Comments on: Repeat after me: browsing share is not market share

By: Wikinerd

Wikinerd — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:57:14 +0000

… though I remember reading somewhere that Net Applications use “unique users” instead of mere usage…

By: Ian Betteridge

Ian Betteridge — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:54:09 +0000

Also, of course – it’s a quiet week for news, at least until tomorrow…

By: Wes

Wes — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:37:40 +0000

I think this is one of those cases where you can justify claiming media bias. It involves the beloved underdog (Apple) posting a victory over the evil overlord (Microsoft). NetApplcations knows how to play the game (which is why they’re as clear as mud when explaining what they actually measure). I think reporters know enough that usage share is a less “stable” metric, and if NetApps were more explicit in saying they measured that, you’d see far fewer articles starting with “NetApplications reports…”

By: Simon Aughton

Simon Aughton — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:39:10 +0000

I’m glad I’m not the only one to despair at the use of “market share” in this context. As you say, it’s plain dumb.