Last May, Microsoft announced a new back to school promotion. Working with several PC companies such as Dell and HP Microsoft promised customers that if they spend $699 or more on a new PC they would get an Xbox 360 game console for free until the end of the promotion in early September. However a new story on AppleInsider claims that Microsoft's back to school sale is being beaten by one launched by Apple.
The story quotes Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry as saying that sales of Apple PCs to college students amount to 80 percent compared to sales of Windows PCs. Apple's back to school promotion, at least on the surface, doesn't appear to be as good as Microsoft. It is offering a $100 iTunes store credit if customers purchase a Mac based PC. By contrast the version of the Xbox 360 that Microsoft is giving away with the purchase of a $699 or more PC is worth $199.99. It has a 4 GB hard drive installed.
Even Enterprise customers seem to be purchasing Mac PCs over Windows. Chowdhry claims "probably about 35 (percent) of Fortune 500 companies are giving Apple as a Choice to its employees, and majority are preferring Apple over Windows.” He adds that " ... the success of iPad is putting pressure on Enterprise IT to not only support iPad, but also Apple iPhones and Apple iMacs and MacBooks." Finally he states that iOS app development seems to be catching hold for developers over that for Windows, Android and RIMM.
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