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Comment by sjwright | Hacker News Reader

Agreed, but that's another statistic for another day. This isn't a story about market segments, but rather Apple platforms/strategy versus Microsoft platforms/strategy.

Where I think the analysis falls down is that Microsoft should be awarded XBox system sales on its side of the ledger -- surely they're at least as much of a computer as an iPod Touch?

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They're not. I think it's more difficult to make the argument that an XBOX is used for general computing purposes (and would therefore warrant a great level of activity, activity which overlaps significantly with what you would do on a laptop/desktop) than you would for an iDevice.

Though even amongst iDevices you can make distinctions. It's pretty blurry which is why I think the OP seems to be right (though not at that extreme), but I don't think including the XBOX would be a good enough offset.

As far as I'm concerned, you can either compare market segments (computers OR phones) or you can compare product strategies.

Apple's strategy is focusing on small form factor consumer products. Microsoft's (successful) strategies are focusing on workplace and living room. Both companies appear to have successful respective strategies, though the big story is how Apple's new products have stolen share from a huge number of competitors:

  - Sony Walkman, et al
  - Nokia, et al
  - Nintendo
  - Windows computers

And probably others.

Apple is also selling into the living room. The Apple TV sells 6-7 million of them a year.

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