Mac revolution redux?

Apple Computer will count upon a 'halo effect' this week for strong sales of Leopard, the sixth avatar of its Mac OS X operating system.

Apple has been outperforming the PC industry as a whole by a wide margin recently. Its PC shipments have been more than twice the industry rate for the last five quarters, according to information technology researcher IDC. The company's market share gains are the result of a halo effect: iPod and iPhone users are being converted into Mac users.

Apple's future looks rosy. Its iPods are benefiting from the strong product cycle introduced recently, and iPhone sales will benefit from lower prices and entry into Europe. Yet questions may be asked over the whopping 9GB of hard drive space needed to install the new Leopard operating system. And Doubting Thomases will have their usual worries over Microsoft software compatibility.

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