Why Windows 7 is actually good news for Mac sales

Many Mac fans are worried now that Microsoft has a decent OS that might compete with Macs. Personally I think it won’t affect Mac growth much.

Data suggests that Mac sales are unaffected with Windows launches. And logically this is because if you are Mac customer, the availability of a new OS means nothing.

In fact, I think Windows 7 will actually benefit Mac sales!

Apple is already flaunting the drawback of upgrading from XP. Essentially you have to move all your data off the PC, format and reinstall Windows 7. Then you have to move your data back in and start learning a new OS. So why not do that and switch to a Mac? Remember that XP is still the most used platform, and if Apple taps into that user base, they land a cash mine.

We all know how Windows Vista was a flop, and because of it, many people decided to switch to Macs. But in a way, it had a negative effect on Mac sales. It inflated the Apple Tax that people perceived when comparing the two machines.

You see, Windows Vista was notoriously bad with resources. So a PC with 2GB of RAM was slow, and 4GB was very normal.

But the average Mac shipped with 2GB of RAM, some even shipped with 1GB for some time. So when you do the math, you think 4GB is better than 2GB, simple.

What people didn’t realize is that you needed 4GB because the OS was so bad with that resource, unlike Mac OS X and Windows 7.

Now PC makers don’t have to throw in so much RAM. And a machine with 2GB of RAM doesn’t look so bad anymore. And though there won’t be any drop in the specifications a PC is delivered with, but people will understand the difference between a frugal and a wasteful OS, and how that impacts performance, and that there is more to a computer than just the specs.

Popularity: 2% [?]