Over 1 Million Windows to Mac Converts in 2005?

[amac4me]

Appleinsider has posted a story that indicates that over 1 million Windows to Mac converts have occured thus far 2005.

I've been preaching for a while that the "Switch To A Mac" revolution is underway.

I found the following from the article to be quite powerful:

"According to checks with Apple Store Specialists, Wolf also said a larger than expected percentage of Windows to Mac converts appear to be purchasing Apple's higher-end systems and that their transition is fueled by the epidemic of viruses and malware on the Windows platform."

Apple's compelling operating system and hardware are driving the transistion. It's just the beginning.

The story can be found at:
http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1360

 

[BrandonSi]

I'm one of them! Glad I did it too.

 

[qzak]

yup, me too. got my powerbook in late march/beginning of april. still run my home built pc desktop for some stuff though.

 

[Seasought]

When I received a 20GB iPod for X-mas last year it really impressed me and I think that also helped encourage me to reconsider their line of computers (specifically their powerbooks). I had had a handful of other flash mp3 players and the iPod really blew them all away.

The question of whether or not the 'iPod revolution' is also helping spur windows users to switch to mac would emit a resounding yes from me. I was also very disgusted with the look and feel of the upcoming Windows Vista that looks like it's simply copying OS X's look and feel. I'm all for making something better, but I have my doubts as to it being 'better' if its from MS.

I watched the keynote from the 2005 Macworld conference with Jobs talking about OS X and such and I can see how his charismatic personality pulls people in. Based on the comparison between the two individuals, I tend to have more respect for Jobs as a businessman and human being. This too could help contribute to people 'switching' if they took the time to research a bit more.

 

[khisayruou]

I wish I can say I am a true convert but there are still some things I desperately need windows for...sigh...just wish mac would do everything so I can get rid of it...other than that, I've been quite happy for over a year!

Heres hoping for another million or two or three...for 06!!

 

[AP_piano295]

another convert here and I know atleast three people at school who have recently made the switch to. Only thing I use my pc for is a round or two of bf2 everything else is ibook.

 

[MacRumors]

Over 1 Million Windows to Mac Converts in 2005?



Appleinsider quotes analyst Charles Wolf who claims that the estimates of Windows to Mac switchers may be higher then previous expected.

The numbers however are based on significant amount of guesswork, so it is hard to draw many conclusions:

"If we assume that all of the growth in Mac shipments during the past three quarters resulted from Windows users purchasing a Mac, then purchases by Windows users exceeded one million"

 

[mac-er]

I've been preaching for a while that the "Switch To A Mac" revolution is underway.

Ok, Peggy Hill.

 

[wdlove]

Definitely great news for Apple. The iPod and iTMS has gone along way to assist this process.

 

[arn]

Can you really assume that growth from last year to this is due to switchers?

 

[Michael7k]

Very content with the change accomplished in February. After switching at home I decided to networked a Mac into the office also. I have enjoyed the ease of use and stability of the machines.

After discovering what a virus could do on her machine my mother will be next on the list.

Michael

 

[steve_hill4]

I would assume a sizeable chunk of those new mac users are switchers. I will be in the process of switching as much as possible from January. With a massive external hard drive too, there will soon be no need for my desktop switched on at all.

 

[greenguy4]

To think...I'm one of a million (and I don't even have an iPod yet)!

 

[johnnyjibbs]

Hmm, let me see...

If we assume... [MIGHTY BIG ASSUMPTION BASED ON NO FACT OR EVIDENCE] then we have 1 million Windows switchers!

Right...

It could be true but it may not be, nothing to draw from this, as Arn has said.

 

[devilot]

Can you really assume that growth from last year to this is due to switchers?

I agree... hasn't Apple also released highly anticipated updates to machines that the then-Mac users would gladly gobble up? But I don't doubt that switchers helped to reach those numbers.

 

[TodVader]

I'm one of them and switched from a Dell Inspiron Laptop to a iBook G4. Never regreted but I did keep a Windows Desktop (which BTW I havent used since the purchase of my iBook)

 

[DMann]

Very Believable

Quite credible when taking into consideration
the high volume of traffic throughout the
Apple stores each day. Both the stores and
the on-line store are extremely profitable.
Fueled by the halo effect of the iPod and
family, this encouraging news is not
surprising

 

[nagromme]

ALL the growth is from switchers?

