42% of PC upgraders plan to buy a Mac or iPad instead of Windows 8

[nobodynose]

This is interesting (I hope I posted it in the right forum - my apologies in advance if I didn't). According to a survey conducted by Avast last month, 42% of responders in the market to upgrade their (Windows) PCs plan to buy a Mac or iPad instead of a Windows 8 PC.

http://www.electronista.com/articles/12/11/15/interest.in.windows.8.said.to.be.weak/

 

[Henties]

I am one of those that have finally drawn a line under Windows. Now that all my hacks work like a charm it's "Time to say goodbye" Windows. I will keep Win 7 for some time as I am using NI's Electronic Workbench for which I have not yet found a replacement for the Mac world.

Something interesting that struck me is that Microsoft as well as some of their OEM partners are heavily advertising Win 8 and it's so called benefits, something that I have never experienced with any previous release of Windows in this area of the world. I wonder why?

In my opinion Microsoft was forced to adopt a "strategy" change and embark on a similar business model that made Apple successful. It's a situation that Microsoft reacted to market pressures and whenever you have to react to changing circumstances you have already basically lost the edge and most often control. If Win 8 and what goes along with it - MS Appstore etc.- is not successful for MS they might be in real trouble down the road.

I read some extensive writeup on Win 8 the other day and am once again amazed as to how MS spaghetti coded their "AgeingCode Base" to produce Win 8. They now also use a new filesystem for anything other than the HDD on which Win 8 is installed.

Win 8 still requires NTFS as the underlying file system on which to install, just wandering what is so new about this "New technology file system" during 2012?

To conclude, MS has never really been a company of innovation, when they needed some technology they got it from "others" by all sorts of devious means such as I recall very vividly was the case with "Stacker's" disk compression routines. And now again they are clearly trying desperately to elevate themselves into a company of also haves, copy catting Apple's successful business model for which they really did not have a suitable operating system prior to Win 8. Whether Win 8 will however do the job remains to be seen, and whether MS will succeed to make all their devices interoperate as snugly and seemlessly as Apple's is also another story. In my Apple environment my stuff interoperates, I enjoy ease of use, reasonable security against viral attacks, simplicity of configuration as well as an intuitive way of interaction with the opsys and above all, the feeling of being in control, what more does one want ?

When I look at Win 7 I have to navigate menus that are nested so deep that recalling seldom used routines becomes a nightmare as I certainly cannot and do not want to remember those menu paths to those deeply nested but sometimes important routines.

Enough Window bashing, John Heileman does it much better in the TV series "The true story of the internet" he hosted and which was shown here in this part of the world, recently.

Greets Henties

 

[bradl]

I drew that line in the sand as well, but not only with Windows, but also with Linux.

I love Linux. I've been a Unix and Linux sysadmin for nearly 20 years, and started back in the early days (Slackware 1.1.2), and stuck with Slackware ever since. And back then, I was coming from the Apple and Mac ethos, with System Software 6 still being the flavour of the month and System Software 7 just coming up. But with Windows and Linux, I've learned all I'm going to be able to learn with it. I've compiled kernel after kernel, and even contributed code to the kernel. But there isn't much more I'm going to learn or advance myself as a hobby or professionally with either. So I've dropped my Linux box for a Mac (see the simple build below).

Building a hackintosh was my last real stint as a hobby, as building computers has become less of a hobby to me than when I was enthused by it 10 - 15 years ago. I only keep a windows box around for flightsimming and the occasional Duke Nukem or Leisure Suit Larry romps (hey, I'm old school!), so there isn't much left for me to learn or do.

I love my Macbook Air. If I didn't have the aviation bug, I'd go completely deskless and stick with that as my main machine (especially if the MBA came with a bigger drive). If the software I use for simming as well as ATC were ported to a Mac, I wouldn't keep the PC around period, and would buy an iMac. That's how done I am with rolling my own!

As far as MS goes, it isn't even just the business model that they are copying, but it's the ethos, and how much they can take from other OSes and make it publicly accessible. We all know how much DOS came from Unix. Admittedly, even Apple's DOS and ProDOS came from it. Windows came completely from X and the Mac. What Microsoft did better was the marketing, and that's what made them what they are today. But they've fallen asleep with that, as Apple came back and marketed themselves to the youth, where MS stayed with the corporations. Apple made themselves more relevant to the youth and younger adults, and MS has failed to catch up. I don't think they will, especially if that number of upgraders tops 50% (looks like it will, if the iPad is the hottest item this holiday season).

But personally for me, my days with Microsoft are all but done. No more time and effort is going into it for me. I guess you can say that I've given Microsoft its "end-of-life".

BL.

 

[Steve_God]

While I agree that Microsoft has lost it's edge, that survey is a VERY poor attempt to look at the wider 'Computer' market.

