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Apple Now Third Largest PC Vendor in US

pcworld.com — Apple is moving up the charts, toppling Acer to become the third largest PC vendor in the U.S., according to a survey from Gartner. Apple defied a weakening economy to record a 38.1 percent growth rate in U.S. PC shipments, according to Gartner. Overall PC shipments in the U.S. grew just 4.2 percent to 16.5 million units during the quarter.

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  • toetagger, on 07/21/2008, -46/+17...and first best...
    • jabberwolf, on 07/22/2008, -9/+1W"EALLY?
      You is da bestest?
      Awww aint that cute.

      STFU !!!
  • OffPiste, on 07/21/2008, -28/+13Now if only they could actually manufacture those computers in America. I'd sure be more apt to pay the premium for Apple if they had a "Made in USA" label on them.
    • willdiggforfood, on 07/21/2008, -13/+9Well, they're designed in the US. That's what matters the most. As long as design is still in the US, we keep the edge in technology.
      • mrsteveman1, on 07/21/2008, -0/+10eh, maybe. The electronics market is sort of split at the moment, all these companies originated in the U.S but nothing is manufactured here. So could companies in other countries copy things? Sure.

        However the 2 largest consumer operating systems in use are from the U.S, and that's not likely to change in the next few years, even with Linux spreading.
      • marx2k, on 07/22/2008, -2/+3Some kid in China passing out on his 35th hour at work trying to put together my iPod... doesn't matter where that iPod was designed... it's breaking in a week... this is why I don't buy Apple products. Why would I buy products from a company that obviously cuts corners in their manufacturing process. Would you want to go to a hospital that stays afloat by cutting corners in your medical equipment even though it was designed in the US?
      • mrsteveman1, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1I have a 3rd gen Nano and its built VERY well, much better than the Insignia player it replaced. There were manufacturing issues with some number of them where the screen isn't perfectly squared with the surrounding case but they replaced those for free, and other than that its been perfect, esp the interface.

        Now, i have an aluminum keyboard they made that still doesn't work at all before an OS boots. They know about the problem and haven't done anything about it, its been a year almost.

        So yea, there are examples on both sides.
      • bigbadgoat, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1marx2k?

        What electronics producers don't manufacture their ***** in china?
      • marx2k, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1bigbadboat: Fujitsu (my g/f's laptop, Japan), high-end Sony stuff (my MiniDisc recorder, Japan), Westone (USA, my headphones), Toshiba (Japan, my 65" TV), Aprilia (my scooter, Italy).. just to name a few.
    • Ravatar, on 07/21/2008, -2/+3Why? The materials used to build the system would be purchased from outside the states, and the wages they paid those people to build the system will just go to the same stupid ***** made in China as everything else.
    • ocellnuri, on 07/21/2008, -6/+141950's thinking for a 2000's world! Horrah!
    • johnpaul191, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Apple was still making computers in the US less than 8 years ago. I forget when the last plants here closed, but if they had today's popularity then it may have changed things. They always take a major hit on new products because of shipping. If you ever buy, for example, a new MacBook that will ship a few weeks after announcement, it often ships FedEx right from the assembly plant. Apple eats that shipping cost.
      Offhand the processors are all made in the US, right? I remember their being some weird legal thing about processors all being made here (not just Apple, but for the big chip makers).
    • rollem, on 07/22/2008, -2/+2Why does that really matter? Does a Chinese person deserve any fewer opportunities just for being born in a different country? Think rationally about nationalism and it becomes to be rather bizarre. I understand that the ultimate cause of those sentiments are in-group versus out-group feelings instilled during our long evolutionary past, but please try to grow beyond that.
      • marx2k, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1This is less about how I feel about people in other countries and more about the known issues that come out of countries that have no policies towards slave labor, child labor, quality control, source control, etc. I don't mind my products coming from Japan or Germany or Italy. However, getting products from China almost guarantees breakage or at the very least, incompetency in assembly. It's not a form of nationalism, but rather a regard for quality in purchased consumer goods.
  • gradivus, on 07/21/2008, -30/+10Apple still sucks. It has about the same rating as W.
    • alexra, on 07/21/2008, -2/+9think of what the percentage was just 4 years ago
    • jabberwolf, on 07/22/2008, -5/+3Yeah and linux gew by 8x but it still is not much at the moment.
      You're point?

      Not to mention most of the hitsinks that show its around 8% dont account for the fact that:
      1- Most of those are in US.
      2- Apple users browse the internet more then god himself (if he were to use it that is)
      3- Most PC users at work, are well, using PCs and working and are not browsing the internet.

      Thus the 8% is basically a false number to go by. It's nice and gives Appletards a few wet dreams, but doesn't make it true.
    • Darph.Bobo, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1Yet another tosser who can't afford a Mac.

      Stop the hate, get out of your momma's basement and get a *****' JOB!
      • iizh, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1Mac fanboys being pretentious. Hell has frozen over.

