Mac vs PC comparison. A PC generally refers to a computer that runs on the Windows operating system. It is also defined as an IBM-compatible computer, thereby meaning that its architecture is based on the IBM microprocessor. Upgrade the RAM and storage of nearly any Apple computer at MacSales.com. We also provide refurbished Macs, external storage, docks, accessories, and more!

There's no questioning the dominance of Microsoft Windows among the world's computers. Recent statistics show Windows is the OS on more than 78% of all personal computers sold, while Apple's Macs have to settle for 3.7%. However, Microsoft's perch isn't as high as it used to be.

Pc Vs Mac Sales Percentage

According to data from Asymco, the ratio of PCs sold to Macs sold has been declining for most of the past decade, and it's now at a level that hasn't been seen since the mid '90s (summarized in this chart). The gap was at its widest in 2004, when there were more than 50x as many Windows machines sold than Macs, but in 2011 the ratio was down to about 20x.

That's obviously still a huge difference, but it not nearly as large as it used to be. Apple has been selling more Macs year over year for several years, and while the PC market has been growing, too, Mac sales are growing faster. A year ago, PCs accounted for 90% of the computers sold in the world.

However, the 78% figure statistic includes tablets, which have begun to 'cannibalize' both PC and Mac sales. The iPad now accounts for 11% of the PC market, as Asymco defines it, with Samsung, Amazon and other Android vendors constituting about 7%.

Mac Sales Vs Pc Games Download

Totaling both Mac and iPad sales, Apple remains the top single computer vendor in the world, with 14.6% of the market, followed by Hewlett-Packard at 14.1%.

When Windows 8 debuts this fall alongside Windows tablets like Microsoft Surface, that picture could change drastically, however. Microsoft is uniting its entire software platform around Windows 8, with PCs, tablets and phones all running the same core software. It also plans to sell Windows 8 to current Windows customers at cut rates.

Apple isn't standing still either, however. It's latest iPad and newest MacBook Pro have strongly pushed their ultra-high-resolution screens — the so-called 'retina' displays — and if iPad sales are any indication, consumers are eating it up.

What do you think of Apple's position as a computer vendor? Will its growth continue in the wake of Windows 8? Have your say in the comments.

Thumbnail image courtesy of iStockphoto, t-lorien