Apple US marketshare surges 32%

6.1% marketshare and rising huh? Looks like they'll pass Gateway for #3 here soon. I guess the tech world had better start taking Apple seriously (for something other than just iPods) for a change.

10% here we come!

after steady declines apple has some ground to make up. these numbers would suggest they are doing that and then some. i hope it is maintainable.

it seems the halo effect has finally paid dividends. but i wouldn't limit it to just that. windows security weakness is likely a factor. ilife may be swaying some users. industrial design could be playing a part. boot camp & parallel's fexibility. etc..

I wouldnt say it's the halo. It's the Intel processor thats probably thee major push. They have always made great machines, but PC'ers have never even given them a thought because it cant run Windows. Now, it's a different story.

now the halo from users buying macs and running windows, and then using OS X.. that will be the halo and further driving force.

not that the iPod didnt have anything to do with it.. it certainly played it's part well, but I cant see the halo effect reallly working from mp3 player to computer.

just my opinion.. argue at will.

It's very interesting. My anecdotal evidence tells me that people switch because now they CAN run windows on it. This is exactly what pushed four of my friends over the fence in the past 6 months (all got MacBooks). It's actually here where it gets interesting: none of these are actually running Windows (even 6 months later)! While I have been gently evangelising Macs for years, it was the Intel switch that convinced them, and yet they are not interested!

Well, we all knew that 'once you try Mac, you never look back'. We just needed something to convince all those people. Who knew that the Intel switch would finally do it?

Wow - How well I remember the bummer years of the mid 90s when Mac users were reading nothing but apocalyptic predictions of Apple's death... Who then could ever have imagined this turnaround? Thank you everyone at Apple for allowing me to never have to use the Windows OS. Please keep up the good work.

to me, it seems. That's why I don't listen to statistics. Anyway, I've only had one DOS machine, no windows. I have yet to buy an Intel Mac, but when I do, I'm gonna spend more than some countries spend on their Navy.

Then it's certainly not too late. While the stock analysts will always be fickle (and always get more attention than they deserve), it looks like Apple is really reaching the point where all the factors mentioned by others (Intel chips, the Mac 'experience', synergy w/iPod & iTV) are creating some lasting momentum. I have no doubt that the 4th quarter will also be very strong, so if you want to make some money (to spend on more Mac gear, of course) pick up some stock!

Why do people in the US keep buying Dells?

Will anybody wake these people up from their hypnotic trance?

Market share is really a false term here. This is 'sales' share per the given time frame. It is good to see this on the rise, but it really is very inaccurate in how many think of it. The problem is that the term market share is a more broad term in the case of an industry like computers. The initial sale of the computer is just the beginning. There is a while industry of software and peripherals.

I can't tell you how many people I've heard make some remark about why people bother with the 'Mac platform' if it is only 5% of the market. It might only be 5% of the sales per quarter, but is much more than 5% of 'in use computers'.

Let me give an example. Lets say that some new car maker comes on the scene, Qwerty Car Company. They have a really great deal and put their cars up for sale. They catch on well, and in Q4 2006, they capture a 10% 'market share'. So, does this mean that now 10% of the cars on the road are Querty cars? Not at all!

Now true, if sales hold at a percentage for a long time (longer than the life of the product)... AND both products have the same length of useful life.... AND people are buying and using the equipment for generally the same purposes, etc.... then the sales 'market share' starts to have more meaning. However, I would argue that Macs and PCs are not equal in this respect. For example, I have a PC in my house that runs MythTV and does nothing but be my HTPC. I don't buy M$ Word or Photoshop for it. This is just one example. How about the 3000 Dells that some company bought for POS terminals? Sure, this happens with Macs as well, but less often.

I think this is great news... but people need to understand that 'sales market share' is not the same as share of the computer market.

-Steve