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October 5th, 2009

PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum

Posted by Larry Dignan @ 2:04 pm

Categories: Apple, General, Microsoft

Tags: Apple Macintosh, PC, Household, Desktops, Hardware, Larry Dignan

You’re a Mac. And you’re a PC. You’re both. Welcome to the reality that isn’t what the zero summers—folks that think you need to be all Mac or all PC—portray.

According to research firm NPD Group, 12 percent of computer owning households own a Mac, up from 9 percent a year ago. However, the U.S. is all about mixed hardware environments. Of the 12 percent of households that own a Mac, 85 percent of them also own a Windows PC.

In fact, 66 percent of Apple households own three or more computers. In Windows households, only 29 percent own three or more PCs.

The big takeaway: Apple households are affluent. They own more of everything—iPods, cameras, TVs and GPS devices.

Larry DignanLarry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.

For daily updates, follow Larry on Twitter.

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  • Talkback
  • Most Recent of 152 Talkback(s)
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum
...actually, Xcode, the *FREE* Apple development
environment is available for download by *ANYONE*.

I'll repeat that: *ANYONE*.

And no, it's *NOT* limited like the 'Express' versions of
Microsoft's compilers.

Just thought you might like to know.... (Read the rest)
Posted by: Rufustheangryelf Posted on: 10/26/09 You are currently: a Guest | | Terms of Use
Or...  Sleeper Service | 10/05/09
@Sleeper Service  Axsimulate | 10/05/09
How is 12% greater than 88%?  ye | 10/05/09
It isn't...  McDaveH | 10/05/09
Exactly. Which makes his statement pointless.  ye | 10/05/09
Netbooks have only been around 18 months  nucrash | 10/06/09
agreed... my 1997 netbook...  shadfurman | 10/07/09
Luckily...  McDaveH | 10/07/09
33%  sirpaul1 | 10/06/09
No  McDaveH | 10/07/09
Learn English please.  javajunkie@... | 10/06/09
Irrelevant. My point is that 88% of people choose...  ye | 10/06/09
People buy cheap; how is that a good thing?  RedVeg | 10/06/09
Except...  cdigan | 10/06/09
Analogy is only good  LiquidLearner | 10/06/09
Windows builds for all 3 markets.  mjolnar@... | 10/06/09
overpriced != quality & cheap !=crap; careful research = satisfied buy (nt)  shadfurman | 10/07/09
Oh for pity sake!  jeremychappell | 10/06/09
I agree, macs are good machines...  shadfurman | 10/07/09
More and more peopl are not...  McDaveH | 10/07/09
@ye  Axsimulate | 10/06/09
except the 85% of mac users  rtk | 10/05/09
Mac / PC users...  prof123 | 10/06/09
not necessarily...  shadfurman | 10/07/09
What can you do on a PC that...  arminw | 10/09/09
Will your PC work today? Microsoft's new motto...  bbneo | 10/09/09
Let's see...  Sleeper Service | 10/05/09
Re: Let's see...  RedVeg | 10/06/09
And that's your individual circumstances...  Sleeper Service | 10/06/09
Fascinating  rahbm | 10/10/09
counting linux...  shadfurman | 10/07/09
hardware compatibility  nerdyjen | 10/09/09
Faulty logic  Fred Fredrickson | 10/05/09
You missed out the 'Or'...  Sleeper Service | 10/06/09
Apparently, that niche...  arminw | 10/09/09
Sarcasm?  Jkirk3279 | 10/06/09
Yea, but I want to run OSX in a VM...  shadfurman | 10/07/09
Virtualization?  Jkirk3279 | 10/07/09
No, because Apple is a business.  rahbm | 10/10/09
That is being generous  rahbm | 10/10/09
Or...  IT_User | 10/06/09
Or better put  IT_User | 10/06/09
It doesn't matter to YOU  shadfurman | 10/07/09
Macs are PC's  HollywoodDog | 10/05/09
Good point since Apple invented the PC  mlindl | 10/06/09
Yeh Right  Hate Malware | 10/06/09
Only in your dreams  DNSB | 10/06/09
Good point since Apple invented the PC????  BrewmanNH | 10/07/09
Wow are you reaching.  ye | 10/05/09
No, you are  NetArch. | 10/06/09
Awaiting hard rubbish collection day  Richard Flude | 10/05/09
Or they bought the PC after the Mac...  Sleeper Service | 10/05/09
That's right...  McDaveH | 10/05/09
That's nice but....  Sleeper Service | 10/06/09
Bingo!  PookiePrancer | 10/06/09
Nothing EVER published indicates  mlindl | 10/06/09
O RLY?  Sleeper Service | 10/06/09
That's not quite right...  msalzberg | 10/06/09
Which could also apply to the Macs...  Sleeper Service | 10/07/09
Of course not!  rtk | 10/07/09
@rtk...  UAC nanny screen | 10/07/09
rtk wastes no time  UAC nanny screen | 10/07/09
8 of 10?  DNSB | 10/06/09
OK, 8 out of 10 households...  Sleeper Service | 10/07/09
I'm sure that Apple won't object if....  arminw | 10/09/09
Nothing published?  Hate Malware | 10/06/09
And  Hate Malware | 10/06/09
Too little detail...  zenwalker | 10/05/09
