Comparative Analysis

an all-in-one device that combines the features of an iPod, a PDA, and a cell phone. The phone may have a limited market considering a retail price of approximately $600.




Comparative Analysis



Provided that the Vista software is well received, Microsoft and Dell will likely maintain their existing market share in personal computing and software. An expansion of market share will be unlikely. This is because the majority of new users of Vista will be drawn from existing users of Microsoft Windows.



Apple, on the other hand, continues to find ways to attract new users. In the past month, Apple made available its Safari Web browser on the Windows operating systems. Over one million copies were downloaded in two days (Yared 2007).



A major obstacle Apple has to overcome in attracting new users is convincing Windows users that learning to operate a Mac will not be a complete relearning process. In fact, Microsoft’s Windows Office operates almost identically on a Mac as it does a PC. Now that Apple has offered their Internet browser for use on a PC, Windows users may test the complexity, or lack thereof, of Mac software without actually purchasing a Mac. This is one step towards easing the apprehensions of PC users.



Further mitigation of this fear has been facilitated by the use of iTunes, Apple’s audio software used to purchase MP3’s and sync iPods. Not only does Apple dominate the portable MP3 player market with a 70% market share, but also leads the market in MP3 sales, with more than 2.5 billion songs downloaded (Yared 2007). Most of these downloads have been initiated from Windows users.



The success of Apple’s release of the Leopard operating system can only help strengthen their growth. The release of the new system, in conjunction with the release of the iPhone and new Macbook, are all viable sources of market penetration for Apple.





Conclusion



While Dell and Microsoft are now more focused on maintaining current market share, Apple continues to focus on increasing market share. Investors favor growth companies that show increasing trends in earnings. Therefore, because Apple has created multiple approaches towards increasing earnings, its stock is currently the most attractive among the three.





























































Biliography



Apple Computers Inc. September 30 2006 10-K Annual Report. OneSource. Accessed June 15 2007



Associated Press, Dell to Sell Computers at Sam’s Club, 8 June, 2007, Words count,



Bishop, Todd. 2006. Apple to Unleash a Leopard Attack. SeattlePI.com. 8 August 2006



Brophy, Theresa. DELL INC. The Value Line Investment Survey. 13 April 2007



CNNMoney.com, Dell Seen Expanding Services. 6 June 2007, Words count.



Dell Computers Inc. March 15 2007 10-K Annual Report. Thompson One Banker, accessed June 15, 2007



Microsoft Inc. June 30, 2006 10-K Annual Report. Thompson One Banker, accessed June 15, 2007



Niemond, George A. APPLE INC. The Value Line Investment Survey. 13 April 2007



Niemond, George A. MICROSOFT. The Value Line Investment Survey. 25 April 2007



Yared, Georges. 2007. 3 Reasons to Buy Apple Now. The Motley Fool, 15 June