Windows Vista usage share surges 355 percent, leaves Mac OS X in the dust

Oh, geez. Another "iCabal" article. Sigh. Hey, Paul, there is one thing in common about Vista marketshare increasing and OS X marketshare increasing: Both occur at the expense of Windows XP. There is one difference. An XP to Vista conversion is one version of Windows cannibalizing another. An XP (or Vista) conversion to OS X is a PC to Mac change. Summed over all the countless versions of Windows (six(?) for Vista alone) the total is declining. OSX, ie Mac, marketshare is up. And that's why the numbers on Vista and OS X marketshare growth mean entirely different things.

whiplash55: I would love to buy a mac without mac os but Vista pre-installed instead. Cheers.

@chuckb84 Of course, that's not necessarily true. Apple has three separate ways of running Windows on their computers. Well, at least 3. Jobs only made time in a keynote for mentioning 3 of them as features of Mac OS. Who knows how many of those copies of Vista and XP are running on Macs?

@daveinla You got it wrong. Heran didn't just want to run Vista on a Mac. That's easy and even Steve Jobs touts running Vista on a Mac as a feature. What he wanted was to be able to buy a Mac without wasting the space on an unneeded copy of OS X that he'd never use. (And, presumably, without paying the OS X Tax)

"buy it and install it it yourself" And don't forget to purchase a full retail license of Vista too. Otherwise you are not legally licensed.

Even with the Windows Vista market share gains, I would love to see Apple with a least 10 percent OS market share. I think it;s healthier for more choice, and while Vista is stable, compatible and secure, when you have competition everybody bebefits.

My group of 30 doctors has some interesting stats. A third of us own Macs, and 80 % of we Mac owners installed XP or Vista on it, although only two of us installed Vista. There is another meaningless number that is neglected. That is the number of those who did not buy a new computer because we were afraid of Vista, although that number is shrinking. Therefore, there are many more potential Vista [or Apple] buyers out there.To further avoid Vista, many of my friends have learned to reinstall XP, to rid the malware/viruses that their computers had contracted as they had inadequate protection, to speed up their slowing computers, making them functional again. This has delayed a purchase of a new one, most of which will be Vista. there are many more Vista copies to be sold. or pirated. I think that all the docs in my group that installed XP, used the license from an old dead computer [yep, I know this is in violation of the Windows Eula, but I didn't do it]. Either way, I further encourage it [XP installation] as it runs faster than Vista using VMware. And now, IT at the hospital gave us a written workaround, so that the ActiveX plugin of Vista's IE7 will work with GE Centricity, our PACS software. GE created an update that works, as we installed it at our offices' GE Centricity WS, but the hospital has had problems installing it the past many months. Eventually it will be installed, but the ppoint is that the docs that waited to buy a new Vista computer, got the green light to do so last month = more Vista sales.

Oh crap, didn't notice the last comment, I apologize

So, if I read this correctly, a year and a half after Microsoft released Vista as its new flagship OS, it only has 16.14% market share (or 17.9% of the combined Windows market share). Wow.

I would add that my G4 AGP purchased in 1999, which got a 1.25 GHz CPU upgrade many years ago, runs Leopard flawlessly AND fast. Not as fast as my 3GHZ quad Pro Tower, but plenty fast. I use it many times each week when I work out. I bought a second G4 AGP from Ebay years ago for the same purpose, but it still has the 450MHz CPU [runnning Tiger flawlessly and fast] uut it is collecting dust since I bought the Pro Tower and now use the upgraded one in my workout room. [I use the MS Laser mouse with it, BTW. The new Logitech MX Revolution is still in the box, but is for the Pro Tower.]

@WebGuy3000 The numbers Paul posted are significant in showing that, despite the bashing campaign, Vista sales are doing fine. It's a preemptive dose of reality before the inevitable "Mac sales are huge. Vista's dead." articles that come out from pundits who have no clue about numbers or sales trends but like headlines even if they're idiotic.

