Filed under: Switchers, Cult of Mac
9000 Switchers a Day?
I've never been one to fixate on the whole market-share question, but several reports are pointing to increasingly good results for Apple's core Mac business. From over at MacDailyNews comes word that the February numbers from Net Applications have the Mac up to a 6.38% share for February, a rise of 2.05 percentage points (i.e. an increase of around 47%) since just last August (the numbers are based on visits to a network of websites). Glen Fleishman at TidBITS repeats an analyst's speculation that the total number of Mac users will shortly hit 22 million. Finally, Tom Yager at InfoWorld suggests that by his calculations there are around 9,000 new switchers per day. So he's decided to set up a little experiment to see "what happens when you leave a professional Windows user alone with a Mac." He has set up a long-time Windows user with a MacBook and a copy of Parallels, and he's going to report how she reacts. "Will she resist? Or will she make the switch? Stay tuned." Personally, I'm just happy that the market is expanding because that can't help but benefit the long-term Mac user base as well. It's hard not to be optimistic and think that even more happy days are here for the Mac. And with Leopard just around the corner, it's only going to get better. So welcome to a new day you latest 9000, it's good to have you on board.
[Via Digg]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
KeynoteKen said 10:43AM on 3-05-2007
I believe it. With the combination of people needing to upgrade for Vista and the coolness of iChat, I was able to get 2 iMacs and a MacBook sold. I think the multiple user video chat features is what sold them the most. Just a few minutes to set up a .Mac or AIM account and you're magically in the realm of the Jetsons!
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Kevin said 11:01AM on 3-05-2007
Count me as one of those 9,000. I bought my first Mac (and first laptop) two weeks ago when I got a Macbook. With Parallels I'm able to run one piece of software that I need for my business but I run Mac native apps for everything else. So far I'm absolutely loving it. The commercials are true, everything just works. I'm selling my custom built desktop PC and from the looks of everything I'll never go back to a PC. I've already said my Wife's next laptop will be a Mac (currently a Dell). I'm telling everyone I know they should get a Mac!
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Tim said 11:13AM on 3-05-2007
for some really selfish reason I'd rather Mac's marketshare stay low, isn't it true that this is the only reason Mac have no viruses, and nowadays people already break Mac "every day", like Bill said ;)
seriously though, I still want my computer to be anti-virus and anti-spyware free.
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Joop said 11:14AM on 3-05-2007
I honestly don't know if it's such a good thing, 9000 switchers a day. I've been a switcher not so long ago and i really enjoy the fact that everything works, that i don't need to care so much about viruses and malwre.
All that is going to disappear if the Mac gets a larger userbase. We'll end up with anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-malware, enhanced security that allows us to do what we want to do by just selecting "Allow" to everything, scriptkiddies will exploit AppleScript through webpages using Safaris vulnerabilities, etc, etc. And the Mac OS will end up as a next Windows Vista.
The ONLY reason we don't have that problem at the moment is because MacOS, like Linux and UNLIKE Windows, doesn't have enough users to justify the effort to write software to annoy them.
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Sasha S. said 11:59AM on 3-05-2007
First I would like to welcome all new switchers to the Mac platform. In the past 2 years I have personally switched 50+ people and it has been a very pleasant experience for me and for them. And I am glad to see more people leaving the tyrany of Windows behind them.
As for security - the best security is that one that you do not see. And believe me kids, Mac OS X has a lot of things you dont see that make writing exploits VERY VERY difficult indeed. Of course a good security practice is always neded - do not install programs you do not know, do not clikc YES to everything without thinking about it, etc. I do not have antivirus programs and do not expect to need them in forseeable future.
Also I would like to invite new switchers to help others switch too. Mac users are frendly and polite crowd and I urge you to continue that tradition and assist people you switch. Show them how to make DVD or how to make a Photobook in iPhoto or website in iWeb.
I have a small mailing list for my own switchers and I send them little tips and tricks on regular basis. Windows users are often affraid to venture and try new things because Windows software is difficult to use and Windows is very unstabile platform - therefore it is a good idea to show people how they can new stuff: send SMS from Addressbook via Bluetooth phone or send VCF cards to each other or use Pages to make variety of great looking documenfst or school, amateur clubs etc.
Macs are also great for small businesses and I am planning to start a new effort devoted entirely to switching small businesses to OSX and Macs.
9000 per day is great - lets aim for 19000 by this time next year!
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T.D. said 4:08PM on 3-05-2007
I have a question that I don't know how to get answered and I thought that I would start her. My inlaws gave me a Dell computer because the hard drive crashed. I have been a windows man my whole life but I've been impressed with OSX and all apple hardware. My question is this, would I be able to buy a new SATA drive and install OSX on the dell hardware. I would think it would work but I don't know if dell put in anything that would prevent this. If anyone has any info on this or knows where I can look it would be greatly appreciated.
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Christina said 4:16PM on 3-05-2007
T.D., I don't have an answer but I'd like to point you to apple.com/support/ -> discussions. Ask your question in either Mac OS X forum, or hardware forum (or both), you're likely to get an answer..
Good luck
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Paul D said 1:49AM on 3-06-2007
TD, installing OS X on a Dell is not a simple feat. OS X requires EFI firmware rather than PC BIOS, and the hardware will almost certainly not enjoy full driver support.
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Tim said 2:39PM on 3-06-2007
Install OS X on non-Apple hardware is strictly a hack at the moment and unsupported by Apple, since the EULA of OS X restrict its usage on Apple-branded hardware, and not all the different hardware in generic PC are supported.
Plus that you cannot buy a boxed version of OS X Tiger for Intel CPU, (unless you buy a new Mac) you are mostly resorted to download pirated and modified copies that will install on intel CPU, and the legality is in question even if you have existing PPC copy of OS X.
If you are relatively computer-savvy and have time and patience, www.osx86project.org has an extensive wiki and forum on this.
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Tim said 8:35PM on 3-06-2007
Install OS X on non-Apple hardware is strictly a hack at the moment and unsupported by Apple, since the EULA of OS X restrict its usage on Apple-branded hardware, and not all the different hardware in generic PC are supported.
Plus that you cannot buy a boxed version of OS X Tiger for Intel CPU, (unless you buy a new Mac) you are mostly resorted to download pirated and modified copies that will install on intel CPU, and the legality is in question even if you have existing PPC copy of OS X.
If you are relatively computer-savvy and have time and patience, www.osx86project.org has an extensive wiki and forum on this.
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Nick Kramer said 11:37AM on 3-08-2007
Does anyone know when the next Generations of the MacBook is scheduled to be released?
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Jason said 6:56PM on 3-08-2007
I'm part of that. I made the switch from Windows to Mac in January of this year, and I'm loving it. It's much better looking in our den, and it simply runs better than my old machines that ran Windows XP. I also enjoy the software that came bundled with it (the iLife programs, mainly). I'm officially on-board and loving it.
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