There are two thoughts I have on this:

1. The basic users
I have a PC right now, as I imagine the majority of this forums users (whether that be a Windows / Mac / Linux flavour), and we use them because we do stuff with our machine that requires us to have a PC. Whether that's coding, video edit, gaming, or whatever... that's why we have a PC.

The majority of PC owners out in the 'wider' world, don't have a PC because they need one, they have one because that was the only option at the time to get on the internet.
Typically, we're talking about parents where their kids were telling them they needed one to keep in touch, and the rest of world was telling them to get one to get cheaper stuff online.

These users now aren't going to replace their PC with another PC or Mac, they're looking at Tablets, that will do email, shopping, and all the other basics that they bought their original computer for.

2. The 'Second Computer' users
Alongside my PC, I have a netbook, a basic EeePC that does my other half fine for browsing the web, checking emails, a bit of shopping, etc... when I'm using the PC.

Our netbook is coming to the end of it's life, mainly due to the dodgy DC connector, but that aside... it needs replacing soon.
Now to replace it, I'm not looking at a PC, or a Mac, I'm looking at either an iPad, or another tablet equivalent (most likely an Android variant).


Both of the above types of users, when looking at that survey, would hit iPad, however in the real world, I suspect that many of those users would instead go for an alternative, like an Android version. And for that reason alone, I would take the results of that survey with a HUGE pinch of salt.

 

[Solidww]

While I agree that Microsoft has lost it's edge, that survey is a VERY poor attempt to look at the wider 'Computer' market.

There are two thoughts I have on this:

1. The basic users
I have a PC right now, as I imagine the majority of this forums users (whether that be a Windows / Mac / Linux flavour), and we use them because we do stuff with our machine that requires us to have a PC. Whether that's coding, video edit, gaming, or whatever... that's why we have a PC.

The majority of PC owners out in the 'wider' world, don't have a PC because they need one, they have one because that was the only option at the time to get on the internet.
Typically, we're talking about parents where their kids were telling them they needed one to keep in touch, and the rest of world was telling them to get one to get cheaper stuff online.

These users now aren't going to replace their PC with another PC or Mac, they're looking at Tablets, that will do email, shopping, and all the other basics that they bought their original computer for.

2. The 'Second Computer' users
Alongside my PC, I have a netbook, a basic EeePC that does my other half fine for browsing the web, checking emails, a bit of shopping, etc... when I'm using the PC.

Our netbook is coming to the end of it's life, mainly due to the dodgy DC connector, but that aside... it needs replacing soon.
Now to replace it, I'm not looking at a PC, or a Mac, I'm looking at either an iPad, or another tablet equivalent (most likely an Android variant).


Both of the above types of users, when looking at that survey, would hit iPad, however in the real world, I suspect that many of those users would instead go for an alternative, like an Android version. And for that reason alone, I would take the results of that survey with a HUGE pinch of salt.

I agree with a lot of what your saying. My mom and most family members would be way better of with a MacBook Air or something close to it. Even better would be a tablet. The people that truly need powerful machines is not a large portion of the market. I Hackintosh computers for sale on a regular basis online now. Someone, built it thinking they needed it and figured out they didn't.
Windows, has it's uses still. Just OSX fills almost all the needs of most users.
Wrote on phone, so if English is terrible please understand mistakes.

 

[Henties]

Slackware was also my entry to Linux. I started with version 0.98 in other words when it was stil betacode

 

[rossi1959]

I'm with you on this one, I am an ICT tech for an education department and work with windows and i devices,
I have no bias for any product and use what ever works best, as I am not rich and watch my pennies ,so I would not even consider buying anything i(Apple) and only build my own because of the over pricing of there products, I have also heard all the BS about the i(Apple) product being better hardware because of this or that and they don't get virus's etc, The (Apple) device uses intel hardware which is the same as what I can buy at more than half the price that they charge for as a spare part. In all my time as a tech I hear from mostly so called Mac fanbois that the Apple product is far superior, please get your head out of the sand and whatever region of your person it is, you are only giving a perception that you have an inferiority complex, by trying to justify why you have an allegiance to one product .
I note that I rarely come across this from the M/soft users. And only shake my head at the immaturity of either bias. I can also build a PC running MS that would slay an Apple device for half the cost.
I am now using Win8 and love it, and hear from people that have only ever used MS OS that they don't like it because it has changed, I explain that they have to persevere and get used to it's differences and it's new found speed.
I also prefer the new Win RT tablet over the ipad as it really does the job on it in every respect from it's build quality to it's functionality and will challenge anyone from either side to denounce that.
In final all I can say about the BS about 42% of people moving to upgrade from Win8 to an ipad!! or Apple(which is only mildly believable) but to an ipad would obviously mean that they do not compute one way or the other.

