According to Thurrott.com, Apple’s Mac computers captured approximately 9% of the global PC market in Q3 2025, with 6.8 million units sold compared to Lenovo’s 19.4 million, HP’s 15 million, and Dell’s 10.1 million. For full-year 2024, Apple maintained an 8.9% market share with 22.7 million units, while Lenovo led with 62 million units, followed by HP (53 million) and Dell (39 million). The analysis notes this share has remained surprisingly stable between 7.5% and 8.7% over recent years, despite Apple’s broader popularity, with the figures coming from IDC market research. When including iPad sales, Apple’s position in the computing landscape becomes more complex and potentially more dominant. This persistent market share pattern reveals deeper dynamics in the computer industry.
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Table of Contents
The Premium Position Paradox
Apple’s consistent 9% market share represents what I call the “premium position paradox” – a natural ceiling for luxury brands in mass markets. Unlike the smartphone space where Apple commands nearly 50% of the U.S. market, the PC industry has fundamentally different dynamics. Computer purchases are often driven by enterprise procurement, budget constraints, and compatibility requirements that favor Windows-based systems. The education sector, while heavily invested in Chromebooks and some Apple products, represents another battleground where price sensitivity limits Apple’s penetration. This 9% figure likely represents the natural equilibrium point between Apple’s premium pricing strategy and the global demand for computers across all price segments.
The iPad Factor
When considering Apple’s total computing footprint, the iPad numbers reveal a more nuanced picture. As the source notes, Apple sold between 49.5 million and 71.1 million iPads annually over the past five years – numbers that actually rival or exceed traditional PC manufacturers’ volumes. This creates what I term “computing share fragmentation,” where Apple dominates in tablet computing while maintaining a stable but smaller position in traditional PCs. The evolution of iPadOS with each generation brings these devices closer to laptop functionality, potentially creating a hybrid category that could either cannibalize Mac sales or expand Apple’s overall computing presence. The key question is whether consumers view iPads as computer replacements or complementary devices.
Enterprise Adoption Barriers
The enterprise market represents Apple’s most significant untapped opportunity and biggest challenge. While Apple has made inroads in certain creative and development sectors, the broader corporate world remains heavily invested in Windows ecosystems. Enterprise IT departments face substantial switching costs, compatibility concerns with legacy systems, and training requirements that create inertia favoring incumbent platforms. Microsoft’s deep integration with enterprise software stacks and management tools creates a formidable barrier to Mac adoption at scale. Apple’s recent focus on its silicon transition has primarily benefited creative professionals and individual users rather than addressing the specific needs of large-scale enterprise deployment.
Global Pricing Dynamics
Apple’s premium pricing strategy creates natural geographic limitations that explain the global market share ceiling. In emerging markets where PC growth is strongest, Apple’s price points place Macs well beyond the reach of most consumers and businesses. While the source notes higher market share in developed markets like the U.S. and Western Europe, these regions represent mature, slower-growing segments of the global PC market. The fundamental reality is that the majority of the world’s population cannot afford Apple’s computing products, creating a structural limitation on market share expansion regardless of product quality or brand appeal.
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Future Trajectory and Strategic Implications
Looking forward, Apple’s stable 9% market share likely represents a strategic choice rather than a failure. The company’s extraordinary profitability in the PC space – capturing over 60% of industry profits according to some estimates – suggests they’ve optimized for margin over volume. The Apple Silicon transition has further strengthened this position by creating performance and efficiency advantages that justify premium pricing. The more interesting strategic question involves the iPad’s role – whether Apple will continue to position it as a complementary device or more aggressively push it as a laptop replacement. For now, Apple appears content dominating the premium segment while leaving the volume business to competitors, a strategy that has served their bottom line exceptionally well despite the modest market share numbers.
