Macs Making Strides In the Enterprise?
Apparently, the key to getting Macs accepted in the enterprise is by winning the hearts and minds of the people, including CIOs. Now, where I work, that's impossible because if you're not using Windows and other Microsoft products by default and without consideration for alternatives, you're an impure heathen and a heretic. Now, more than ever, the fear and loathing of Apple and their computers is beyond ridiculous. Stupid, even. The Newsweek article linked above is a surprisingly balanced and fair-minded article, given the treatment of Apple by the business press in the past. It would be good if people in my office would read that article without prejudices, but, well, umm, yeah.
Mac Consumer Market Share Breaks 20%
Well, this ought to give the Microsoft cultists seizures. According to Piper Jaffray's chief Apple analyst, the Mac's market share in the consumer space is now at 21% in the US and 10% world-wide. Almost every day, I'm surrounded by people who consider using any non-Microsoft product is heresy. Much to their chagrin, I was able to get Safari to our list of supported browsers. If they had their way, we would support only Internet Explorer and leave any Mac or Linux user to basically screw themselves. Such closed minds are a wonderful thing to waste and have no place in our line of work.
Switchin’ Back
I've been doing a fair bit of thinking lately, and perhaps my previous post about Windows users was a bit hasty. You see, Windows does have 90% of the market. That must mean they're doing something right. There's no way they would have gotten that market share without being the best platform.
Well, the point is, I'm switching back to Windows and to make sure the switch back is done right, I'm promising not to install any non-Microsoft software if there's a Microsoft product in that space. In fact, here's what I'll be replacing my Apple, Adobe, RealMac software library with:
- Windows Vista Ultimate (If you think about it, $400 is a steal)
- Office 2007 Ultimate
- the Expression Suite
- Internet Explorer
- Windows Media Player
- Zune (yes, screw the iPod)
Market share doesn't lie. Open standards don't mean jack. Let Microsoft define the standard. Interoperability doesn't matter either. Think about it. If you're not using Windows, you're probably just some heretical zealot trying to brainwash other people into using something twice as expensive and proprietary with no software options.
Why Apple Won’t Dominate
I found this nice little nugget suggesting why Apple won't take over the industry the way Microsoft did. He's not suggesting that Apple's success won't continue or that it won't continue gaining market share at the expense of Microsoft, but that Apple won't be the next Microsoft.
He makes the excellent point that the secret to Apple's success has been the total experience, which is only possible by controlling the hardware, software, and product design. To be the next Microsoft, they would have to make their hardware ubiquitous or license their platform to other hardware manufacturers.
We know neither will happen because they undermine the business model that has made them successful and earned them the legions of rabidly loyal fans.
Personally, I don't want Apple to become the next Microsoft, an arrogant and corrupt behemoth. What burns me is how the tech press focuses so intently on what's going to be the "xxxx killer." To suggest that having one option and no competition is somehow good for the consumer is lunacy. Who knows, maybe the press' infatuation with this is the fewer the products, the less they have to learn or know.
