The “post-PC” world that Steve Jobs imagined is closer than many expect. All it needs is for the major mobile platform makers to subtly shift their offerings to meet the needs to more sophisticated productivity scenarios. If they do, the PC market will contract even further.
Today, this market is dominated by traditional Windows PCs, of course. And yes, Google’s Chrome OS and Apple’s macOS vie with Windows, though neither has been able to loosen Microsoft’s death-grip on the market:
Macs still account for well under 10 percent of all traditional PCs worldwide. And Chromebook? It’s part of the “other” category, with about 0 percent market share, though I’ve been told by PC makers that the system is very popular in U.S. education.
What both Google and Apple have, however, are secret weapons that Microsoft lacks: Incredibly popular mobile platforms. And as these platforms mature, they are becoming increasingly viable PC replacements. And it won’t take much to put them over the top.
Microsoft, of course, has tried, but failed, to match the mobile efforts of its competitors. But with Windows RT and Windows phone utterly failing in their respective markets, Microsoft has an exposed flank. And while it’s fair to say that Windows 10 has done a credible job of reestablishing Microsoft’s presence in the PC market, it hasn’t (yet) helped with mobile.
