As the economy slows down, Windows contiues to dominate Apple

[Onoskelis]

http://www.businessinsider.com/windows-slaughters-the-mac-in-february-sales-2009-3

Windows sales are up 22% for February, while Apple sales went down 16.7%

Whether you like Microsoft or not, they are still very much alive in the PC market, and won't be going away for quite while.

[MikeTheC]

Hello. I'm a PC, and I've been made into a stereotype.
Yer darn skippy you have.



I'm a PC, and I wear glasses.
And he's carrying his own groceries from the corner grocery store? Now that's rich.

[Ocxic]

Microsoft sells an $100-$300 OS.
Apple Sells $999-$3000 Computers.
Those figures are flawed, they do not compare the same things.

Not to mention that MS does not sell the OS to end users, there sold in bulk to computer dealers and resellers, so the amount of sales from MS does not mean that many actual people bought a copy of Windows.

[Tykin]

That rise couldn't possibly be due to vista sales, could it? Who would buy Vista when Windows 7 is rumored to come out by the end of this year?

Could it be office sales?

[MikeTheC]

Not really sure what, if indeed anything, to put that down to. I really tend not to believe it, though.

Remember: Ballmer would want those sales numbers to appear up just so he can keep touting that "See, Microsoft is still where it's at, yeah, baby!" I'm not saying he doesn't care that they make more money, but I don't think that's really what's on his mind.

Ballmer is surely seeing the same data we all are, and it's got to worry him. A lot. So, any news that shows his company is alive and well and relevant (or, more to the point, that his competition is not as relevant) would make him happy. Oh, and of course you folks never heard me say that Steve would ever conspire with anyone to push the numbers up... ;)

[Paqman]

Microsoft sells an $100-$300 OS.
Apple Sells $999-$3000 Computers.
Those figures are flawed, they do not compare the same things.


From the article:

# Windows sales in Feb are up 22% y/y, with revenue up 1.4%. (In this economy, that impresses us)
# Apple (AAPL) Mac sales are down 16.7% y/y, with revenue down 23.3%

Which jives completely with what you've said. Microsoft's margins are obviously pretty slim, and they've probably just about slit their own throats to push those sales numbers up. But if they're doing it at huge cost to Apple and still making a profit, then they're laughing.

Mac sales are only part of what Apple is about though. They'll still be minting it from all those iPods, not to mention the unstoppable juggernaut that is iTunes.

[billgoldberg]

http://www.businessinsider.com/windows-slaughters-the-mac-in-february-sales-2009-3

Windows sales are up 22% for February, while Apple sales went down 16.7%

Whether you like Microsoft or not, they are still very much alive in the PC market, and won't be going away for quite while.

And this is interesting why?

[Vorian Grey]

Microsoft has spoken with forked tongues in the past. I see no reason to believe otherwise this time.

[Zlatan]

And this is interesting why?

could ask the same question after any other post

[zakany]

Microsoft doesn't sell computers. Apple does. If you want to compare the companies on the same playing field, compare iPods to Zunes.

[Hated On Mostly]

The statistics are comparing sales of personal computers with a Windows OS versus sales of personal computers with a Mac OS (which only Apple sells). So yes the comparison makes sense. In a down global economy anything else would be a surprise. As one of the linked article states and as everyone knows the ASP (average selling price) of Windows PCs is much lower than even the entry level price of the various Apple computers. They aren't comparing sales of boxed Windows versus hardware Macs, that doesn't even make sense and is not something NPD is comparing.