I guess the article's premise is true, but it is also true that Mac sales, in that same time period, have grown as I age, as IBM advertises, as Google grows...

Hopefully Apple and Macs keep on growing, and I keep on aging.

Leading up to XP there was the TiBook and Cube, which I'd actually presume is why those numbers increased in that period. The spike from Win2K might more be backlash against Me. Vista obviously needs no explanation. With how close some of the UI features of Win7 are to OS X now, I think people will find it easier/better to jump over if Apple can break the $999 barrier with an iBook/iMac.

Double in 5 years? Haven't we've heard that for like the last 10 years ? Must be a true fanbot.

Considering it is pain in the ass to switch from XP to Win7 I can see why Mac sales would rise.

what a stupid hypothesis is this article. But I know, these analists have to do something to show they've done their job.
It's possible that when one company advertises its products, it can animate the competitors' consumers, as well. But the result always depends on the strategy and the productline of each company.
So this article for me was just blablabla, with no sense. Sorry.

Wow, what extraordinary statistics. Smacks of wishful thinking though. Windows 7 by most accounts is going to be quite an enjoyable (relative to VISTA) experience. Let's see how Apple responds.

I don't think the launch of W7 will be as much of a boon (if at all) as previous MS OS launches have been in the past. Considering the early word about W7 is relatively positive, I think it will give PC users less of a reason to switch. However, having beta tested W7 (and Vista before it), I still prefer OS-X and my Macs.

"In our view, Apple is 'THE' undisputed growth name in tech with numerous catalysts on the horizon (e.g. China iPhone ramp, netbook/tablet launch, etc.) and no business model issues," he said. "In addition, AAPL is currently benefiting from a positive mix shift (to higher margin iPhones/iPod touches)."


This is true. There's no regaining the Premium segment of the market for MS. MS simply doesn't have the ecosystem Apple does. Their business model simply doesn't support it. If Windows 7 could make the perfect cup of espresso as well, it still wouldn't dent Apple's growth. You get to a point where you've lost so much mindshare, while your opponent has gained so much ground (and in a 1st class segment of the market) that the road back to desirability will be all the more rocky.

Windows 7 might boost generic PC sales, but it will really have no relationship to Mac sales. There's no "gaining back lost market share" for MS. MS is now confined to the low end and mid-end of the market and that's not going to change anytime soon. Consumers in the Premium segment who have $1000 to spend are looking for Macs, and in a recession, and in the presence of heavily adverstised lower-cost (allegedly high-value) alternatives. These people sure as hell aren't going to look at a generic PC, Windows 7 or not.