In most people’s minds, Microsoft is the undisputed #1 in computing, although facing serious threats from Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android in smartphones and tablets.
However, a new report from Goldman Sachs and IDC goes ahead and ranks Microsoft third in “computing devices”, after Google and Apple.
Computing devices – as Goldman Sachs/IDC put it – includes not only PCs and notebooks, but also smartphones and tablets. Not only that, but Goldman Sachs/IDC have projected numbers right up to 2016 and see the gap between Microsoft and the top top 2 growing, not shrinking.
How many devices are we talking about in this comparison? Consider that 139 million Internet connected devices (primarily PCs) shipped in 2000, but guess how many shipped in 2012?
To read more about the breakdown of these devices, for the rest of the story and what it means for Microsoft, click here.
All Comments
Well, for me it is hard to compare iPhone and Blue Gene as 1 to 1.
You mean in term of sales or in terms of installed base ?
Because, it is possible that there are more or there will be soon more ios or Android devices sold per quarter than Windows PC, but i very doubt there will be as many ios or Android devices used than Windows PC used anytime soon or at all.
What the blogosphere seems to forget or choose to ignore is that there are certainly over 2 billions Windows PC used in the world, that Windows PC has a much longer lifespan than devices and that devices get replaced much more frequently than WIndows PC.
So sure ios or Android devices sales seem to be more appealing or more profitable as a business than Windows PC sales, but it doesn’t mean that there are more of these devices in use than Windows P.C.
Btw, it is still possible to boost the PC market by designing and releasing a new generation of P.C which strongly improve the life os users by bringing revolutionary features and form factor. Unfortunately it seems that both Microsoft and most OEM, have dropped the ball and prefer to go compete with limited devices such as the iPad. As if it is neccessary to use a bazooka(Windows P.C) to kill a fly (the kind of dumb down task one usely do with iPad like devices).
It is pathetic.
You mean in term of sales or in terms of installed base ?
Because, it is possible that there are more or there will be soon more ios or Android devices sold per quarter than Windows PC, but i very doubt there will be as many ios or Android devices used than Windows PC used anytime soon or at all.
What the blogosphere seems to forget or choose to ignore is that there are certainly over 2 billions Windows PC used in the world, that Windows PC has a much longer lifespan than devices and that devices get replaced much more frequently than WIndows PC.
So sure ios or Android devices sales seem to be more appealing or more profitable as a business than Windows PC sales, but it doesn’t mean that there are more of these devices in use than Windows P.C.
Btw, it is still possible to boost the PC market by designing and releasing a new generation of P.C which strongly improve the life os users by bringing revolutionary features and form factor. Unfortunately it seems that both Microsoft and most OEM, have dropped the ball and prefer to go compete with limited devices such as the iPad. As if it is neccessary to use a bazooka(Windows P.C) to kill a fly (the kind of dumb down task one usely do with iPad like devices).
It is pathetic.