Slash LaneThe market research firm made the assumption as part of a report issued Thursday titled "Key Predictions for IT Organisations and Users in 2008 and Beyond." It similarly predicts that Apple will also double its share in Western Europe.
"Apple's gains in computer market share reflect as much on the failures of the rest of the industry as on Apple's success," Gartner said in the report. "Apple is challenging its competitors with software integration that provides ease of use and flexibility; continuous and more frequent innovation in hardware and software; and an ecosystem that focuses on interoperability across multiple devices (such as iPod and iMac cross-selling)."
Some of the other predictions outlined in the firm's report include:
- By 2012, 50 per cent of traveling workers will leave their notebooks at home in favour of other devices.
- By 2012, 80 per cent of all commercial software will include elements of open-source technology.
- By 2012, at least one-third of business application software spending will be as service subscription instead of as product license.
- By 2011, early technology adopters will forgo capital expenditures and instead purchase 40 per cent of their IT infrastructure as a service.
- By 2009, more than one third of IT organizations will have one or more environmental criteria in their top six buying criteria for IT-related goods.
- By 2010, 75 per cent of organisations will use full life cycle energy and CO2 footprint as mandatory PC hardware buying criteria.
- By 2011, suppliers to large global enterprises will need to prove their green credentials via an audited process to retain preferred supplier status.
- By 2010, end-user preferences will decide as much as half of all software, hardware and services acquisitions made by IT.
- Through 2011, the number of 3-D printers in homes and businesses will grow 100-fold over 2006 levels.
Amber Neely
Andrew Orr
William Gallagher
Sponsored Content
Malcolm Owen
54 Comments
Can somebody say switchers
What's Apple's product quadrant going to look like then?
I certainly believe it, it sounds fair, however I honestly think they might have more market share by then. MS screwed up big-time with Vista, people also constantly grumble about the shortcomings and idiosyncrasies of PCs. The Mac maker will return to having majority market share, unless something crazy happens like Ubuntu takes off.
Apple understands the market, but most important of all, it really gets its customers. Thats where the difference lies. For example, Sony envies the artistic + extremely functional aspects of the Macbook, so what do they do? They tack on so-called "artsy" designs to the backs of their already existing lines of notebooks and thing that people will dump their MBs and MBPs and flock because all of a sudden "Sony gets it!". Thats not getting it, thats a desperate attempt at imitation.
Bottom line is, consumers aren't stupid these days like they once were. They are well informed and they will not let certain companies force their products onto them. Consumers like options, not too many, but stable options. Case in point, people don't "buy" Vista or XP, it is forced onto them when they purchase a Dell or and HP. On the other hand, people who buy Macs buy them because they truly want a Mac!
Consumers like options, not too many, but stable options.
Customers like to have the option of options but tend to be confused by them. Most people rely on computers but still know nothing about them. It's still too common to here the harddrvie, CPU, motherboard, and RAM easily interchanged when something is actually talking about the harddrive, CPU, motherboard or RAM.
Using Dells website for ordering is a daunting task compared to the ease of use to Apple's Online Store. But there will always be a divide between those who want the perception of control and those who want simplicity. I'm glad we live in a society that allows all aspects to be represented.
What's Apple's product quadrant going to look like then?
A hypercube! You'll have to start studying String Theory in order to grasp all of the dimensions. There will be the following axes:
I can't wait to see Apple get into the 12% marketshare, because I think that is getting pretty close to Mac's optimal figure. Wouldn't you think that the optimal marketshare is 100%? I think it is a lot less because Apple engages in all kinds of anti-competitive and monopolistic practices, but with such a small market share, complainers are told that they do have a choice: the majority OS. Now, we long-time Mac users actually buy into the Apple monopoly because we like the integration of hardware, software and OS. Practically speaking, it makes using a Mac much nicer and smoother to use.
If Apple starts to gain really big market share numbers, anti-trust regulators might start giving them some trouble. Look at how many problems they've had, especially in Europe, with the highly successful iPod/iTunes combo.
My totally subjective optimal marketshare for the Mac is in the 15-20% range. That's big enough that no developer or peripheral maker can ignore our platform, yet we avoid to regulatory hassles that might make us as mediocre as the Microsoft world.
And, by the way, that claim about 3D printers is whack. I talked to a local print shop that has one and they are having a hard time keeping it busy enough to justify its on-going existence. I worked for one engineering company who gave theirs away for lack of use, but I worked for another where it got used pretty regularly. My view is that people are going to be pretty disappointed by the quality of their printed parts to gain that kind of widespread appeal. I wish it were true, but I don't see the 100-fold increase happening.