Oh boy, here we go. This is the ultimate Thurrott trifecta post. "iCabal" strawman slander PLUS a hyperbolic title about the Mac being left "in the dust" PLUS completely brain-dead analysis of the meaning and context of marketshare/usage share numbers. Get ready boys, this is gonna be a long one. First of all, Mac OSX doesn't compete with Vista. It competes with the ENTIRE Windows platform and more specifically Windows-based PCs. Since Vista is now the default OS on new non-Apple PCs, and has been for 18 months... Microsoft is seeing their userbase migrate to the system as users upgrade to new machines. Great. This was inevitable, given their monopoly. Consumer goes into best buy, asks for PC... gets Vista. And that's fine. It's no a choice, it's just bundled. Most people don't even think about operating systems. But Vista appears to be a fine product. Wonderful. But these new Vista sales were former XP sales to the same people plus 10 to 12% (the PC industry's growth rate). Apple is growing their OVERALL share by 30% plus. I'm not talking Net Applications. I'm talking the real numbers released by Apple for the past quarters compared to the overall sales, worldwide. That's the REAL numbers as Paul like to say. Apple's offering is driving overall sales growth for them and delivering major revenue and stock growth as a result. So Vista's user share went up. The overall Windows share still went down. Thats just a fact. This is a pretty blatantly ludicrous numbers game. Vista is Windows. Mac vs. Windows share is not about a particular version. Vista's growth is coming entirely out of their existing userbase of the market plus a the overall PC market growth which, again is a third of Apple's. Vista hasn't made any material improvement in the PC industry's growth rate at all. None. And it's growth is coming ENTIRELY from the XP userbase and not at all from the Mac userbase. The Mac userbase however, is growing at the expense of the Windows userbase. That's how it ACTUALLY works. In order for this entire statistics dance to even make sense regarding your headline, Mac share would need to be declining. But it's not. And, It looks like Apple may even push that growth rate further this quarter with estimates of 2.5 million Macs being sold. I'm not saying Apple is taking over the world here. It most obviously is not. It's making incremental improvements at the macro scale in he mac. Windows is a monster compared to Apple's relatively puny share. But they're growing their business much faster than Microsoft. Just look at the REAL numbers. The balance sheet. In 2006: Apple had 19.3 Billion in gross revenue and 2 billion in net profit. Microsoft had 44 Billion in gross revenue and 12.6 billion in net profit. In 2007: Apple had 24 Billion in gross revenue and 3.5 billion in net profit. Microsoft had 51 Billion in gross revenue and 14 billion in net profit. Now look at total asset values: Apple's total equity was 10 billion in 2007 and is 18 billion today. Microsoft's total equity was 40 billion in 2007 and is 37.5 billion today That's 24% growth YOY in revenue and 75% in profit for Apple in 2007 versus 15% growth YOY in revenue and 11% in profit for Microsoft in 2007 More astoundingly, Apple almost DOUBLED (80% increase) it's total cash value while Microsoft's total cash value DECLINED in the same period. So, Apple's gains are HUGE. Period. HUGE for any business. This is what has driven their enormous stock gains over the past few years. Paul, by making your arguments based on a rebuttal to the "iCabal" strawman, you are ultimately producing garbage analysis in the opposite direction. I guess you could call that balanced in the Fox News kind of "we're conservative because the rest of the media is liberal" kind of way. But it's certainly not objective or intellectually honest. Nothing about what Apple is doing is "easy" as you say. The computer business has network effects that reinforce marketshare. Apple's growth is tiny in absolute terms, but an enormous accomplishment in the real world. Take That, brain-dead, partisan hack analysis. Sorry. But it is. ps: If even Walt Mossberg isn't a partisan shill (as you are pointing out), who exactly is this iCabal? It's nobody. it's your strawman for teeing up these posts in order to vent at the fanboys. And let's not open up the TCO argument (which the Mac generally wins objectively and fairly).

Both are making money, right? http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=MSFT#chart1:symbol=msft;range=6m;indi... http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=AAPL#symbol=AAPL;range=6m

>>Apple's growth is tiny in absolute terms, but an enormous accomplishment in the real world.<< I double-dog dare anyone to take on this analysis. But no, it won't be touched. :D

BTW, there is math error in the PC World article, which Paul repeats in his headline. The Vista growth should ne 255%, not 355%. This was pointed out in the comments: "Going from 6.03 to 7.94 is indeed an increase of 32%. However, going from 4.54 to 16.14 is an increase of 255% (actually slightly closer to 256%), not 355%. Yes, 16.14 is 3.555 times 4.54 but that's not the same as a 355% increase." Just in the interest of accuracy.

@darreldavis "When you expend more energy bashing Apple than promoting MS stuff, there might be a problem" I've always said the same thing, but about Apple...you have seen the many, many, many switcher ads correct? Apple seems to bash MS more than promote the features of its OS. I have yet to see one MS ad that puts down Apple at all...although I wish they would have done at least one in response...it could have been really funny if handled the right way. Apple brings this type of bashing on itself…

Even your headline is wrong! From Net Applications: Vista share June 2007 04.54% Vista share June 2008 16.14% Increase of 255% Paul I realize it's PC World's mistake and not yours but come on, this is bordering on WindowsCabal territory.

