Asymco analyst Horace Dediu examines the ratio of Windows to Mac units shipped over time.
In 2004, Microsoft reached a high with Windows PCs sold outnumbering Mac PCs by 56 times. However, that has ratio has now fallen to below 20, a level that was last reached before Windows 95 launched. If we taken into account iOS devices the multiple drops to below 2 with parity expected within a year or two.
The consequences are dire for Microsoft. The wiping out of any platform advantage around Windows will render it vulnerable to direct competition. This is not something it had to worry about before. Windows will have to compete not only for users, but for developer talent, investment by enterprises and the implicit goodwill it has had for more than a decade.
Take a look at the chart below to see this visualized.
Its interesting, but the possibilities of Mac are limited and not much is available in apples kitty going forward. This can be evident with the decrease of innovative concepts which kept people in the awe, when Steve jobs was around. Google is surpassing apple in all areas in mobile computing. In light of new developments,where are they going to find the next Steve jobs? We know what a mess the company was in during his absence. But good luck to both MS and Apple.
If the data are to be reliable, it paints quite a gloomy future for MS. As most of the third world countries try to catch up, the PC effect is still very dominant, but at the expense of boot legged copies. Nobody in the right mind would put a $200 OS on a $200 grey box. It's the same reason Google touts Android penetration ratio of 3:1 to iOS, thanks to those deeply-discount inexpensive Android compatible phones sold everywhere.
For Western European countries and here in USA, the figure might be very different. Taking into accounts of those branded PCs such as Lenovo, HP, or Sony, the ratio might be below 10 for one reason: bythe time one adds up the cost of an excellent monitor, KB and Mouse, the iMacs come out evenly priced to those brand names.
Again here in the US, all telcos report the Apple vs. all brands activation ratio of 60/40. Using the same tabulation method as the report, I think the ratio of Windows vs. iOS (starting with Mountain Lion) may be even.
This is the sad saga for MS empire. By the look and feel of Windows 8 preview, it may even get worse for one simple reason, the Mini iPad will start replacing grey box PCs in the third world countries, both as general computing platform AND a fashion statement.
That 'threshold' was reached a LONG time ago. While Adobe presents an update about once a year, and MS itself tries to keep up, hardly anyone else is making new software for Windows. Even if you buy a brand new PC, it feels old because it can't run anything 'New'.
if you buy a be
![The Windows Advantage is Rapidly Eroding [Chart]](/images/news/22999/84952/84952-64.png "The Windows Advantage is Rapidly Eroding [Chart]")
![The Windows Advantage is Rapidly Eroding [Chart]](/images/news/22999/84955/84955.png "The Windows Advantage is Rapidly Eroding [Chart]")
![The Windows Advantage is Rapidly Eroding [Chart]](/images/news/22999/84953/84953-500.png "The Windows Advantage is Rapidly Eroding [Chart]")
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