        I can afford a Mac easily. It's just that Windows and Linux on a PC (particularly dual boot) blow it out of the water. The only "advantage" Mac has it you can be a little snob who's part of the "Apple lifestyle" (ROFL) and I'll pass on that.
  • Liability, on 07/21/2008, -15/+4
    You held onto your stock for too long, live and learn
  • alexra, on 07/21/2008, -32/+9suck on that mac haters
  • Apocalyptic0n3, on 07/21/2008, -12/+61Yeah... buried as duplicate. This made the front page once or twice last week.
    • xenoc1de, on 07/21/2008, -7/+2Seconded
    • pukiman, on 07/22/2008, -4/+1First time I see this story, but I'm burying as dupe anyway.
    • elister, on 07/22/2008, -1/+0Could have sworn last week articles pegged Apple as the #4 retailer (Acer being #3)

      Apple has previously obtained the #3 slot, but lost it, only to get it back again. Seems to pick up right before back to school season, then fall back for the rest of the year. It would be impressive if they could HOLD that lead, but they cant. Its like touting the sales of Candy Canes as the #1 sold candy .... in December.

      Also, if you search "apple market share" through google news, you'll get the same story, all with slightly different results (1.4 million PCs shipped in this article, 1.3 in others)
  • rmxz, on 07/21/2008, -6/+21I'm surprised Acer's that big. Yeah, I know they bought a few other companies; but I know maybe a dozen people with Apples, and noone with the acer brands. And companies I see are mostly HP or Dell with a bit of Apple in specific groups.

    Who's buying all the Acer's?
    • AppleGeorge, on 07/21/2008, -14/+6Every ***** mexican who shops at Wal-Mart on Southmore by Richey in Pasadena.
    • Travicolpist, on 07/21/2008, -1/+8Acer bought Gateway earlier this year.
    • KIERANMULLEN, on 07/21/2008, -2/+7I bought and Acer and a Gateway laptop. The price is good on the units.
      The customer service is just as crappy as HP so why pay more?
    • LoudNoise, on 07/22/2008, -6/+4The south.

      With cost of living as high as it is and the average salary being so low in most of the south, a lot of cheaper computers are sold. Even the local Best Buys don't keep more than 1 Mac in stock, since so few people buy them.
    • expert01, on 07/22/2008, -1/+3Acer is very highly rated by PC World Magazine readers. And PC World Mag. seems to have the best comparison of brand names instead of models. They're also underpricing their models to regain the brand recognition they had in the mid 90's.

      I wouldn't buy a dell just because they treat their techs crappy (I'm DCSE). My first PC was an acer, so I'd be glad to buy them any day.

      But that's just for laptops. For desktops, it doesn't make a damn bit of difference.

      BTW, I'd take these analysis(s) with a grain of salt. There's something screwy with them (I don't remember what, but something to do with counting either cumulative yearly sales and not quarterly or the other way around).
    • FireXtol, on 07/22/2008, -0/+3Acer manufactures (a lot of) laptops for Apple.
  • stealthc, on 07/21/2008, -7/+14Didn't we just see this story a few days ago? I like Macs but did that many people miss the story the first time it was reported?
    • darkane, on 07/21/2008, -1/+5"... did that many people miss the story ..."

      You mean all 210 people that had dugg the story when you made this comment? I imagine with the amount of users that Digg has, a good percentage of them are not capable of or not interested in refreshing the site every 2 minutes of every day to make sure they didn't miss something.

      210 is not 'that many'.
  • dafragsta, on 07/21/2008, -13/+83heheheh.... they make PCs now.
    • skyshock1, on 07/22/2008, -11/+29Nah, Gigabyte, Asus, Quanta, Seagate, Crucial, Western Digital, etc... all make the parts. Apple just puts them together in a shiny box with a slick OS and charges you triple.
    • mightycbu, on 07/22/2008, -14/+5Apple invented the PC.
      you're probably confused with the IBM-compatible PC, as we used to call them.
      • greevar, on 07/22/2008, -0/+7No, MITS Altair invented the PC.
      • expert01, on 07/22/2008, -3/+4Hey fanboy, wikipedia is your friend. Kenbak was first, followed by CTC, and a slew of other companies. If you're talking about the GUI, it was really invented by Xerox.

        Dumbass.
      • iizh, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2Now the Mac fanboys are resorting to revisionism of history? Sigh.
  • anthonybruno, on 07/21/2008, -6/+13because this story isnt a week old
  • synystar, on 07/21/2008, -6/+40So now that this official, as the third largest "PC" maker should we expect "Hi, I'm a PC. And I'm... a PC." commercials?
    • KMartSheriff, on 07/21/2008, -11/+6Let's get this out of the way:

