Microsoft has fired another shot in their war with Apple. Besides the attack ads that they’re running, they got Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates to document the “Apple Tax” (Warning: PDF). The report does a price comparison between Apple and PC products and the relative difference between the two. The report argues that Apple users pay a huge premium for their computers.
Too bad the numbers are fudged.
CNet’s Ina Fried took a closer look and found the numbers are padded in favor of the PC:
Microsoft first started touting this idea of an Apple Tax in an interview last October. I’d argue, as I have, that the tax exists, but it is one that the average buyer knowingly pays for what they perceive as the differences between the PC and Mac experiences. In any case, the economic differences, while large, aren’t as big as Kay and Microsoft make them out to be in this study.
I think this shows the desperation level that exists in Microsoft at the moment. They are clearly afraid of Apple despite the fact Apple computers have a sub 10% market share.
Perhaps the reign of Microsoft is coming to an end and Microsoft senses this?
UPDATE: Ina Fried posted an update to this story. Microsoft has made changes (which shows who’s really behind this), but…:
However, the main points I (and others) made last week regarding Microsoft’s bad math haven’t changed. Kay’s report (and Microsoft’s accompanying tax return) still put charges in the Mac column that they fail to account for on the PC side when it comes to both software and services.
Sounds like Microsoft is still fudging the numbers to me.
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This entry was posted on April 10, 2009 at 10:47 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Apple, Microsoft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Microsoft Says An Independent Study Proves Macs Are Expensive…. Too Bad They Fudged The Numbers [UPDATED]
Microsoft has fired another shot in their war with Apple. Besides the attack ads that they’re running, they got Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates to document the “Apple Tax” (Warning: PDF). The report does a price comparison between Apple and PC products and the relative difference between the two. The report argues that Apple users pay a huge premium for their computers.
Too bad the numbers are fudged.
CNet’s Ina Fried took a closer look and found the numbers are padded in favor of the PC:
Microsoft first started touting this idea of an Apple Tax in an interview last October. I’d argue, as I have, that the tax exists, but it is one that the average buyer knowingly pays for what they perceive as the differences between the PC and Mac experiences. In any case, the economic differences, while large, aren’t as big as Kay and Microsoft make them out to be in this study.
I think this shows the desperation level that exists in Microsoft at the moment. They are clearly afraid of Apple despite the fact Apple computers have a sub 10% market share.
Perhaps the reign of Microsoft is coming to an end and Microsoft senses this?
UPDATE: Ina Fried posted an update to this story. Microsoft has made changes (which shows who’s really behind this), but…:
However, the main points I (and others) made last week regarding Microsoft’s bad math haven’t changed. Kay’s report (and Microsoft’s accompanying tax return) still put charges in the Mac column that they fail to account for on the PC side when it comes to both software and services.
Sounds like Microsoft is still fudging the numbers to me.
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This entry was posted on April 10, 2009 at 10:47 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Apple, Microsoft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.