Analysts Forecast Apple’s Share in Desktop to Soar

by Anton Shilov
03/22/2005 | 11:48 AM

As a result of success of Apple’s iPod player and affordability of Mac Mini, Apple’s computers may soon control up to 5% of desktop market, believes investment corporation Morgan Stanley. The prediction reflects a trend towards Mac computers among users of PC.

Based on a survey of 400 Apple iPod owners, which demonstrated 19% of PC owners’ intention to convert their PCs to Mac, analysts from Morgan Stanley now predict that Apple’s Mac computers will account for 5% of all desktop sales already this year, according a report from ZDNet UK. The fashion for Mac driven by the iPod player is probably also not a news for the company itself: in late 2004, weeks ahead of the Mac Mini launch, sources close to the company indicated that with almost every player the company sold, its new clients were asking for cheaper Mac computers, as Windows users wanted to try the Mac as their second personal computer.

In 2004 Apple’s market share in the USA was 3.2% among all desktops, up from 2.9% in 2003, according to Gartner Dataquest. According to figures from IDC, Apple commanded 2.9% of desktop shipments in the Q4 2004, up from 2.2% in Q3 2004 and from 2.1% in Q4 2003. The figures are believed to reflect the rising success of the iPod that caused growing popularity of Apple’s desktops. Mac Mini is expected to become a significant boost to Apple’s presence in the PC market, as the computer gives opportunity to try-out Apple’s software, hardware and services for a relatively affordable price.

Recently released results of an X-bit poll demonstrated about 40% of surveyed feeling positive about considering to buy an affordable and stylish Apple Mac computer in order to learn how to use Mac OS X and use it in addition to PC, however, another 60% still felt like they would rather own another PC than a Mac. While the majority is still looking into the PC universe, 40% of PC users is a significant market to address by Apple Computer, who commands only about 1% of global market of computers.

X-bit labs believes that rather warm attitude of PC users towards Mac PCs is conditioned by transformed attitude towards technology in general: users no longer seek for highest possible performance, but look for comfort work and new impressions. Furthermore, a lot of consumers, even among enthusiasts, currently consider their PCs as “enough” and “not enough” for their everyday tasks without going into technology depths.