      Even us Mac users hate those commercials.
      • kss42, on 07/21/2008, -4/+11Now let's get this out of the way:
        You cannot determine the complete personalities and tastes of millions of people based on their preferred brand of computer. There are Mac users who like the commercials, and there are Mac users who don't. Some Mac users like hot dogs, some like hamburgers, and some should learn to use the singular pronoun "I" instead of the collective "us Mac users." Is this a rant? It wasn't meant to be, but it sounds kind of ranty now. Oh well.
        (Linux wins)
      • Schmich, on 07/22/2008, -2/+2As a PC user but no fan-crap I thought they were pretty funny and true.
      • KMartSheriff, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2Did I just get Dugg down by Mac users who actually like those ***** commercials? I was doing you guys a favor and you dugg me down? No wonder people hate Mac users.
    • BlackCow, on 07/21/2008, -3/+9They are basiaclly the same thing, same hardware. The only difference is the case and the fact that you are allowed to run OS X on it. Which is total *****, I might try using OS X if I could run it on my PCs. Until then, Linux and Windows still win.
      • HolyChimp, on 07/22/2008, -2/+3If you can figure out Linux then you can figure out installing OSX on a non-Apple computer.
      • tnoy, on 07/22/2008, -1/+4Getting OS X to run, and getting OS X to use all your hardware properly are two entirely different things.

        Sure, I can put OS X on my Laptop, but I apparently cant use the built-in ethernet, wifi, or sound.
    • skyshock1, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2*Vendor*, not "maker". They don't technically MAKE any of the components aside from the cases. They buy all their commodity components from other manufacturers. In fact I'm pretty sure you can buy all the components in a Mac Pro desktop from Newegg.com
      • greevar, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1Except for the bit that tells Mac OS X that it's a genuine Mac and allows it to run.
      • ibone, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2Modified BOOT-132 + fully compatible osx hardware via newegg.com

    • Macintoshreader, on 07/26/2008, -0/+0What people don't get is that there are two meanings for PC.

      PC means Personal Computer, which a Mac logically is but PC also means an IBM or compatible computer (a computer that comes with Windows or Linux pre-installed that has BIOS and can't run OS X).

      Mac: Personal Computer made by Apple that comes pre-installed with OS X.
  • stealthc, on 07/21/2008, -13/+6This is probably *thanks* to a weakening economy. People want a computer they know will last, because they are loathe to spend more money on it later if/when it breaks. Macs have historically had pretty slow rates of depreciation. And there are definitely fewer stability risks.
    • HOTM, on 07/22/2008, -1/+3Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Because people are making less they want to spend more money on computers. Uh huh.
      • stealthc, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1See my reply to jabberwolf.

        It's more than just the retail price, you ninnies.
    • jabberwolf, on 07/22/2008, -2/+4Why are mactards are so stupid?

      Basic economics:
      Supply and Demand:
      Where can you buy an Mac- From Apple or Ebay.
      Where can you buy a PC - every ***** where.

      Available Macs out there (other than from Apple) = Low availability-higher demand= ups the cost = less depreciation.

      Available PCs out there - every ***** where= high availability-lower demand=lowers the cost= more depreciation.

      Got it?! Because we dont hate Apple, we hate Mactarded idiots!!
      • stealthc, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Which computer is cheaper? The one that craps out every couple of years or the one that will last nearly a decade?

        There is a greater level of consumer TRUST in Apple, whether it's truly a better product or not. So while PC sales in general might decline, Apple's share will increase as people try to minimize uncertainties in their computer costs.

        Basic economics is rooted in human action, which is based on emotional decisions. The facts describing the PC's abundance isn't enough, so you fail at lecturing me on economics.
      • stealthc, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Oh, and just for the record: I use a Lenovo ThinkPad.



        ...Because I'm a Mactard.
  • Frejesal, on 07/21/2008, -15/+1No...nobody uses macs..duh!! This is a lie! There aren't viruses for mac because there are so few of them!
    • Macintoshreader, on 07/26/2008, -0/+0Wow, you're really stupid.

      Can you please explain to me why there are 860 viruses for Linux when it only has 0.7% market share and there are 0 for OS X, even though it has 8.5%? The whole more market share: more vulnerabilities and malware argument is *****. It all depends on the architecture of the OS and the kernel. Windows has an outdated and crappy kernel, which is why there are more than 100,000 viruses out for it.

      n00b.
  • ronaldmonster, on 07/21/2008, -9/+2Weren't they second a couple months ago?
  • evo8ftw, on 07/21/2008, -21/+18wippie! they are still out sold by pc 9:1
    • theurge14, on 07/21/2008, -9/+4You do realize the 'Windows PC' market is made up of many other companies while the 'Macintosh PC' market is one company, right? That is why they are now the third largest PC maker.
      • evo8ftw, on 07/21/2008, -3/+2you made my brain hurt
      • seraph582, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2LOL seriously "WindowsPC" "MacintoshPC"

        L O L O L
      • theurge14, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1PC = Personal Computer

        That is funny. :
    • Galaxylander, on 07/21/2008, -3/+15You make that sound like it's bad. Realize this: Apple is competing with every single PC vendor that exists, but there is nobody else that makes Macs. There are like 50 PC vendors and only 1 Mac vendor.

