Apple: People Will Upgrade to Macs, Not Win 7
Apple seems confident.
Windows 7 will be launching a week from today, and many are looking to it as a revitalization of the PC industry. While every new release of Windows does bring with it a sense of newness, Vista failed to convince those happily running XP that newer was better.
The upcoming version of Windows hitting next week is better than Vista, which has PC business excited. Most will agree that Windows 7 gets things right and will finally get those still working off XP machines to finally upgrade.
With such a compelling, reinvigorated PC operating system coming out, one would think that Apple would be worried that PC would become the popular kid in school again. But Apple isn't worried at all. In fact, Apple sees the release of Windows 7 as an opportunity to snatch even more users over to the Mac camp.
"It presents a very good opportunity for us," says Philip W. Schiller, Apple's senior vice-president for marketing, in a BusinessWeek report.
Schiller reasons that those running Windows XP machines may view the upgrade to Windows 7 as too complicated and daunting, giving customers a reason to ditch PC for Mac instead.
"Any user that reads all those steps is probably going to freak out. If you have to go through all that, why not just buy a Mac?" says Schiller.
Granted, users going from XP to 7 will have to perform clean installs, as in-place upgrades are only supported from Windows Vista. Schiller doesn't believe that many users will upgrade to Windows 7, at least not as many as Mac users who have upgraded to the $29 Snow Leopard.
"I expect Snow Leopard will have an amazing upgrade rate, and Windows 7 won't," he said.
Earlier this week, we reported historical evidence that showed Mac sales increasing with each release of a new Windows version.
- MSFT: We've Got Most of the Sidekick Data Back
- Of Course: Lawsuits Filed Over Sidekick Fiasco
- Acer Reveals First 3D Laptop
- Wi-Fi Direct Coming, Could Wipe Out Bluetooth
- WoW Players Need to Convert to Battle.net Soon
- Acer Shows 11.6" Aspire Timeline CULV for Win 7
- Acer Reveals Windows 7 Multitouch Notebook
- Microsoft Hires Family Guy to Sell Windows 7
- Finland First to Make Broadband a Legal Right
- Couple Arrested for Allegedly Scamming Cisco
- Atom Pine Trail Machines Show Up on KND Wesbite
- Acer's Android/XP Dual Boot Netbook Out Now
- Mass Effect 2 Next Year, Says BioWare
- Left 4 Dead 2 Demo Going Public November 3
- Sidekick Fiasco Could Be Costing Microsoft Millions
- Hitachi's New HDDs A Blazing 15,000 RPM Fast
- Samsung OLED is Virtually Indestructible
- Intel to Ship Value-Based X25-X SSD in Q4
I don't get the Apple/Mac mentality... "Why upgrade?? Just buy a whole new machine for a lot more!" Maybe I do get it... revenue...
Right...and while you are at that...why don't you come over here and take a gander at this monkey coming out of my rectal area.
well at the pricetag that their hardware has if they would put a 200$ OS upgrade that would be suicide at least this is one thing to brag about to make customers come to them but we all know how any company behaves when they are the top brand so by then they will have expensive PC hardware and expensive OS ... so shut the f... up Apple.
Of course Apple forgets that 90% of the world uses windows..
I really hate apple...
i'd rather have an OS that doesn't delete my data on its own
Ummmm, weather or not they move from XP to Vista or XP to Mac, they'll have to go through the same daunting file transfer process. And now they'll have to worry about weather or not they can open their files on the Mac or if they have to buy the compatible software, or if they have to run Windows on the Mac for compatibility purposes. IMO, why not just get Windows 7?
Sounds like another (if you build it they will come statement), Apple does what the people who use it want. Apple is just over priced and will never get the widspread attention they are trying to get with the limited compatibility, that PC useres require.
Apple, screw you. Fresh install of an OS or buy a whole new machine with a fresh install of a completely unfamiliar OS. Why that makes sense.... no...
I'd rather have an OS with free service packs and can be installed on any PC made in the last 10 years.
I don't think he actually believes any of this bs he's spitting out. I think Apple is just worried because once they can't bash Vista in their commercials any more they will have nothing left to criticize.
Gee...I'm too afraid to install Windows 7, so the solution is to buy an overpriced Mac for a couple thousand and have to learn a whole new OS? Apple is so full of itself.
installing a new OS, they could just-- buy a PC with Win7 already on it!
If someone is going to buy a new computer instead of going through the fearsome task of
It's the Digital Age, and if people think an upgrade to Windows 7 is too complicated, and even daunting... then go to Mac, please! Let the rest of us evolve in peace.
Some of this does make sense. Most windows users don't 'upgrade' their Windows version after all. They tend to buy a whole new computer. I don't mean enthusiasts, of course, but then half of those will pirate Windows anyway. When you're talking average home/work computer, however, few users will be bothered to buy an upgrade and even fewer are willing to pay the exorbitant upgrade prices Microsoft charges. They're more likely to lump it with what they've got until they buy a new computer.
