Gartner: Apple to claim over 12% of US PC market by 2011

The market research firm made the assumption as part of a report issued Thursday titled "Key Predictions for IT Organisations and Users in 2008 and Beyond." It similarly predicts that Apple will also double its share in Western Europe.

"Apple's gains in computer market share reflect as much on the failures of the rest of the industry as on Apple's success," Gartner said in the report. "Apple is challenging its competitors with software integration that provides ease of use and flexibility; continuous and more frequent innovation in hardware and software; and an ecosystem that focuses on interoperability across multiple devices (such as iPod and iMac cross-selling)."

Some of the other predictions outlined in the firm's report include:

• By 2012, 50 per cent of traveling workers will leave their notebooks at home in favour of other devices.
• By 2012, 80 per cent of all commercial software will include elements of open-source technology.
• By 2012, at least one-third of business application software spending will be as service subscription instead of as product license.
• By 2011, early technology adopters will forgo capital expenditures and instead purchase 40 per cent of their IT infrastructure as a service.
• By 2009, more than one third of IT organizations will have one or more environmental criteria in their top six buying criteria for IT-related goods.
• By 2010, 75 per cent of organisations will use full life cycle energy and CO2 footprint as mandatory PC hardware buying criteria.
• By 2011, suppliers to large global enterprises will need to prove their green credentials via an audited process to retain preferred supplier status.
• By 2010, end-user preferences will decide as much as half of all software, hardware and services acquisitions made by IT.
• Through 2011, the number of 3-D printers in homes and businesses will grow 100-fold over 2006 levels.