      Compare Apple to ONE of the PC makers, and you see how successful they really are. That's like saying Windows Mobile is more popular then the iPhone OS. Well duh- iPhone's OS is only on one phone, but Windows Mobile is on a tonne of them.
      • evo8ftw, on 07/21/2008, -11/+6yawn!!!!!!!!!! Apple is by all means a monopoly if you had a clue you would realize someone else is actually making and selling computers that run os x and apple is suing them.
      • sjmulder, on 07/22/2008, -4/+6evo, they do not have a monopoly in their market, which is 'computers'. Or would you say Samsung has a monopoly on Samsung phones?
      • kingfoot, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2yeah evo8: they own os X because its their intellectual property. something they made and something they sell.
    • sintaxi, on 07/22/2008, -1/+4@evo8ftw: I have never heard of a computer manufacturer named "PC" before. Did you understand what the article was about? Its about computer manufacturing not OS market share. Are you aware that there is a difference?
      • sjmulder, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2I believe there is a PC company. They often air commercials – the smart, human guy in the suit is the PC, and there's another arrogant kind of guy who is another brand.
      • evo8ftw, on 07/22/2008, -3/+1wow apple fanboi hows it going?
      • sjmulder, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2Hey short-sighted, ignorant, name-calling kid with a grammar and spelling disorder, how's it going?

        How difficult is it to understand that Macs with their OS X operating system are computers and thus compete in a market with other computers, in which they apparently now have a 10% share?
  • todamax, on 07/21/2008, -6/+2its kinda expected since ther the only guys who make osx, we all remember what happened with psystar. and since the average american computer user doesnt even know how the registry works, osx is very inviting
    • Diggnabbit, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Yeah, I mean this is just due to their having a superior product that people want.... Pfft.
    • rimantas, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2Should average american user know how registry works? Why?
      Average american car driver drives a car with automatic transmission.
      Why?
  • grungegbunny, on 07/21/2008, -5/+9Between rising use of Macs and more trying out Linux OS on their PC, MS has their work cut out for em in staying competitive.
    • aserer511, on 07/21/2008, -2/+8Not *really*; enough people are buying dells and HPs that they have #1 in the bag easy
    • jabberwolf, on 07/22/2008, -5/+3Most of the competition that MS has is, with other MS machines.
      The hardware vendors have competion and the price is low.

      Apple has no competition for its hardware because it illegally tethers down its OSX to it,
      No competition, thus price is high.
      • pixelguru, on 07/22/2008, -2/+7There's nothing "illegal" about Apple tying their OS to their hardware, and their prices have been proven to be quite competitive when compared to equivalent PC packages. It's Apple's software and hardware, and they can license it however they see fit. It would be illegal for Apple to sabotage competing software from running on OS X or their hardware (like Adobe Premiere or Lightroom) but Apple has never been that kind of company. Microsoft, on the other hand, has previously been found guilty of actively sabotaging competing software (Borland, Quicktime) using their control of the dominant Windows OS. That's illegal, anti-competitive, and the exact opposite of the "innovation" they like to tout in their marketing.
      • krisrm, on 07/23/2008, -0/+0Apple's ridiculous control over iTunes is approaching something I would consider monopoly... I don't have a problem with Microsoft monopoly, they're just too disorganized to be a problem. Apple, on the other hand, under Supreme Dictator Jobs, is practically an organized religion...
  • Soihavenoidea, on 07/21/2008, -8/+4Awesome. I might not love apple (used to own a macbook, macbook pro, sold em both, went for a tiny HP 2133 because my desktop is powerful enough for big things). I just got a job with them as a genius, love their growth in the PC community, easy money and easy job while in college.
  • theurge14, on 07/21/2008, -2/+10I love the smell of competition in the morning.
  • lead2thehead, on 07/21/2008, -12/+9Sweet. So when can we put the "nobody writes viruses for Mac because nobody owns one" myth to rest?

    (Not saying that they're virus proof... but comparatively speaking, Windows is a more virus-friendly platform.)
    • slinky317, on 07/22/2008, -4/+4Windows is still 10x more popular than Apple.
      • lead2thehead, on 07/22/2008, -0/+810% of the market is still a hell of a lot of computers.
      • baconz, on 07/22/2008, -2/+2As 9 out 10 office drones what OS they chose when they started their jobs. Oh yea, they weren't asked. That's like saying republitard is the most popular presidential party right now.
      • bjstiktrix, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1republitard! brilliant
    • jabberwolf, on 07/22/2008, -5/+6Talk to someone that does research on actual viruses.

      For instance:
      If you have a herd of 1000 sheep ( 80 of them are black) and 1 black sheep gets a virus and can only be passed on to another black sheep - how fast do you think that will spread or will spread to all 80 black sheep?

      Now take the 920 of the thousand white sheep. If 1 white sheep got sick, the same question.

      Its the same with computers. Its how available the virus can be made to all other hosts. For Macs, because the market is SMALLER, they cannot spread a virus as fast or to as many.

      This isnt a myth, this is reality, and this studied with real diseases! So please understand and get over it!

