Horace Dediu’s chart

An excellent chart has from analyst Horace Dediu of Asymco  shows the ratio of PCs sold to Macs sold each year since the early 1980s (via Philip Elmer-Dewitt, who notes that the peak year for Microsoft dominance was 2004).

As you can see, the chart tells the story of Apple’s temporary demise and Microsoft’s ascendance, followed by Apple’s resurgence over the last 8 years.

The ratio has now fallen back to levels not seen since the 1990s.

It’s also important to note that this chart only shows PCs vs. Macs–full-fledged computers that Apple actually doesn’t sell that many of. (Mac sales are growing nicely, in stark contrast to the PC market, but they aren’t blowing any doors off).

If the chart included sales of iPhones and iPads, the ratio of PCs sold to Apple products sold would look quite different. And given that the distinction between “a PC” and a tablet or smartphone is becoming ever more blurred, the latter chart would actually be more meaningful.

Via Business Insider