Mac Surveys: User Opinions On Macs, Browsers, iTunes.

Over the past few months we’ve conducted a number of Mac reader polls. Results will surprise you and interest you. One of the surprises is how long Mac users have been Mac users. Another surprise is the percentage of iTunes Music Store and iPod users who illegally download music.

What’s a Mac user’s favorite web browser? How about email? Whatever happened to Mac OS 9? What’s your next Mac computer?

You’ve got questions? I’ve got answers.

My most recent reader poll simply asked the question, “How long have you been a Mac user?” What surprised me was the number of Mac users who can trace their first Mac back to the 80s. Even the mid 80s. Are we Mac users that old?

For example, of the 21 years listed in the poll (1984 through 2004), the single largest response year was 1984, the year the Mac was introduced. 16-percent of our readers said they first got their Mac in 1984.

The second highest percentage was in 1986 at 7-percent, then both 1987 and 1985 with 6-percent each.  The graph of results is telling. There’s a growing number of first-time Mac users from 2001, when Mac OS X was released. The bad years were from 1992 through 2000.

The majority of readers said their first Mac came in 1984 through the first 10 years of Mac life; to 1994. After that, down hill until just the past few years.

To check out the poll results for yourself, Click Here.

Another reader poll asked, “Which Mac Operating System Do You Use The Most?” Again, I’m surprised by the results. While Mac OS in various flavors still running goes back to Mac OS 7.x (Classic Mac OS 9 runs inside Mac OS X) a whopping 85-percent use Mac OS X more than anything else.

Windows wasn’t a choice in the poll, though. That could have skewed results as many Mac users also use a Windows PC at work or school. Still, Nearly 1,300 responses indicate a clear preference for Mac OS X Panther.

To view the results of the poll, Click Here.

Which Mac will be your next Mac? PowerBooks and iBooks are hot and represent over half of all Macs sold. Constrained supplies of the IBM G5 chip have slowed sales of PowerMacs and the new iMac G5. So, what do readers want?

More laptops?

Not according to the nearly 400 respondees to the question, “What will be your next Apple Computer?” 39-percent said the new iMac G5, with most of those choosing the 20” model. Barely one third responded for PowerBooks or iBooks.

The need for power remains, though, as Mac users said they planned to buy a larger percentage of PowerMacs than Apple usually sells. To see the full poll results, Click Here.

Finally, October has been the month for reader comments. A few readers took issue with Jack’s parody (of the CherryOS) interview of the developer of the Operating System that also runs Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Is there such a beast?

Probably not. Still, a couple thousand readers wanted to know for sure and many wrote us about it. Click Here to read all about the exciting new 3PickleXOS which runs all three of the world’s major operating systems.

What’s your favorite Mac browser? Checking the logs to our web site, it’s Safari hands down with over 60-percent of all pages being viewed. Microsoft Internet Explorer (may it rest in peace) is a strong second. Rapidly increasing numbers for Firefox, Camino and OmniWeb.

In fact, OmniWeb generated the most comments and feedback. So much that Alex Kayhill calls it the “best Mac browser.” Click Here for Alex’ demented reasoning. While I like OmniWeb, I’m stuck on Camino. For now.

Mac users’ browser and email applications are the most personal (possibly iTunes, but customizing ability is nominal and limited to playlists). Many readers took issue with our review of The Best Mac Email Program on the Planet. That honor went to Microsoft’s Entourage, though most readers use Apple’s Mail application.

Finally, what about iTunes?

We polled Mac readers and asked two questions. “How many songs on your iPod,” and, “Are they legal or illegal songs?”

Guess what? Readers love putting music on their iPods, with over 75-percent with 1,000 or more songs. Legal or not legal?

68-percent responded and said their iPod music is Mostly Legal or All Legal. Compare that to just 18-percent who said their iPod music was Mostly Illegal or All Illegal. Click Here for the details.

As always, we appreciate your responses, comments, feedback. And, yes, I did purchase a license to OmniWeb, though I still use Camino mostly, then Safari. With browsers, there’s three basic needs for me. #1 is speed. Render those pages fast, man. #2 is stability. I don’t like crashes anymore (spoiled by Mac OS X). #3 is features.

If this new version of OmniWeb gains stability, it’ll rock.