Mac sales set to explode?

An industry commentator is arguing that sales of Apple's Mac computers are on the verge of a dramatic increase, moving past the 10 percent mark to 15 percent, 20 percent or even more of the market. A confluence of factors is cited: at a basic level, Macs are said to be easier to recommend in the current era, because they require far less technical support compared to machines running Windows; beyond issues with spyware and malware, the Mac OS interface is generally easier to use.

There are three other major factors though, such as the lukewarm success of Windows Vista, an operating system designed to be closer to par with Mac OS X and which in fact emulates several features (such as widgets). Its ease-of-use is said to fall apart upon inspection however, whereas modern Macs are described as a "self-contained ecosystem" comprised of the hardware, OS and applications.

The transition to Intel CPUs has also gone smoother than expected, since it has brought performance and compatibility benefits, including dual-booting, without attendant viruses or homogenization with the PC world.

Lastly, the price disparity between Macs and PCs is decreasing, such that the perceived advantages of a Mac may be worth a little extra, such as the bundling of the iLife suite with every system. Eventually, it is claimed, the cost difference may become non-existent. The PC Magazine commentator suggests that Apple will break 12 percent market share by 2012, and much more by 2025.

by MacNN Staff