The post-PC era takes shape: Apple devices outsold Windows in Q4


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The post-PC era takes shape: Apple devices outsold Windows in Q4

 

Recent research from analyst Benedict Evans reveals that in the fourth quarter last year, Apple shipped more ?computers? than all of Microsoft?s Windows partners combined. Evans counted as computers all smart devices sold by Apple including Macs, iPhones, iPod touches and iPads, which surpassed 80 million sold units during the period. Not only did the number surpass combined Windows PC sales for the period, but it almost matched the combined Windows and Windows Phone sales.

 

Evans calls Apple?s achievement ?a symbolic moment? for the mobile business. ?This is pretty good illustration of the scale of mobile,? Evans wrote, ?Apple limits itself only to the high-end of the mobile market, but still sells more units than the whole PC industry.?

 

iphone-ipad-mac-vs-windows-unit-sales-q3

iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac sales compared to Windows and Windows Phone sales | Image credit: Benedict Evans

 

When it comes to profits, Apple had an average hardware selling price of $584 for iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac lines during the period, according to MacRumors research. Comparatively, the average Windows PC sold for $544.30 during Q3 2014.

 

In addition to Apple, only one company has sold more mobile devices during Q4 2013 than Windows PCs, and that?s Samsung. According to Gartner, the giant South Korean company sold over 83 million smartphones during the period. On top of that, Samsung also sold over 12 million tablets in the quarter.

 

Meanwhile, the giant behind Windows and Windows Phone has reported a record fourth quarter, but Microsoft?s performance alone may not be enough to fight iOS and Android in the mobile space, where more and more smartphones and tablets are chosen instead of traditional PCs. As for Windows Phone, while the OS has grown significantly last year, it?s still a distant third, trailing Google and Apple in the mobile business.

 

Tables showing worldwide smartphone sales by company and by operating system follow below, via Gartner.

 

worldwide-smartphone-shipments-by-compan

 

Source: BGR

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When will analysts realise that people who are serious about PCs don't just buy one off the shelf?

 

And what's more, that they aren't buying an entirely new machine every year, or every six months, like some idiots do with tablets and phones?

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I do recall the comment by Bill Gates where he said his goal was to make PC prices low enough that there would be a PC in every household.

 

Apple would NEVER make such a move. The ungodly price for 13 inch mac laptop price is outrageous alone. I can get a Toshiba Qosmio gaming laptop for about the same or a little under the price apple asks for. plus they come with 1 and 2 TB HDD or SDD combos as well.

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When will analysts realise that people who are serious about PCs don't just buy one off the shelf?

 

And what's more, that they aren't buying an entirely new machine every year, or every six months, like some idiots do with tablets and phones?

Nailed it.

not many people buy a new PC every year but there are many people who "upgrade" to new mobile devices every year.

Also nailed it
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try comparing "computers to computers" and "phones to phones" for the real comparisons.

A lot of times these so called comparison figures are glossed up to make company 1 look better, I don't pay attention to them anymore,

exo and wakers have a point, as do you,

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