Why do software companies support the Mac? Don’t get me wrong, I love that there are so many options available for OS X. However, OS X users are a small percentage of the overall market (according to Wikipedia, Mac users are a mere 6% of the market). How do you find out why software makers support the Mac? Just ask them.
I asked Adobe (just before they released CS3) why it supports Mac OS X. I received a response from Russell Brady, PR Director of Adobe. According to Mr. Brady, Adobe’s sales in its last financial year (2006) “were 77% Windows and 23% Mac. In some markets, such as the creative professional space, the Macintosh percentage is even higher. The Macintosh market is huge for Adobe and, by most estimates, we’re the largest supplier of Mac software on the planet.”
I was rather surprised by Adobe’s quick response, so I came up with other questions. I asked if Adobe thought Adobe software ran better on Mac OS X. I also asked if it had considered the scenario that if Adobe ceased Mac support, Adobe could be responsible for many Mac users abandoning the platform in favor of Windows.
Mr. Brady responded, “I guess I’m shocked at the question. There is no way Adobe is not going to support Mac OS X with its flagship applications. We develop on Mac OS X because that’s what our customers want. We work closely with Apple to make sure our software runs great on their platform – and Apple have been extremely helpful in our transition to deliver software for their new Intel-based hardware.”
There you have it. The official story on why Adobe continues to support the Mac even though Mac users are a small part of the overall market. To Adobe, Mac users are a significant part of its revenue. Adobe also appears to take pride in the fact that it is the largest supplier of Mac software.
I have asked other software makers about their reasons for supporting Mac OS X and will hopefully have more to report soon.
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