      • lead2thehead, on 07/22/2008, -1/+4No, it's much more fundamental than that. OSX, BSD, Linux and Unix all have inherent design features which make them more resistant to viruses than Windows. The biggest and most important is a concept called Discretionary Access Control. Allow me to explain...

        You see, jabberwolf, all *nix-based systems have a user called "root". This is a super user that can control the entire computer. In order to install software, you must first become root. In order to read or change configuration files, you must become root. If you want to modify an executable, add a shared library, modify a device driver, or change anything meaningful, you must first become root. This makes it next to impossible for a regular user to unwittingly install a virus or any piece of malware on his computer because, in order to do so, he would need root permission. This is called "Discretionary Access Control", or DAC for short.

        Most Windows users will tell you that this is akin to the "Administrator" account on your PC, but that is not exactly the case. Microsoft has attempted to emulate this technique many times, but always fails miserably in its implementation. On a typical Windows PC, THE DEFAULT USER ACCOUNT has Administrator access! This makes it very easy for users to unwittingly install all kinds of malware on their computer without realizing it. Think about that for a second... why would you ever need to run a word processor or a web browser as a super user? That would mean that Internet Explorer, for example, would have permission to write to your system32 directory! Why would IE ever need to do that? And what person in their right mind would ever allow it to? It's a virus writer's dream come true.

        Now let's talk about software vulnerabilities. Try to stay with me here, because this gets complicated. The vast majority of software vulnerabilities (greater than 90%) involve buffer overflow attacks. This is an attack, where by a malicious user takes control of a running program and shoe-horns its own malicious code onto the instruction stack. When this happens, the malicious instructions have the same permissions as the program it just took over. And what permissions would those be?... it depends on which user is executing the program. When you run everything as Administrator, as is the default behavior in Windows, EVERY vulnerability becomes a critical vulnerability and EVERY piece of malware can run as a super user. Do you see the problem with that?

        Let's back up... I'm sure that by now, the Microsoft crowd is saying "Wait a second! You don't have to run everything as Administrator! You can create regular user accounts and restrict their permissions too." And they would be correct. I have never met anyone who does this on their home PC, but the option is certainly there. But even if you do that, you're still screwed because EVERY SINGLE BACKGROUND SERVICE runs as Administrator. Oh, you forgot about the background services, didn't you? Don't feel bad... Microsoft forgot about them too. Right click on "My Computer", select "Manage", and click "Services" if you want to see I'm talking about. There you can see nearly a hundred services, all running as Administrator! Break any one of them and you have Administrator access to the entire computer. Nice, huh?

        But wait, you say, doesn't Mac OS have that same problem? Of course not. Only an idiot would run everything as super user. Mac OS comes from the factory with FORTY different user accounts, one for every background service that it runs. So if you happen to exploit one of them, you can only do what that small, very restricted user account can do... and it isn't much. In fact, when you buy a computer from Apple, they don't even give you the root password! You only have access to your user account... your own little world. And if you mess it up, you're not going to take down the entire computer. You'll only screw up your own account because you don't have the required permissions to screw up the rest of the OS. So the underlying architecture of Mac OS is inherently more secure.

        Keep in mind that this piss-poor excuse for a DAC is one of a thousand flaws with Windows. I could go on for days about the absolutely retarded design decisions made by Microsoft. Remember the outbreak of email viruses about 5 years ago? Know why those were such a big problem? Because some genius at Microsoft said, "Hey! Let's invent a scripting language that allows user to embed executable code into email messages and then execute that code automatically when you open the message!" Brilliant, huh? It's like they put that hole there on purpose so that every script kiddie with a copy of Microsoft Word could write CRIPPLING email viruses that took down servers and cost billions of dollars to fix.

        So you see, jabberwolf, the problem is much more fundamental than you think. People who use that "security through obscurity" excuse clearly do not comprehend the issue.
      • akhomerun, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1what an awesome comment, lead2thehead. take for example a microcosm of a college campus where literally 40% of the students use macs. you don't see them spreading viruses across the campus network. the "insecurity through widespread adoption" argument that attributes windows viruses to widespread use makes about as little sense as the security through obscurity argument.

        even if you were figure that macs are only 3% of computers, and desktop linux is even less, if they were as insecure as windows there would still be enough of them to spread viruses just as well, because we all have windows using buddies on our networks and in our email contacts.
    • Macintoshreader, on 07/26/2008, -0/+0Can anyone explain why there are 860 viruses for Linux even though it has 0.7% market share and there are 0 for OS X even though it has 8.5%?

      Yeah, the more market share: more malware argument is *****.
  • Owwmykneecap, on 07/21/2008, -13/+8Still can't play games on them.

    (queue list of the best games for mac...)
  • secondfiddle, on 07/21/2008, -8/+1Dude your getting a Apple!
    • sjmulder, on 07/22/2008, -3/+1Well you made a little bit of air come out of my nose, indicating a certain amount of joy, after reading your comment.
  • xombiefarts, on 07/22/2008, -8/+12Is it possible to build your own Mac? Apple support included? No? Oh. Why is that?
    • bjornski, on 07/22/2008, -5/+5You can't build your own Windows or Linux box with support included either.
      • skyshock1, on 07/22/2008, -5/+4***** you can't.
      • bjornski, on 07/22/2008, -3/+5Buy my own parts, hack it together and then bring it in for service when it ***** up?

