Apple's "renaissance" is under way

Are you people talking about the OS or the hardware? I run both windows and Snow Leopard on my MacBook Pro. The best of both worlds.

"After the proverbial jaw-dropping moment, there was quickly speculation as to why Macs finally outpaced PCs when it came to desktops."

Pop quiz: how many models of desktops does Apple sell? Now, how many models of desktop does HP sell? How about Dell? I'd think that has to play at least *some* part...

Apple do one thing and they do it very well...market their products incredibly well and indoctrinate "followers" to make them into an almost cult-like group...witness most of the comments here...people act like apple could spit on the sidewalk and people would still buy it rings very true with most of the posters on this site (then again, it's an apple fanboy site)
I've used linux, macs and windows and to be honest the most trouble free life that I have right now is with windows. Does it mean that it's a better piece of software for everyone, of course not. However, to suggest that windows is somehow inferior to the mac world is completely ludicrous... windows has to work with countless hardware and software combinations as it's open and yet it does this very well. Even Vista works fine for me...the biggest problem being the initial driver issues that was not handled very well by hardware vendors.
I also like a few of the linux distros as they are finally getting around to a level the regular consumer can utilize without having to search for driver solutions for hours and hours.
I also like macs but truthfully the main thing I like about macs is the hardware...the software is nice but isn't some sort of magical experience that blows windows away(actually I prefer windows)...apple makes awesome hardware....there are some pc makers making great windows hardware as well but it's rare to see something as "sexy" as a macbook truth be told...just not worth the $$ for me...

It's so true. I realized that im reading this on my new macbook pro. We've bought three of them last year for the family. Apple has the best UI and perfect synergry between all of there products. I don't know if they're going to release a tablet at their next event but whatever it is it will be just as good as everything else they've made and will work flawlessly

THis is true, I meet a friend of mine every sat +Sun in woodland hills ca at a starbucks before we ride the canyons, He is a "I hate everything Apple "Guy (even though His Wife loves her Itouch, iPod etc.. ) I mentione to him last week how odd it is that the coffee shop is always full of laptop users and that 9out of 20 are always MAcs. He Grumbled.

Crappy, but understandable: there's no WiFi! =)

thing is, there's no pride to be had being a windows user. people who have Macs i find tend to also aquire a certain smugness about their purchase - perhaps thats what the extra $1k buys you?!
noone on a mobile phone would say "yes - i'm just on my nokia" or tweet "my siemens mobile phone just crashed" but you often hear people who like to point out they have an iPhone "yes i'm just calling you on my iPhone... did i mention i have an iphone? it's amazing - i want to have sex with it etc "

owning a dell or toshiba laptop carries no status symbol, but apple have made a product that does. which i'm sure is why they're popular with uni students who have way more expendable money than most working folks do (or more to the point, banks will happily throw money at them).

there's no doubt apple sell a well marketted product that is pitched as the anti Windows PC, that it's everything a PC isn't.

thing is, i use windows everyday for work for and love it.
i've used Macs for work too and can't get on with them.
and thats in the apple obsessed world of web design.

your user experience is kinda based on just that tho - experience - if you've used Macs for months on end, your "experience" of them of course is, in your opinion, wonderful.
my "experience" of windows is just peachy thanks.
Win7 is significantly better than Vista, no one doubts that.

i would love to get a mac, i really would, but i just can't get past the fact i don't like them. I bought an ipod touch and sent it back cause it was so limited in what it does (or didnt actually do).
yes it was a lovely "experience", but in apple's controlled little environment where they block anything that comprimises it's performance, and therefore their image, it should work well.

That Windows is such an open platform, and can still work is IMO a greater testament to microsofts ability than Apples ability to make a completely closed, locked down to the hilt control freaks paradise of an OS and then throw mud at MS.

And why are PCs full of virus'? Because hackers make things that cause the most damage with the least effort. But with Apples becoming more and more popular, you can bet that hackers will start to turn their attention towards Apples beloved OS.

Ok, if you're gonna post this stuff everytime you go to Starbucks, tattoo this on your arm: "70% of the PC Market is Enterprise. That's Microsoft's market. Those guys don't care about Apple's consumer solutions."

Forget it. Apple already won. Ok? They already won. Don't start looking to Starbucks for an uptick in marketshare... the marketshare stuff is all about the dull grey boxes for 150 bucks a piece.

If you're suggesting that, besides marketshare, Apple is in the middle of a Rennaissance, well, dude, for someone who works on an Apple blog, I'm not sure what to tell you: welcome to 2005?

Although it's true that the iMac was the most popular desktop model purchased in October, that's less impressive than it sounds. Consider how many different desktop models Dell manufactures and sells. Many. Perhaps hundreds, depending upon how you define a distinct model. Now consider how many Apple manufactures and sells: 3 -- mini, Pro, and iMac.

A more valuable comparison would be total desktop units per manufacturer, or total OS seats.

I recall reading that Apple has 90% market share of computers costing over $1000. Whether that's dollar share or unit share I don't know, but either is impressive.

In the end you get what you pay for. Initial cost (investment) in Apple's case is often recouped over time lost (maintenance) and money spent on remedial security solutions. Apple often drops prices incrementally with every new iteration.

2006 2.0Ghz iMac G5 20" Intel $1699
2010 3.06Ghz iMac 21.5" Core-Duo $1199

Form factor/performance improvement for 30% less.