 

[Bimmer325Ci]

I'm with you on this one, I am an ICT tech for an education department and work with windows and i devices,
I have no bias for any product and use what ever works best, as I am not rich and watch my pennies ,so I would not even consider buying anything i(Apple) and only build my own because of the over pricing of there products, I have also heard all the BS about the i(Apple) product being better hardware because of this or that and they don't get virus's etc, The (Apple) device uses intel hardware which is the same as what I can buy at more than half the price that they charge for as a spare part. In all my time as a tech I hear from mostly so called Mac fanbois that the Apple product is far superior, please get your head out of the sand and whatever region of your person it is, you are only giving a perception that you have an inferiority complex, by trying to justify why you have an allegiance to one product .
I note that I rarely come across this from the M/soft users. And only shake my head at the immaturity of either bias. I can also build a PC running MS that would slay an Apple device for half the cost.
I am now using Win8 and love it, and hear from people that have only ever used MS OS that they don't like it because it has changed, I explain that they have to persevere and get used to it's differences and it's new found speed.
I also prefer the new Win RT tablet over the ipad as it really does the job on it in every respect from it's build quality to it's functionality and will challenge anyone from either side to denounce that.
In final all I can say about the BS about 42% of people moving to upgrade from Win8 to an ipad!! or Apple(which is only mildly believable) but to an ipad would obviously mean that they do not compute one way or the other.

Ummm... it sounds like you are bashing Apple and praising Microsoft, but your not bias???? ok, just saying.

 

[nige2000]

Ummm... it sounds like you are bashing Apple and praising Microsoft, but your not bias???? ok, just saying.

there are definitely apple fanbois i remember when i got my samsung s3 my friends girlfriend says "oh is that the new iphone" no i replied its android, its better "ah but its not an iphone" she replied
i dont exactly know how apple got this blind unconditional following, but i believe every product should be able to stand on its own two feet for what it is, rather than what badge is on the back.
for me ios is too restrictive theres too many things i cant do on it that i can do on a mac/pc or android, the iphone is a particularly lovely device but to me its an ipod with phone functionality. the ipad i had the first gen dont know about current gen but i couldn't download files, no flash support no usb, in the end i realised that i wasnt using it at all and sold it (one good thing apple stuff is not hard to sell s/h), alot of people jailbreak these devices as soon as they get them to remove some of the shackles

if i where to buy a tablet today id be looking at win8/android

when it comes to the computer market apple uses a small number of specific components, this ensures that they work really well together and with the os unlike pc which pretty much tries to use everything

the first time i turned on windows 8 (im well used to win7 by the way) it made me feel like an idiot i didn't know where to start (pun intended) i then had a route around got annoyed and went to shut it down and i couldn't even do that. thank you microsoft you welcome me to windows 8 by making me feel stupid. (guess im still annoyed about that). any way i persevered and figured it out i did see some improvements maybe even a little snappier, but i still find alot of stuff inconvenient. i got a copy of win 8 pro but im not in a rush to use it as my main windows install ill stick with 7 for now but to be honest only for i use windows for certain programs/and jobs that i cant do on mac id drop it like a hot stone.

im not really into gaming but i know enough that yould have to be some sort of clown to claim osx is better for gaming, it just doesn't have the same level of support. i also hear win 8 is a little better for gaming too.

the article in the opening post says 42% going to get an ipad or mac not throw their pc out, its 30% plan to get a ipad/tablet and 12% plan to go to mac so the question is microsoft going to lose 12% of the pc market to apple because consumers dont like windows 8, id say they will be definitely be losing some,
anyway its not often you hear someone go from mac to windows pc, and if you do its more like i HAVE TO use windows because i NEED to use specific software.

this is the way i see it

android phone
android tablet - possibly windows 8
apple laptops unquestionably
Hackintosh desktops and htpcs for the tech savvy
imac and mac mini for everybody else

For gamers hackintoshes dual boot windows for games osx for everyday stuff.

Any other thoughts

 

[rossi1959]

Your right ,I did come across as being m/soft bias, but I'm sick of people that have this Apple bias putting their BS in this and other forums, But I would just like to point out,the so many wrong remarks made about one or the other operating systems and it comes from people that don't know how to use them. I was bashing Apple for their cost of product and have previously bashed M/soft about their costs and would use freeware where I could(hence why I'm here), now M/soft have stepped up to make their own hardware, and I must say very well made at that, and I will stand by my remark about it(the RT Tablet) being superior, especially in an enterprise environment than the ipad is, and this is due to it's usb port and it's office app and all other function's that M/soft has put into it that make's the app driven tablet look and feel like it's a x86 OS brother the Surface 8. There is probably no doubt Apple is now working at a fix for this and I will give the credit where and when due.