OSX becomes the choice for everyone (which will hopefully not be the case considering the prices (except the Mini)) then we will have lots of problems!
This might sound "elitaristic", but that is what it is.

I fear the day when "el cheapo" peripherals and stupid software will make their way in masses to Mac OSX, creating lots of kernel panics, conflicts and so on.
Users downloading whatever attachment with "tits" written on it they receive will result in viruses, malware and the list goes on.

If you are smart enough to use Mac OSX then do it, otherwise keep using other software.
Before somebody jumps at my throat I want to point out that I am not implying ALL Windows users are less tech savvy or smart.

But, whether we like it or not, the problem is the average "Joe" who has no knowledge at all in computers. These users are the ones I don't feel the need to have switching from Windows to Mac.

Enterprise is also a problem. Everyone is happy that enteprises switch to Mac, I am not that much (particularly in the case of the biggest ones). They develop proprietary software (more often than not crappy one indeed) and then, when a new OS gets released, are not able to update the software, resulting in them asking to run legacy OS and requiring software companies to support old versions of software forever.

Being consumer oriented allows to have a much more fast paced innovation.

Let's see what happens, I might be wrong (not for the first time in my life)

fightless (not verified) | July 04, 2008 - 4:33am

groan. can't us mac and windows users just get along? after all, it is just an operating system

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | July 04, 2008 - 5:46am

Just an operating system? Just an operating system!?!?? That's like saying your mother is just a mother.

NYC exec (not verified) | July 04, 2008 - 8:25am

just bought 10 computers also for our non profit. they were all Macbooks (9 white, one black) once you go Mac, you never go back

9to5Mac Noob + ... (not verified) | July 04, 2008 - 11:50am

this is a rend granted it'll take time but the monopoly will erode;
http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/04/axel-springer-ag-moves-to-mac/