Until Apple CPUs run on Amazon, Azure and Google clouds, it doesn't really matter how much better they are, other than 10% worldwide desktop users, and some tier 1 markets where iOS sales take place.
The proportion of potential users priced out of owning a Mac vs. a PC is much lower than Ferrari vs. Kia
What I mean to say is - customer base for Mac vs. PC overlap alot and aren’t distinct as you seem to be alluding to.
From anecdotal experience one big reason was always:
‘You can get the same specs in a Windows PC for 1/2 the price !!’
Now with M1 - you can’t get comparable specs/performance in a Windows PC.
Also - in the past few months I’ve seen M1 MacBook Airs at very competitive price points. There are actually cases where you get better performance at a lower price point compared to a Windows PC.
I do think the M1 / ARM pivot has been a game changer. Market share in the last 12 months seems to be on the up.
That was never really the argument. Even in the heyday of the PowerMac, you could get one for $2000 and it was competitive with a $2000 PC. But $500 PCs existed and were 75% as fast, whereas $500 PowerMacs did not. And then that's what everybody bought because for most people, the last 25% of the performance isn't worth four times the money.
It's the same reason $50 Android phones have higher sales volumes than $1000 iPhones. For sure the iPhone is faster, but is it $950 faster? For most people the answer is no.
They don't want to be the computer people take for groceries, rather the one that drives slowly in the main avenue making everyone aware of their presence.
I am lucky to live in Europe, in a country where most people probably wouldn't think twice about buying anything Apple.
There are plenty of the countries out there where people aren't as fortunate, most devs would be more than happy to have any kind of computer to actually work on, and that computer won't be an Apple one with a very high degree of probability.
When your path to a better life is coding via a feature phone, whatever M1 is capable of is meaningless.
https://www.hanselminutes.com/615/developing-on-not-for-a-no...
1000$/€ MBA is in the same price category with similarly-performing machines. I mean, I doubt you can work as a developer without being able to run a load of tools at the same time. That phone guy example is an exception.
Even here in Europe, many contractors get a Windows laptop with 8 GB and a 128 HDD (yes HDD) from customer's IT with the respective tooling required for the project.
Cost-of-ownership for Apple products is usually pretty great anyway; often they're the $500 vs $50 boots.
Around 50% of Windows PC are Cooperate Business PC. Those are not Apple's target customer.
But Apple is still gaining ground on the so called 90% market. And ARM M1 Chip already allow them to compete at a much more favourable price point. You see higher discount rate on M1 based Mac, and better Education Discount on M1 MacBook Air, along with SKUs hitting $799.
They have plenty of margin to play with and get an official MacBook down to $799 within the next 3 years.
They may never out sell PC in unit volume, but they still have plenty of room to grow. In an optimistic projection I would not be surprised if Apple double their Mac active user by 2031.