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Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has released the latest version of the Mac, the iMac. And, it has added software that may allow it to compete with Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows, the standard OS for PCs.
The new software on the iMac could take the place of some Windows functions. According to (subscription required)The Wall Street Journal, Macs will be loaded with a new product called Numbers that can perform the same functions as Windows Excel.
Apple's share of the US computer market has grown to 5%.
If Apple thinks it will get much more of the market, it is kidding itself. Unlike the iPod market, where it had very little direct competition from another large company, the PC competition is lead by Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), and Dell (NASDAQ: DELL), and each of these companies has a huge stake in defending its share.
Beyond that, Apple's software may recreate some of the functions of Windows software, but it does not have the huge array of functions built into Vista. And, computer users have become used to these features by using Windows over a number of years. Switching them, at both the consumer and enterprise level will be difficult.
Finally, Windows-based PCs can communicate with one another easily because of the common OS. Apple would have to break that cycle by getting users to buy a product that is not compatible with Windows.
It won't happen.
Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.
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Reader Comments (Page 3 of 3)
8-16-2007 @ 7:43PM
Dr. Zoet said...
This is a silly article that doesn't make sense. Apple OS users can already use Microsoft Office for the Mac which includes Excel.
So including "Numbers" as part of iWorks does not replace any part of Windows. What it could replace is a Windows application (does the writer know the difference between the OS and the applications that run on the OS?) called Excel, but Excel is already available for the Mac and has been for many years.
Is Apple going after Windows users? Sure! But Numbers doesn't have all that much to do with it other than attempting to produce a spreadsheet application with better functionality than Excel.
So it would be more accurate to state that Apple is going after Microsoft Office users. Some of those users use Windows and some of those users happen to use a Mac.
8-18-2007 @ 11:18AM
sandy weiss said...
I agree with most of the responders to this article. I have been using computers since the first ones came out. I mean PC's. Well, at some point we reach a brick wall in lie and we never know whether it is in our car, our job or our relationships. Well I am trying to let the world know that have hit a brick wall when I bought a box set from Radio Shack which included the HP Pavilion Laptop dv6306rs with Windows Vista Home Basic. Included in the box was a digital camer and a HP Photsmart C3180 All-in-one Printer, Scanner Copier.
Let me just try to make this brief. This Windows Vista Basic has turned me into a cripple, spending hours with HP Telephone Help line to get this printer online; it didn't even come with a printed directions.
Can't get memory upgrade--basically I was totally ripped off and i warn people about Vista unless they get fixes out there immediately, which won't happen; my money was stolen and my 90 day return time is up.
Is there a genius out there who wrote a pamphlet about Vista. Latest most relevant piece of info was that Vista's failure will drive everyone to Apple.
8-20-2007 @ 8:50AM
SJ said...
OSX does not have the "array of functions built into Vista". I for one want to say some of your article is very accurate. Specifically the crash reporting program that Vista has. Mine runs at least 20 times a day.
Maybe before you write an article like this, you might actually sit down and work on a mac? They call that investigative reporting.
With my mac, I connect to my Windows 2003 domain...yep that is right...support Active Directory. I open word files sent to my by PC users, I can run mac software titles that compete well with PC products such as project, etc. I print to windows shared printers, I can even sync my WINDOWS MOBILE phone with my mac.
I can even run Windows on my mac with Parallels....which sadly runs more consistently on my mac than my PC.