        Where can I get that service without a 3rd party contract?
      • wattersm, on 07/22/2008, -2/+1You can build a hackintosh.
      • jabberwolf, on 07/22/2008, -5/+1Actually yes you can, ask anyone in the neighborhood if they work on computers and/or will ?!
      • tnoy, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2Hardware support and software support are two different things.
      • bjornski, on 07/22/2008, -0/+3You can hardly call your local neighborhood geek a "service plan".

        And their return policies and warranties suck, too.

        But then, I don't need a service plan. Only a return policy on my new parts.
      • expert01, on 07/22/2008, -3/+3Are you serious? Because you can't be serious. Only a moron would say something that stupid.

        "You can't build your own Windows or Linux box with support included either."
        If you buy a copy of Windows (or a copy of linux from a major vendor) they include support for the OS. If you want phone hardware support, you can get that for a fee.

        "Buy my own parts, hack it together and then bring it in for service when it ***** up? Where can I get that service without a 3rd party contract?"

        How about Best Buy, Circuit City, or any of the thousands of PC repair shops?

        Hell, you can build your own computer out of parts, buy a service contract at Office Depot, and they'll give you the same (or better, since it's US based and they have well paid phone support) service as any major manufacturer.
      • MonkeyFarts, on 07/22/2008, -1/+3' "Buy my own parts, hack it together and then bring it in for service when it ***** up? Where can I get that service without a 3rd party contract?"

        How about Best Buy, Circuit City, or any of the thousands of PC repair shops?'

        Yeah, because they'll be glad to cover the repairs for FREE like major vendors do when you purchase a product from them while they're under warranty. That must be that new free warranty service they're offering on any product, regardless of where you purchased it, that I keep hearing about in that alternate reality of mine.
      • akhomerun, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2last i checked OEM windows copies you buy off newegg.com don't come with support.

        besides that, there are companies that make custom commercial linux distributions just for their PCs (like the Eee PC). how is this any different from apple (a custom bsd-like OS)?
      • bjornski, on 07/22/2008, -0/+3Best Buy (HAHAH) Circuit City or other repair shops?

        Why? I don't need them. I won't let *ANYONE* fix my machine but me.

        And if you call their $40-$80 an hour a "service plan", you're daft.

        Geek Squad doesn't fix computers, they swap out hard drives and replace memory. That's about it. Oh yeah, and they'll run a virus scan for what, $60? Total rip-off.
    • rimantas, on 07/22/2008, -8/+2Did you assemble your car yourself? No? Why? Because it is just a means to go from point A to point B, right?
      I am not going to build my own computer either – I am going to use it.
      • jstone, on 07/22/2008, -1/+6Assembling a kit car is well beyond anybody but a very skilled individual. Assembling a computer takes far less time and skill. If I could build a car with all of the features of one off the lot for less money than purchasing a preassembled car, and put the whole thing together in the same amount of time as a computer, I would do it gladly.
    • jabberwolf, on 07/22/2008, -2/+3Because Apple come with free knee pads to give Steve Jobs a blow job!
    • MonkeyFarts, on 07/22/2008, -1/+4Is it possible to build your own Dell? Dell support included? No? Oh. Why is that?
      Is it possible to build your own HP? HP support included? No? Oh. Why is that?
      Is it possible to build your own Gateway? Gateway support included? No? Oh. Why is that?
      Is it possible to build your own Acer? Acer support included? No? Oh. Why is that?

      I'm seeing a trend.

      I feel the need to point out that if you build your own of *anything*, you're responsible for "support" because nobody else is responsible for its being built. I built my own PC a couple of months ago. Who do I go to when it gets screwed up? Oh, that's right, *myself.* Kind of a no-duh issue if you ask me.
  • khoa1708, on 07/22/2008, -3/+12i like shiny white things
    • shinyplastic, on 07/22/2008, -0/+0WOOOOOOOOOO! If it's shiny it means it's healthy and reliable!!!
  • TobyDumb, on 07/22/2008, -3/+8"According to a Survey"



    riiiiiighttttt....
  • chimx, on 07/22/2008, -10/+5This is very bad. It is just adding fuel to fire for Europeans to claim Americans are less intelligent.
  • justananomaly, on 07/22/2008, -2/+5dupe from last week...
    http://digg.com/apple/Apple_passes_Acer_to_become_ ...
  • anon748296, on 07/22/2008, -1/+7...depends on what you consider a "PC". Eventually, you can count on Apple finding ways to include ipod and iphone numbers in that "personal computer" count.
    • timusca, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Last I checked, a PC was a computer that could run Windows. How is Apple stretching the truth at all?
  • LilBoyLuver, on 07/22/2008, -1/+9Stock is down $19 after-hours.
  • Syphon8, on 07/22/2008, -18/+23***** Apple.
  • tflowholdings, on 07/22/2008, -12/+7macs are expensive
    • shinyplastic, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2you're getting dugg down because it's not true! Mac's aren't computers, they're a life style, and who can put a price tag on a life style?
  • shark72, on 07/22/2008, -7/+50Food for thought:

    The article doesn't state the volume that HP shipped, but if it was in the range of four million units, then Apple's unit share is about 10%. Impressive numbers, right? Apple fans sure are celebrating, as well they should -- it's an impressive achievement in a very tough market.

