Originally Posted by ScottC
And for the other side of the story:
http://www.mac-sucks.com/
No matter how cool they make these machines, they are still stuck at just single digit market share percentages. The only real success for them is the ipod.
Looks like they haven't updated their site since about 2003. Most of the content is from 2002 and prior.
40% of computer buyers in the Apple retail stores are Windows users buying their first Macs.
A recent, independent study found that, when college students were asked what computer would they purchase next, 45% said they would be buying an Apple laptop.
Recent reports show that Apple's overall market share has climbed back up to around 5%. I think IBM's is around 7%. Apple is ranked like 6th behind Gateway right now. The two datapoints above support the notion that Apple is gaining marketshare and can expect to move up to be among the Top 5 soon.
With the introduction of the Mac Mini, analysts expect Apple will begin capturing a segment of the market that was previously not accessible. Analysts expect the stock to hit 100 as a result of market share gains.
While the iPod success is phenomenal, it's becoming clear that it is drawing new Mac sales (as expected). Also, iPod revenue is still a fraction of overall revenue. The CPU segment is still by far the most significant component of Apple's business. Incidentally, Apple sold 45% more machines this quarter than it did last.
Apple's cash reserves grew to $6 billion this quarter, thanks to the huge profits over the last several quarters. The stock price has gone through the roof. It has more than tripled since this time last year.
Anyway, point is, right now Apple has an excellent opportunity to seize a significant chunk of market share. It has already gained 2% in about a year.
I'm going to NYC next weekend to go try out Le Bernardin, thanks to some options cashed out.

Let's hope the trend continues. I want to get a new couch.