That didn't take long... >>Apple® today announced it sold its one millionth iPhone™ 3G on Sunday, just three days after its launch on Friday, July 11. -- “It took 74 days to sell the first one million original iPhones, so the new iPhone 3G is clearly off to a great start around the world.” << on the other hand: >>Public developers recently started an online petition on Android's Google Group because they're frustrated with the lack of an updated SDK - the last one was provided in March 2008. The complaints are that the current SDK is buggy and that certain features don't work. -- a Google Engineer Jean-Baptiste Queru spoke up. Although he makes it clear that he's not the official spokesperson for Android, he does try to address some of the issues while also expressing some frustrations from the engineering team's side of the fence, too. In fact, reading between the lines a bit, it sounds like some of the engineers aren't happy with the decisions being made, either.<< http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/gphone_rumors_and_android_developer...

mikegalos@msn.com So to me this means the months of BS of were we heard about how horrible Vista is/was is just that, BS. Anyone remember Blaster or any of the plethora of security issues XP had the 1st year or 2, or how slow it runs compared to my Windows 98 box with a screamin 500 mhz pIII? The more thing change the more they stay the same. One thing that has changed is Apple now actually provides a reasonable alternative, and has a brilliant marketing program called the iPod/iphone. I'm glad to see competition in the market we all win.

I really think that that's the important point, competition. So much had improved for the user because of it. Tis includes all forms, including the aging Palm platform. I do think that Paul's point is to prove that some of the stupid headlines that Vista is a failure, is just plain ridiculous. Not just using market share and sales, but also include profits on Vista. Granted it's forced since you can barely buy anything but Vista OS PC, but the stats speak for themselves. I certainly like it's look and feel better than XP, don't you all agree? It more 'Mac-like' as per all the write-ups.

fzanes.Yep, agreed. I was born in Western PA, above Pittsburgh, in coal mine territory. Worked many jobs and loans through school as dad was a fireman. My wife and I know what you mean, especially in the nearby Moorestown area where some of the Eagles and other Philly team members live. Nickelgreen, while you cannot upgrade the mobo on a Mac, the Vid cards and CPU's have been upgradable for years and there are many references to prove it as well as web sites. I have used OWC [macsales.com]. Read above where I have upgraded a 1999 450 MHz G4 with a new CPU. They can only go to 2 GHZ, but you can upgrade the vid card [which I have done on all my Macs, as well as RAM and drives made for any PC. In fact you can flash many PC vid cards to work on a Mac. That's what I am typing on right now, a 1999 G4 running Leopard]. Also, calling a the success of a multibillion dollar profitable company like Apple's, all 'hype' is a bit ridiculous. Few companies can claim Apples success in the past few years. Again, read above. It looks like I agree with the rest of your post. You need to add computers in medicine. Macs used to have a presence, but all the major companies went to Windows long ago. While there are several FDA approved Mac related apps in medicine, like market share, they are an ant on the sidewalk compared to Windows apps [FDA approved or otherwise]. Any how, love your website. We obviously have much in common.

@nickelgreen "t's really sad to see how overhyped is the Apple business (on the web and around) that gained in TEN YEARS, i repeat thet TEN YEARS, a very small percentage (1%? with all that adv mess? embarassing)." So Apple with its 3% of the market (your numbers) it had 24billion in revenue last year vs MS with 96% and 51 billion, and you say that is overhyped? Embarrassing? If you had 10,000 shares you would be laughing all the way to the bank.

@jp and davinla - "First of all, Mac OSX doesn't compete with Vista. It competes with the ENTIRE Windows platform and more specifically Windows-based PCs." "But these new Vista sales were former XP sales to the same people plus 10 to 12%" "As John said, Vista is not gaining market share bit is replacing slowly XP." My only issue with these statements is that when you discuss OS X are you talking all versions up to and including Leopard or only Leopard. I would submit that many Leopard "installs" or "purchases" or however you wnat to state it are replacements of Tiger and previous OS X versions. So, how do we count those numbers? --tayme

@cesjr - "Paul's claim that he is objective" You are not the only one who has said this...so it is not a slam on you...but please show me when Paul as EVER claimed to be objective. --tayme

@ Dipsh t Admin Sorry but you are wrong. If you install an OEM version of Vista, or XP on a new Mac or on a computer where you have scrubbed the disk, you are completely legal as you qualify as a 'system builder'. Microsoft already has enough of your money, why complicate their lives by giving them more than you need to.