    Microsoft has about 10% market share of the MP3 player market. This is seen by Apple fans as an utter failure; something to be mocked. Yet Microsoft has had a much higher growth rate -- they entered the MP3 player market just a couple of years ago, while it's taken Apple a couple of decades to get this far.

    One person's failure is another person's amazing success. It all depends on how much of a fanboy you are.
    • 2Deluxe, on 07/22/2008, -2/+13Very well said, Sir!
    • clak, on 07/22/2008, -4/+3Food for thought.

      Apple's market cap is 146 billion. HP's market cap is 107 billion. Dell is 46 billion. Apple is almost bigger than HP and Dell combined, with only 8 percent of the market. What do you think will happen when Mac marketshare gets to 20 percent? That's right, Apple will be twice as big as HP and Dell combined, but will still probably have lower marketshare.

      The reason for this is that Apple has 66% of the high end computer market. Just like the iPhone doesn't compete in the dumb phone market, Macs don't compete in the low end computer market. So market share isn't the best indicator of Apple's standing in the market.

      Makes sense if you think about it.
      • zenerdiode, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2You know, not all financial analysts rate the size of the company by market cap, cause, well, some of that is really just imaginary money based on future growth projections. I mean apple just lost 10% today after hours...did the company really just shrink by 10%?

        Not really. You also have to look at revenue and profit (as well as other factors like debt and assets) to accurate predict the size of the company and how much "real" money they're worth. Looking at this year's Forbes 500 list, HP is #41, Microsoft 136, and Apple all the way down at 337 (which is still really big, btw).

        Stock prices and, in effect, market cap is really a bet on the future. And lemme tell you something...at some point in time in the past few years, Bear Stearns, Countrywide, and IndyMac's market cap was quite formidable. If you truly believe Apple is worth more than HP, I suggest you buy some shares now. Never mind that Apple's revenue was 1/4 and profit was 1/2 of HP's (and an even small percentage of MS) last year...just hope that Apple can sustain it's phenomenal growth.
    • rimantas, on 07/22/2008, -2/+1By couple of decades you mean 7 years, right?
      • shark72, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Depends on when you count Apple's start as a 'PC vendor.' If you count the Apple //, then it's been since the late 70's, and for those first several years Apple held a substantial lead until IBM came along with their PC. If you count it from the release of the first Macintosh in 1984 (I'm not counting the Lisa), then it's been about 23 years. I simplified that by writing 'a couple of decades.'

        Not sure what you mean by seven years. What model do you consider to be Apple's first entry into the personal computer market? I'm not familiar enough with Apple's history to recall what model they released seven years ago, but it must have been very significant to you. Which one do you have in mind?
  • FrankTheTank17, on 07/22/2008, -2/+8That honestly doesn't mean much, Acer is on of many companies that uses Windows as their default OS. Apple could be the largest "PC Vendor" but Windows will still most likely be on top in the OS department. I'm going to bury this for more of a misleading article.
    • MonkeyFarts, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1I don't see how it's misleading. We're not comparing operating systems here. We're comparing vendors. You know, HP, Dell, Apple, Gateway... You know, Apple's actual competitors.
  • immski, on 07/22/2008, -10/+5Apple doesn't make PCs. They make greater and more superior machines. Also, if you say that Mac's are not compatible with much, then you are about 7-10 years behind the times.
    • gradivus, on 07/22/2008, -3/+3By what standards? Price, they are not #1, quality of parts they are not #1, and they dont play games(still a huge market).
    • seraph582, on 07/22/2008, -5/+1Uh huh - sure thing, pal. Get back in line at the Apple store and purchase another three thousand dollar, shiny PC frim the "Genius Bar" (LOLOLOL) since the one you just bought sucks. Steve Jobs feeds on the weak - such as yourself.
    • jabberwolf, on 07/22/2008, -4/+4"They make greater and more superior machines."
      Ever open one up? Same components almost exactly. Apple makes the CASE!

