Opinion: The old switcheroo

This must be something that only makes sense to the inordinately wealthy and successful. The fact that Ballmer even acknowledges Apple has any market share at all is a major change in strategy for Microsoft.

Before now they used to claim their competition was IBM – somebody must have belatedly told them IBM has left the arena. Now it seems they need another competitor.

But is this a real contest or just another ploy by the market dominator to assuage the fears of the anti-monopoly brigade? “Oh! Look how well Apple is doing! We’re having a hard time competing with them! No need to legislate against us…”

Uhuh. Windows PCs still outsell Apple PCs 30 to 1. That’s a bit like Toyota saying they’re worried about the rise of Lotus. Or maybe Carlton United worrying about Murray’s Pub With No Beer Brewery. And perhaps these analogies are a tad more accurate than it first appears.

Apple used to claim their company “think different”, even about grammar, and it is quite possibly true. Are people who buy a Macintosh ever likely to choose a Windows PC instead?

Not unless there’s some particular piece of software they can’t get on their Mac or it just runs too slow in a virtual Windows environment. Are Windows users ever likely to switch to a Mac? Well, some do, but the vast majority don’t even think about it, much less decide which platform is best.

Most people are creatures of habit and go with the familiar not the unknown, and most people seem to like doing whatever their neighbours are doing. Take a look at the local SUV market which has been around for a long time, yet sales literally went through the roof when Ford, then Holden, released their own versions.

You could have bought any number of SUVs before then, but most people didn’t. Then, apparently by magic, after Ford and Holden stamped their badges on the back, it became okay to get one.

About the only way most computer users are likely to switch to a Macintosh would be if Microsoft bought Apple. Then of course, all the existing Mac users would collectively panic before they migrated to Linux. Think different?