Well, there are two possible sources for sales growth:

1. Existing Mac users buying more Macs per year than they used to.

2. NEW Mac users buying more Macs.

#1 is a question mark--and I could even believe it could be LESS, as existing owners held off for faster G5s, new PowerBooks, and even for Intel. Existing Mac owners might have been buying less this year than they used to. Maybe.

#2 is a sure thing. We KNOW that has increased and not lessened. I'd say most of the growth has to be from that.

How much is most? 3/4? All of it? Good question, but whether it's a million or not, it's a big number that's only going to get bigger.

 

[urbanlung]

Yeah

I've been a Mac man for just over a decade and have been extolling their virtues ever since. Where I work there are 1000s of windows users and until recently they really had little regard fr Apple. That is all changing. Their exposure to Apple via the iPod has had a major effect and there appears to be a growing momentum (still small) towards Mac. About 3 or 4 of my colegues have bought macs within last 6 months and ever more are showing an interest. Also I have just lent an old G4 450 to a collegue to show him what all the fuss is over. Even tho its only 1 x 450 proc and 256 meg ram it will still run FCP 4 fine and a whole bunch over other stuff too. slowly the dim windows users are begining to see that there is a better way. What took 'em so long. Hang on, a whole bunch of them voted for Bush (apparently), nuff said.

Ciao

 

[50548]

My father is another one...he is just amazed by the great little Mac Mini he got from me..! His Pentium is a paperweight for now..!

 

[camomac]

wow. that means:

1,000,000 divided by 311 (days THIS far in the year) = 3215.43 switchers a day.

which means i fall between 35369.77 and 38585.21 switchers for the year.
since i switched on Jan. 11, 2005 (waited for MWSF)

(well according to appleinsider)

 

[qtip919]

oh my gosh, if you guys are even beginning to think that these numbers are based on anything other than speculation - you really need to get a grip on reality


People get so excited around here about speculation and theory...

Here's a newsflash...even if this were true it wouldnt matter

Windows does not care what is happening in the home user market, if anything, this really helps them as it gets people off of "sitting" on windows 2000 or 98...they have a hard time convincing people to use XP and Media Center, and Vista is going to be a hard sell as well...however, once people come "off" of a platform, it is actually quite easy to get them to switch back. Think of it in reverse...i was once a Mac OS 8,9 user, was forced to go to Windows, then once I saw some innovation in the OS X space, I couldnt wait to try it out...part of it was nostalgia, part was marketing genius of S. Jobs...

the same principle will Apply for Vista. There are features and capabilities in this OS that I am already drooling over. Forget flashy UI, thier media experience is truly elegant...I am already planning my purchase of both an xbox 360 (dont even get me started on the inferiority of mac gaming) and a Media center PC to manage my HD programming...And PLEASE dont get into it with me over front row...this is just a peice of UI on top of quicktime, iphoto and itunes...and I really dont care...media center is a true multimedia experience...Radio and TV timeshifting; movie, photo, music management, excellent remote control, slick UI...the works...

front row has potential, but I think people underestimate the hardware requirements of a true media center...this has taken years to pull of with MS and it will take years for apple to meet feature parity

Back to the point...1 million users switching is a serious stretch, and nearly impossible to prove...whats more, Windows completely dominates corporate america through enterprise sales agreements and Apple has nothing to offer to compete with Windows in corporate environments...When corporations go to purchase an email solution - Apple cant hold a candle to Windows 2003 + Exchange + Outlook 2003...I wish they could, but they cant. This is why Microsoft laughs at all of this press, hype, stock inflation...Sales of ipods vs. sales of windows license agreements is like comparing worldwide car sales to north america snowboard sales...one may be cooler than the other, but corporate market share dominance makes the latter irrelevant...no matter how much hype you stir into it

 

[m-dogg]

Can you really assume that growth from last year to this is due to switchers?

I don't know...I don't think so personally. It is a bit of a stretch. But at the same time, I am one of those switchers (January '05), so who knows.

I do think the iPod halo effect is a slow-moving process. People may buy an iPod and fall in love with it, then decide to switch...when they are ready to buy a new computer. It isn't something where they buy an iPod and then run out and get an iBook the following week. For most people, computers are not impulse purchases (though alot of MR regulars may disagree)!

 

[alexprice]

A well said article!!

 

[ZoomZoomZoom]

I'm one in a million

There are a thousand of me in China.