Apple is Killing Linux on the Desktop
Submitted by srlinuxx on Thu, 01/03/2008 - 11:57.
2008 is upon us and we’re greeted with the news, from NetApplications, that Apple Macs running OS X account for 7.3% of computers used to access the web.
More than a few Mac sites have mischievously quoted this as Macs having 7.3% market share. Market share of course is based on computer sales, as OS X’s own dictionary states. Not that market share accurately reflects the actual install base, and nor do these internet access figures.
However, as is also being noted, it is the trend of these figures that bears consideration. In the last two years, OS X has seen continual growth, from 4.21% in Jan 2006 (the first month of figures), to 5.67% in December 2006, to 7.31% in December 2007.
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Comment Sums it Up
This Comment really sums up this Article. Mac users (I'm a Mac Admin) have a tendency to be very biased and some even cult like so of course this article is pretty biased. A user on the block actually gives a pretty good post in reply. Here it is incase you're to lazy to click the link and read the full article:
The article says “Not that market share accurately reflects the actual install base” and “the cold truth is Linux on the desktop is still barely worth mentioning”.
I detect a bit of bias. Installed based numbers indicate that Linux actually surpassed the Mac installed base (actual number of desktop systems in use) in 2004. The current Linux installed base is between 6% and 10% depending on the source of the numbers.
In the case of both the Mac and Linux, the conversion is from Windows. As a result, the Windows installed base has dropped to 82% to 86%.
Remember that “market share” reflects only the number of units sold - which does not apply (for the most part) to the Linux market. Most Linux “sales” are not sales of the software, but rather support contracts. As a result, only installed base matters when comparing anything to Linux.