There comes the point though, every time a user comes to buy a new computer, they will have the opportunity to consider buying a Mac. If they've had an unpleasant user experience so far then they could edge towards the Mac side even more. This has less to do with Windows 7 and more to do with the user experience your average user has had with Vista/XP over the years.
A new Windows release has the result of boosting PC sales - this is also likely in part due to PC manufacturers taking the opportunity to pump out extra advertising for users to buy new computers with the new OS. Hence more average computer owners will get it into their heads that it may be time to buy a new machine than usual. This can also lead to an increase in Mac sales as a by-product since some users will think "Actually, do I really want Windows again? Windows 7 is meant to be better but... I've really hated Vista so maybe when I buy a new computer I'll try something different."
Keep in mind that what I've written above is not typical of the average user on here who is far more likely to buy a Windows 7 upgrade and is very unlikely to buy a Mac ever. I'm not talking about gamers, I'm talking about the average user, the average college student, the average housewife, the average parent etc.
nothing new just apple and all their delusions of grandeur.
I beg to differ with Apple. Over here on campus, I've helped several people switch their machines over to Windows 7 - some of them Macs.
oooh, it's "daunting", LOL.
"Any user that reads all those steps is probably going to freak out. If you have to go through all that, why not just buy a Mac?" says Schiller.
The more times I read over this, the more it makes me laugh.
Whisfull thinking...
The entire macs in existence add just to the decimals on the number of windows in existence.... and that is not accounting the DIY PCs in the world. Only the trademarks ones.
On developping markets 99% of PCs are DIY (Assembled in retail stores), trademark PCs are on the 1%, and Macs are just a statistical error.
"Any user that reads all those steps is probably going to freak out. If you have to go through all that, why not just buy a Mac?" says Schiller.
Translation: Schiller thinks potential Mac users are morons.
Okay, with an article title like this one I think Tom's is just baiting us now. There's going to be some great feedback this time 'round! That said, let me offer an analogy for "upgrading" a mac from a Windows PC: Oh look, my screwdriver is worn out, I think I'll upgrade to a hammer. You need the right tool for the job, and a mac is the wrong tool for anything I use a computer for. I'd love to see how well a mac could crunch complex toolpath in Mastercam or get 80 fps in Crysis.
running windows 7 on a mac is just silly. unless it's an old mac you just have laying around. or some people just want to spend twice as much on a computer so they can talk about how they switched to mac.
/rant
microsoft should give free upgrades to anybody w\ vista though... because 7 is really a finalized version of vista ( which i had no problem with )
I'll buy a Mac when I'm able to run whatever I want on it like Windows..... Or no, not then even, because there will be the inevitable virus apocolypse that will soon fall upon Apple products because they were so cocky about never getting any. Instead of being prepared with anti-virus softwares on PCs, you'll just get it up the rear when people start getting funny and rain down viruses on Macs for once.
Since when could you build your own Mac also..... if you can, strike that comment heh
Marcus, this is the second time you are posting this.
I understand there is value in repetition when trying to convince yourself of something that is irrational, but there is no need to take it on us.
Not if you already have a good PC and just want Windows 7 instead of Vista...
AND not if apple doesn't lower thier prices.
The average job will not go out and drop $2000 on an apple when they can get the same hardware in a PC for $1200.
nothing new just apple and all their delusions of grandeur.
Had to quote this as it reflects what I was thinking.
lol damage control fail...
I must not be a 'people'. I'll be damned if I go to apple for anything. I love Win7 and I love my non-limiting hardware.
Had to quote this as it reflects what I was thinking.
Same for me!!!
Of course Apple forgets that 90% of the world uses windows..I really hate apple...
So does Wall street. Apple stocks are trading ~ $190/share. They make ipods, iphones, and overpriced computers with antiquated hardware.
Those 3 quotes posted do not result in your misleading title; Apple did not say people will upgrade to Macs INSTEAD of Win 7, just that Apple's upgrade to Snow Leopard will beat Vista to 7. If anything, the subtitle should say, "Marcus seems confident". The link back to your much chastised article from just a few days ago with no real evidence of anything is also a classy move. I think I'm just going to stop clicking on anything that says "Apple" or "Microsoft" on Tom's news feed so I don't give this filth any more income. I own an Apple too Marcus, difference is that I don't toot my own horn on a "News" column, please stop.
"Any user that reads all those steps is probably going to freak out. If you have to go through all that, why not just buy a Mac?" says Schiller.
its funny that apple try to convince the world that macs are superior to pcs, then insult the pc users by saying they are to stupid to upgrade their own machine. " hey, you guys are dumb. here buy this instead." to me, macs are the jitterbug phone of the computing world. GREEN FOR ON, RED FOR OFF.