Apple targets PC giants with Boot Camp

Stan Beer
Thursday, 06 April 2006 21:50

IT Industry - Strategy

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Apple has done what many thought it would never do and released a software package that turns an Intel Mac into a dual boot Macintosh and Windows machine. Already the pundits are saying that the move is a stroke of genius that will win many Windows users over to Mac. However, the companies that should be concerned are not Microsoft but the PC giants.

The newly released Boot camp package from Apple transforms an Intel Mac into a dual boot Mac OS/X and Windows XP box, which in effect purports to give users the best of both worlds. In fact what it does is pit Apple against the PC giants Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer et al, with a point of difference that they can't legally replicate.

With approximately 1% marketshare, Apple has a long way to go if it wants to match it with the likes of Dell and HP. However, even just doubling its marketshare to 2% would have a huge impact on the company's revenues and bottom line. And with Apple already at the premium end of the market, the added functionality could enable the company to win new users who would like a Mac and a PC in one box, while still maintaining its healthy margins.

When you have something that others don't and can't have, you can charge more. How much the market will bear is another question.