What the point ???  voltusbazoka@... | 10/05/09
I just got tired of the religion and choose a side  Boot_Agnostic | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  thargrav@... | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  ncimon@... | 10/06/09
Yes, Apple households are more affluent, BUT . . .  Dr_Zinj | 10/06/09
No... wrong conclusion  Metronome49 | 10/06/09
RE: Yes, Apple households are more affluent, BUT . . .  RedVeg | 10/06/09
Mac households are more effluent. NT.  Hate Malware | 10/06/09
I would put my PC up against any Mac you want.  mjolnar@... | 10/06/09
You already lost the bet  SpectreWriter | 10/07/09
No he hasn't.  rtk | 10/07/09
Still being disingenuous, rtk  UAC nanny screen | 10/07/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  ncimon@... | 10/06/09
Wha?  pwn0tr0n | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  zdnet@... | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  arcrews@... | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum - Demographics?  wwfilms | 10/06/09
Seriously... you platform religious types...  Metronome49 | 10/06/09
Can I get an Amen?  PlayFair | 10/06/09
Can I get an Amen?  RedVeg | 10/06/09
Mixed signals  bmonsterman | 10/06/09
It also shoots at Macs too, Dingus  Metronome49 | 10/08/09
And the war has been waged for decades...  evilbrat | 10/06/09
Religious war  BitSmacker | 10/09/09
Statistics-wise, the number of PCs vs Macs is irrelevant  adornoe@... | 10/06/09
Or...  IT_User | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  bmonsterman | 10/06/09
PC for Recreation, Mac for my Work  WarhavenSC | 10/06/09
I tried doing the same with Linux  NonZealot | 10/06/09
Nothing it can't do?  NetArch. | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  dony_z | 10/06/09
Some oddities in your message  DNSB | 10/06/09
Our Household  CowLauncher | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  Oregon_Polar | 10/06/09
Let's be honest here...  gatewoodj@... | 10/06/09
I disagree with all the previous-PCs have 100% market share  derekgore | 10/06/09
Don't be a sheep!  derekgore | 10/06/09
Newbie Windows users?  DNSB | 10/07/09
Whadda maroon!  DNSB | 10/06/09
Are you complimenting a nice shade of red?  sjbinaz | 10/08/09
Bugs Bunny reference  ExCorpGuy | 10/10/09
RE: What's a PC?  headscratch | 10/06/09
headscratch:Yep another early PC!  derekgore | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  gatewoodj@... | 10/06/09
gatewoodj; Thank you!  derekgore | 10/06/09
Remember Altair?  sjbinaz | 10/08/09
12% - Riiiiiight  phugger | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  gatewoodj@... | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  gbarrows@... | 10/06/09
12% - Riiiiiight  phugger | 10/06/09
PCs still have 100% market share!  derekgore | 10/06/09
The Overall Trend  Cardhu | 10/06/09
Cardhu  derekgore | 10/06/09
The Malware epidemic predicted...  arminw | 10/09/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  gatewoodj@... | 10/06/09
Amen bud!  derekgore | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  tech727 | 10/06/09
Tech727  derekgore | 10/06/09
i'd like to know the age of the computers  mlindl | 10/06/09
mlindl  derekgore | 10/06/09
How would I be counted? I use Windows on my Mac  NonZealot | 10/06/09
You're welcome!  derekgore | 10/06/09
You already had a nibble. Lol  Hate Malware | 10/06/09
Hmmm...  DNSB | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  tech727 | 10/06/09
Your computer is a PC, tech 727  derekgore | 10/06/09
Your computer is a PC  UAC nanny screen | 10/07/09
wow, you are a tech  mukole | 10/07/09
Apple is a hardware manufacturer...  arminw | 10/09/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It shows that the MAC cant suffice !!  carumartins@... | 10/06/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  SpectreWriter | 10/07/09
This topic makes me ill.  Spiritusindomit@... | 10/07/09
Apple makes PCs that are as good as Other brands  derekgore | 10/07/09
Apple is a hardware manufacturer...  arminw | 10/09/09
Very tilted.  Narg | 10/09/09
Power Users use a PC  ccrasher | 10/09/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  phatkat | 10/09/09
Linux and PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  isoutar | 10/09/09
Linux is a wonderful world...  bbneo | 10/09/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  mwagner@... | 10/09/09
Wot Apple?  AndyPagin | 10/12/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  dinosoft@... | 10/15/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  dinosoft@... | 10/15/09
RE: PC vs. Mac: It's not zero sum  Rufustheangryelf | 10/26/09

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