Analysis - PC market: Apple gains, Acer loses

[HEXUS]

The latest PC market figures reveal some major shifts in the PC market.

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[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Since 400 million copies of Windows 7 have been shifted already it is no wonder PC sales are starting to slow down. I suspect a lot of people bought new PCs soon after Windows 7 was released but with Windows 8 on the horizon I would not be surprised if people are holding off until then.

It wouldn't also surprise me if many people have updated their existing Vista installations and stuck with their older computers. I wonder how world wide figures look for PC sales though??

It will be interesting to see the PC sale figures when Windows 8 is released in Q2 2012.



http://www.netmarketshare.com/os-mar...p=126&qpnp=25#

Windows 7 does seem to be having massive sales though.



If anything OS X had had similar market share even last year before the iPad.

OTH,these figures actually don't show the total number of devices which the operating systems are installed on.

[TooNice]

Hmm, do most people really buy PCs according to the release of a new OS? I don't know when Win 8 is meant to be released and while I *may* take it into consideration if I was buying a new laptop (then again, not really given that I went ahead and bought one 2 months ago), but I am sure my parents for instance wouldn't. In fact, given that I was not very complementary about ME and Vista, they usually ask me if they should get the newer OS IF it is in the market, but never if they should hold back for a new OS.

[crossy]

I'm curious - anyone know why Apple seems to do better in the US than elsewhere? Is it because:

• US schools using Macs, so Ma and Pa get one for Junior
• Better pricing
• Higher disposable incomes
• Harder sell in advertising

or something else, or a combination of factors? From what I've heard in US podcasts, Mac's seem to be a pretty standard PC - certainly not with the "high end" tag that they seem to have over here.

Of course, PC makers also have to compete with folks like me (and I guess a good many other Hexus'ers) who built their own PC. On the other hand you can't really build your own Mac. Not that I'm suggesting for a microsecond that this counts for more than a tiny fraction of a percentage point.

[watercooled]

I'd say it's probably more to do with price considering the currency sign swap common with Apple products over here. Not limited to Apple of course, it's all to common with lots of products (especially technology).

I didn't think Macs carried a 'high-end' tag? Considering they're not - certainly not for a given price. A high-end system would be a Mac Pro but it's a workstation, not a desktop and it's not exactly within the price range of most consumers.

Not exactly sure what you mean by 'can't build your own Mac', it's a computer like any other - it's not somehow this separate branch of hardware they'd have you believe.

[crossy]

Not exactly sure what you mean by 'can't build your own Mac', it's a computer like any other - it's not somehow this separate branch of hardware they'd have you believe.

Let me explain ... sure you can build a system that'll run OS X. In fact, if what I'm lead to believe is true, you can build a technically superior system to the ones that Apple ship. Problem is that having built a box, you then can't really go out and get a copy of OS X to put on it - due to the license of OS X.

Idle curiosity of mine as to whether you'd be able to use a core component from a real Mac and that'd be enough to satisfy the legal requirements of the OS X license, (I'm just going on here-say). E.g. raid eBay and get a Mac Pro motherboard or case from a "for spares or repair" system (which seem to be reasonably priced) and then buy other components to build your own Mac.

[watercooled]

I thought you were speaking more about the hardware.

I think there's some loophole in European law which means Apple can't stop you from using the OS on other hardware - but really you'd need to purchase another Apple computer system to do it legally i.e. without pirating it. And I don't think the OS is worth the cost of buying a full computer, maybe you could buy some broken/for parts system on eBay for a few quid though?