"Lloyd E Parsons" wrote in message
...
On 10/14/11 3:58 PM, Scout wrote:


"Lloyd E Parsons" wrote in message
...
On 10/14/11 3:00 PM, John Smith wrote:
On 10/14/2011 1:36 AM, RHF wrote:
On Oct 13, 7:00 pm, John wrote:
On 10/13/2011 5:34 PM, Howard Brazee wrote:

On Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:09:37 -0700 (PDT), David Barts
wrote:

Though that's largely irrelevant to my point. Again, if the price
premium for a Mac isn't worth it to you (and it sounds like it's
not),
then just don't buy Macs (and it sounds like you're already not
buying
them). No problem; my feelings are not hurt in the least by someone
making a different choice than I would have.

How can that be? Don't you know that anybody who buys an Apple
product is an irrational Fanboy? If we weren't fooled, we would all
make the same choices, right?

Like I say, outside of academia, I just don't see that many MACs
... my
niece has MACs, but she works for them ... her kids have PCs ... as
far
as I know, those are the only MACs in my whole family and group of
friends ... but I am sure there must be some around, in number,
somewhere ... when I have worked for attorneys, I have seen some
used,
but then, mainly by attorneys who didn't know how to use a computer
...
and yeah, I think they just carried them as a status symbol! Or, to
play solitare, card games, match three games, tetris, etc. on the
airplanes ... lol

Regards,
JS

Ah Yes an Apple/MAC Computer {Case/Luggage}
-says- "I Am An Apple/MAC Person !" [Status Symbol]
http://www.globaltang.com/images/l/A...ories/M108.jpg


-and-alas- you are merely a little nothing 'pc'
http://rlv.zcache.com/hi_im_a_mac_ba...5z7tpy_152.jpg
.

... as I just pointed out, that figure, most likely, don't not
represent
all the PC's which are built-up from components ... like most gaming
computers are ... the apple share of market is obviously a lot smaller
than that being quoted ...

Anyone needing state-of-art/specialized-use obviously has a custom
built
PC ...

Regards,
JS

Some gaming computers are hobbyist built, many are bought off the
shelf or from companies that specialize in that market.

True, but unless they are a major player, then the PCs they build up
from components probably are never counted. Certainly I know several
people that build computer systems on the side, and I'm quite certain
they have never reported their sales volume to any researchers or poll
takers. I suppose if one were to count motherboard sales and/or CPU
sales one might be able to get a better calculation, but I don't see any
indication that is a consideration since they only seem to count system
sales and then only from the major players.

These days I suspect they aren't counted. But that is because these days
the small builders have almost disappeared, leaving only the 1-2 man shops
with low profits to pick up the dregs of a once thriving market.

More likely, most of it has simply gone to the internet.

Those that recognized this early on continue to thrive....those that
depended only on walk-in sales in the face of cheaper mail order systems
failed.

Other specialized uses for computers are readily available on either
off the shelf or built to order basis by companies that do show their
sales figures.

Only if they are a major player. The small business individual or local
computer store probably never even shows up. However, I bet they
represent a significant portion of total PC sales.

They just aren't these days.

About 15% at least by the numbers I've already posted.

To put that in perspective Mac sales would be only about 3.7% per the same
market.

There was a day when the small shops were a significant part of the
market, those days are long over.

Nope, they have simply gone mail order and as such they may no longer really
have a "store front" in a physical sense.

Your hobbyist references represents a miniscule part of the overall
market that has little significance in the overall market.

Based on what I've seen on people's computer desks. I would say around
50% are component built systems. Just skim through Ebay and see how many
systems are actually brand names, and how many are simply computers that
someone has put together.

You must go to some really poor spots!!

Local area LAN meets, people's homes, and of course quite a bit of computer
repair, upgrade and even sales on the side.

Most places I've been all have brand name boxes there.

Must have been businesses, home computers however tend to be much more of
the off brand (ie component built) or no brand (ie component built)

So, I would have to challenge your assertion that such sales constitute
a "miniscule part of the overall market". Because my experience and
evidence would show they constitute a rather significant portion of the
total market.

My experience was with a small dealership that both built and sold wintel
boxes, and also sold brand names. We sold a lot and our figures were
reported in via some of the wholesalers we dealt with. Our custom built
business declined over many years because the profits are so thin on these
things that building your own isn't profitable if you have to pay for your
labor. It was increasingly obvious that the only way to make as much
profit as we wanted to make, we would have to quit making custom boxes.
And we did just that. Just as almost all of the small shops did. The
only ones left making custom stuff for the most part these days are the
1-2 person shops.

Insignificant in today's market.

ABout 15% if you consider that insignificant I can only wonder how you view
Mac sales of 3.7%....