      "Also, if you say that Mac's are not compatible with much, then you are about 7-10 years behind the times."
      No, we live in the real world not in mom's basement!
  • Saprazzan, on 07/22/2008, -4/+2buried for duplicate
    • Kratos76, on 07/22/2008, -2/+2burried for Apple sucks donkey balls!
  • Kratos76, on 07/22/2008, -7/+9Ahhhhhh SICK OF APPLE!!!!!!!
    • timusca, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2Then go into your prefs and block the category. Why do so many people need to be told this?
  • Kratos76, on 07/22/2008, -5/+8When was the last time you saw an Acer... really, in real life.
    • Lythium, on 07/22/2008, -1/+2We have a bunch of them at the office (including both of the ones on my desk). As far as I can tell, they're neither better nor worse than the other types of PCs we have around. It's the OS that makes the difference, not the hardware (provided the specs are equivalent, of course).
    • nebkiwi, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1five minutes ago, I have a mac, but we have 3 acers in the house, they are actually priced pretty well but they run vista, so that makes them lame.
    • FireXtol, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2Acer is an OEM provider for Mac laptops.
  • ruddy, on 07/22/2008, -4/+4nothing is better for a weak economy than an over priced computer.
  • swimtwobirds, on 07/22/2008, -1/+4fwiw, Apple, at this time, are putting together (more or less) a better computer, os, mp3 player and phone.
    they're a bit tiger woods at the minute & as mortal as the rest no doubt, but they're doing extraordinarily well on
    an astonishingly broad range of fronts. im a fanboy for sure, no doubt; but never a better time to watch them bat away.

  • iChopPryde, on 07/22/2008, -1/+5Gateway/eMachines worst laptops EVER! Horrible customer service and horrible cheap parts!
    • damnyooneek, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1i had an emachines laptop and it would overheat and shut off all the time. hated that thing.
  • everfresh59, on 07/22/2008, -7/+2I bought a Macbook Pro simply because I wanted the the best Vista laptop on the market.... lmao
    • shinyplastic, on 07/22/2008, -0/+0LOL, you paid 30-40% more for hardware, to run unreliable software! You're genius!
  • kreatre2007, on 07/22/2008, -3/+3This is awesome. Of course Apple is still a long way from reaching HP and Dell. I hope they keep going up.
  • blacklilyninja, on 07/22/2008, -4/+8I use apple computers. Always have.... I helped make them successful by continuing to buy them when i needed an upgrade.

    however... i don't buy the other *****.
    *iPhones are nice but the cell phone industry is just a big collection agency.If you can't buy something cash and choose a service provider in a competing market for that service then you are helping create monopolies which are unhealthy and not innovative.
    *iPods... as a musician they are the best thing to store media in a playable format. Exclusivity with iTunes creates another "service" limitation issue. I have one though as it was a gift from a friend. A black nano which rarely gets used anymore.
    * airport base station b/g ... not a purchase. was also a gift
    ** everything else apple. unnecessary crap

    apple will at some point close off the computer and OS from the internet without exclusive connection services like the phone so at that point i will have to move to linux.

    Dear steve ... this is my letter of resignation as a loyal apple customer unless you change your policies toward less exclusive services. Thank you for taking my choices away and creating a world portrayed in the 1984 super bowl commercial. I mean b4 the jogger runs in with the hammer.

    or at least revise the ad to show the hammer girl put on a suit and sit down with the rest of the robots.


    • damnyooneek, on 07/22/2008, -0/+2don't buy an iphone because the cell phone industry is a big collection agency? should i not use a cell phone and stick to two cans on a string? you idealistic nuts need to get a look at reality. If it bothers you so much do something about it and innovate. Until then the big companies that you hate will continue to produce the products that you use.
      • FireXtol, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1Cell phones have ruined the enjoyment of a telephone call for me. Especially cell phone to cell phone... I don't think there's worse quality communication. Except on social networks.
  • l4stgunslinger, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1About time.


    I was surprised that it wasnt already "up there". This is what happens when you make the computer AND the OS.
  • beanzo, on 07/22/2008, -5/+5+1 for overpriced *****.
  • RawOysters, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1Is this another "survey" that counts only store sales and disregards online sales?
  • desired, on 07/22/2008, -1/+3Apple still only has 3.5% of market share worldwide: http://a.gd/1d488a
  • sevink, on 07/22/2008, -2/+1The biggest problem with this article is the fact Macs have their own OS. IMO they should be the LARGEST vendor because you can only get their OS on their system. To me that should make them sell the most PCs. The fact they aren't number 1 shows a lack of concern, yes they have massive growth. But you need to look at the other side, a lot of people buy Macs for their OS. Not because its so much a Mac, if they spread their OS to other companies, I don't think Apple would be top 3. Maybe 5 overall because they make good looking products, but I dunno people need to look at all the angles instead of just seeing Apple as number 3. They should be number 1, but whatever.
    • FireXtol, on 07/22/2008, -1/+1Moron.
    • sevink, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1And how is that big guy? You give me nothing to back up your claim. I personally like Apple, and I think they should be the largest vendor. If they control the OS and the PC it would make sense if their OS was bigger they would be the number 1 vendor. How is this logic flawed? People are so protective of Apple its weird.
  • scoottie, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1this was posted and made the front page like 2 days ago
  • Michypoo, on 07/22/2008, -0/+1......I have an Acer laptop......

    *room goes black and she falls to her knees as a spotlight is cast upon her loneliness of being the only one to own an Acer system*
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