When did Apple start dying?

[ShawnD1]

Apple computers used to be very popular. A friend of mine bought a mac in 96 back when Apple was a fairly large chunk of the computer market. Now (only 8 years later), Apple computers make up less than 3% of all computers.

What happened that made Apple die so quickly? When did it happen?

[Creatures]

i think it's not actually dieing, the problem is, microsoft, has money and give out their product to schools for free, and they have more advertise, more power. windows just got more popular because it had a better start than mac, and it will stay like this!

i like apple, more than windows, but well, no games (BTW not the newest OS the older verion was better!)

Creatures

[ShawnD1]

Actually all schools around here (most of US and Canada) use Apple computers. Teachers also get discounts from Apple. The one guy in engineering who has a Mac is the son of a teacher....who gets a discount.

Without schools, Apple computers would probably make up less than 1% of computers.

[ClubMed]

Apple is not dying, they focus on a different market that's all. While most people by PC's, Macs are bought by many graphic design and animation companies.

Macs also focus on schools and universities, as you mentioned.

But that doesnt mean they are dying, and it also doesn't mean that Macs are bad or worse than PC's.

Expensive Macs tend to be very good machines, but that's probably why Mac doesn't focus on the average user who is not prepared to pay so much for a computer and also who has different needs.

I used to use Macs in school, but at home I have PC's, not because I hate Macs, but because PC's are cheaper and more widespread (software and hardware 'wise')

[blubomber]

Another reason why Macs have lost popularity, is that you have to buy mac hardware to run the OS. In the PC world, you can run windows on any x86 based platform and the hardware is cheaper. Because the x86 platform is so popular, there is more software available for it.

[Xpander]

what i want to know is why is everyone and their brother buying iPods when they're cheaper options???

[DanGrease]

Apple did not die. The problem (as stated above) is Microsoft. How many people do you know today that use Macintosh computers? And compare that to how many use Windows. Big difference. I think its because Windows is so popular, and Apple has always been for the people with interest and money, since tehir computers are extremely expensive. Also more professional designers tend to use more Macintosh computers. But no, Apple is not dead, infact they will never either I guess.

dan

[RayH]

I don't know that Apple is selling less computers than previously, although it may have a smaller market share. Remember, the market has grown. Mac users tend to be very loyal to the product.

In San Francisco, Apple, Inc is chasing the independent dealers out of business by decertifiying them as authorized dealers and not giving them any stock. Apple will become the OS, hardware, dealer, and service. I think they are going to be sued.

[DanGrease]

Originally posted by Xpander
what i want to know is why is everyone and their brother buying iPods when they're cheaper options???

Because iPods are the best Harddrive MP3 players that exist. Nothing beat them. Thats why.

dan

[phenious]

For the Ipod comment... show me why the $400 30GB IPod is better then my $230 Nomad Jukebox by Creative and please dont say because it has solitare on it .

Well after using bot a PC and a MAC for editing video with cuts, fades and other neat little things and then trying to author it onto a DVD I found IMO that a MAC is no better... or worse. I think its lacking on the software side but I am very partial to Adobe Encore DVD and dont know of any similar programs for the MAC that will let me make any menu I want and such. But the problem I have is that they just cost so darn much and from reviews Ive seen in maximum PC where they test the fastest AMD, Intel, and Mac machines they could get their hands on it wasnt really faster overall and was only faster in a very few, mac oriented tests so I have trouble seeing why companies or anyone would want to pay so much for a mac? Is software that great? From what I have seen it isnt but I havent seen it all. For what my school just paid for a G5 I could have built them 2 great PCs or one monster of a computer with enough storage that would put their current severs to shame. Anyways. I think that is why apple is losing more market space, PCs are now comming into the multimedia area they once dominated and people are now optings to use a PC which can do the same things for the most part and pay a lot less money. I think fairly soon PCs will be able to do everything a mac can do and the only reason people will still use them is because they are just so used to the OS they wont want or be able to move to windows and new apps. My $0.02

-: phenious :-