
Apple market share tops 10%, Windows share lowest since tracking began - Anon84
http://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/02/apple-market-share-tops-10-windows-share-lowest-since-tracking/
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markessien
If I were head of product development in Apple right now, what I would do is:

1\. Change the behaviour of Mac OS X to match Windows in terms of Window
Minimizing, access to desktop, file sorting and so on. Simply, make the
transition a lot more painless

2\. License out Mac OS X for specially designated high end machines by big
vendors. For example, make a VAIO version of Mac OS X that works only with
those laptop

3\. Expand the Apple App store to also become an OS X App store.

4\. Add a feature to the iPod and iPhone that only works with Mac OS X. For
example, some type of 3D file manager that 'requires' OS X to work

5\. Offer some type of open source framework that allows virtualisation across
platforms like the iPhone, Web and other OSes

~~~
potatolicious
I don't like how you're being downmodded for going against the grain - your
post was cogent and appropriate, though I still disagree :)

1 - Mac users _like_ the behavior differences, and as one myself I can say
there are many ways where Apple's format is superior to Windows. One of the
major complaints for recent switchers is the lack of a "minimize" button, and
IMHO this should not be "fixed". The lack of a full-screen button allows
people to focus on sharing screen space between apps, which is something Apple
does extraordinarily well and where Windows fails horribly. The inter-app
cross-compatibility (allowing robust drag/drop features) is key to the Mac
platform.

2 - No way. Apple makes most of their money off hardware, OS X is merely a
selling point for their laptop and desktop products. Not to mention Apple is
in a very good position to push hardware/software synergy like nobody else. I
recently saw a demo of the Windows 7 multi-touch features, and the main thing
that struck me is: "this is useless, the quality of touchscreen on 95% of
tablets out there is not enough to make this useful". Apple is in a unique
situation where their hardware can work precisely as well as they need, and
vice versa. There's no waiting for either side to catch up like MS does.

3 - Agree, though not necessary. I wouldn't put much effort in it, but rather
maybe build something that increases exposure for small-time app builders. App
distribution on the Mac platform is already problem-free (unlike Windows, with
is myriad of non-standard installers). This seems like a solution looking for
a problem.

4 - That's going to piss a lot of people off - and I doubt anybody makes a
$1500 purchasing decision based off a single "missing" feature.

Can't comment on #5, my brain is too fried :)

~~~
markessien
1 - Mac users may like the difference, but windows users are not familiar with
the difference, making it difficult for them to switch initially. It does not
matter what is superior - if Mac were to minimize the small differences, it
would be way easier for the users to switch. I'm not talking about what mac
users are used to, I'm talking about making a switch completely painless.
Windows users I've observed who switch to macs don't use this drag/drop thing
like you think they do - they continue to use the osx like it were windows.

2 - Hardware costs money, software is free. This is why I say, if they allow
Vaio produce hardware that is very similar to the Mac OS X hardware, they can
quickly expand their market, while maintaining a high end brand. It's up to
Sony then to make sure their hardware always fits.

3 - It's not problem free till I can click and icon on my mac select what I
want and click buy.

4 - People will indeed make such a purchasing decision based off 1 feature.
All other things balance themselves out, so one snazzy thing makes the world
of difference.

~~~
unalone
_It does not matter what is superior_

It does to Apple users, and to Apple itself.

 _It's not problem free till I can click and icon on my mac select what I want
and click buy._

The problem is that by doing that Apple would be shutting out other venues.
Did you see my link to Apple.com/downloads? It does basically what you're
asking for.

 _People will indeed make such a purchasing decision based off 1 feature. All
other things balance themselves out, so one snazzy thing makes the world of
difference._

What about the people purchasing the other way around? The people who'll buy a
Zune instead of an iPod because it doesn't have the same crippled feature?

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redorb
only started keeping stats 4 years ago, I would think since then any decline
would be windows lowest; not to mentin the decline is less than 1 percent

