ComputerWorld today has an interesting article on the "phenomenal" market share growth of the Macintosh platform. In the last two days of 2007, the Mac's market share hit a record 8%, something that is indeed phenomenial considering that it was barely 2% only two short years, or less, ago!
Of course, Microsoft's Windows, in all its 3 million different versions, still makes up the lion's share - some 91.8%, but it is in decline. Linux, on the other hand, is also growing, in no small part, due to the success of Ubuntu, but still, after all is said and done, Linux, with it's even larger number of various versions, still only has a little more than one half of 1 % or the market.
What does this all mean? Simple: Microsoft isn't bullet proof as many have proudly stated that it was. I remember when I personally was assured that Windows was forever and that it was completely untouchable. I was also assured that the the Mac and Apple itself was about to go out of business any day now.
Well, that was then and this is now, and today the Mac is back with a vengeance, especially ever since its iconic CEO, Steve Jobs, returned to take control of the helm of the Apple ship, which, at the time, was in dire straights, drifting without a rudder in an extremely dangerous financial sea and in real danger of sinking.
Now with over 15 billion, big ones, in the bank, no debt and a product line that is the envy of the industry, Apple is once again the clear leader in innovation and marketing as the "phenomenal" growth clearly reflects. In fact, the only people who haven't heard of the iPhone, for instance, are those living deep in the jungles of some God forsaken place, or those that are just blind, deaf, or either pushing up the daises. From the iPod, the iPhone and the newly redesigned iMacs, Macbooks and MacPro's, Apple has succeeded in bringing sex appeal to products that were better known for being anything but.
Apple's stock has been recently hovering around the $200 mark for the last few days and if you wonder if it can continue to do so, well think about this - some are now speculating that it could fetch as much as $300-600 dollars in the near future as reported by sites such as BusinessWeek, Macsimum News and many others.
Well, I said it before and I will say it now: "I'm no prophet," but baring a major recession, nationally or internationally, etc., I think those projections could be very achievable, very achievable indeed.
Now with over 15 billion, big ones, in the bank, no debt and a product line that is the envy of the industry, Apple is once again the clear leader in innovation and marketing as the "phenomenal" growth clearly reflects. In fact, the only people who haven't heard of the iPhone, for instance, are those living deep in the jungles of some God forsaken place, or those that are just blind, deaf, or either pushing up the daises. From the iPod, the iPhone and the newly redesigned iMacs, Macbooks and MacPro's, Apple has succeeded in bringing sex appeal to products that were better known for being anything but.
Apple's stock has been recently hovering around the $200 mark for the last few days and if you wonder if it can continue to do so, well think about this - some are now speculating that it could fetch as much as $300-600 dollars in the near future as reported by sites such as BusinessWeek, Macsimum News and many others.
Well, I said it before and I will say it now: "I'm no prophet," but baring a major recession, nationally or internationally, etc., I think those projections could be very achievable, very achievable indeed.
Of course, the year has just begun, so we shall yet see, but I'm predicting that if all goes according to plan, that Apple will continue to experience "phenomenal" growth in not only market share, stock price increases, etc., but also phenomenal growth in its ability to generate marketing hype and the mind-share that goes with it.
In other words - Apple really is firing on all cylinders and if this year is anything like last year than we are all in for one hell of a ride as the Apple gravy train keeps on rolling by!
And thats my 2 cents 4 my first post of the year, on this very snowy Wednesday, January 2, 2008.
And thats my 2 cents 4 my first post of the year, on this very snowy Wednesday, January 2, 2008.
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