October 6th, 2009
Study: 67% of Mac users would install, try Windows 7 if it was free
Memo to Microsoft: if you want to take Mac users back into the fold, channel your inner AOL.
Buried among the many facts and figures of a new study on Windows 7 adoption habits comes this little tidbit: a clear majority of users of Apple Mac OS X computers would give Windows 7 a go if it were offered to them for free.
Retrevo asked a diverse group of 448 online users if they were considering upgrading to Windows 7. More than 60 percent said they were considering an upgrade, with nearly half (48 percent) of those people waiting it out to see what happens once the operating system is released.
Interestingly, the small study found that 37 percent of those planning on buying a computer this year were waiting for the release of Windows 7, despite upgrade programs by OEMs designed to keep sales flowing up until the launch.
But the real showstopper statistic was how Mac users approached Windows 7. A near-unanimous (97 percent) “no” was the response when Mac users were asked whether they would switch to Windows 7.
But then came the real proof of loyalty: when asked if Mac users would give Windows 7 a try if they received a free copy of the operating system to install, 67 percent said they would do so and give it a try.
This news comes just one day after the NPD Group announced that Mac OS X increased its household market share by 3 percent — but 85 percent of those households also owned a Windows PC.
Andrew J. Nusca is an associate editor for ZDNet and SmartPlanet.
See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
