The iPod was a success - the iPhone was a success - the iPod Touch is a success. The effect? The word is spreading and the Mac is more popular than ever: research indicates that the company may move to become third strongest computer company in the US when it releases its latest quarterly report.

Currently, Apple may be moving at a faster pace than Microsoft which took nearly seven years to launch the Vista after Windows XP. Apple, on the other hand, is releasing a new operating system almost every year. Their latest, the Leopard version of the OS X, will actually be released this Friday.

Steve Jobs, on comparing the Vista and Leopard, commented that Apple's gives more value for money than Microsoft's Ultimate Edition (Vista's most elite version): "Everybody gets the Ultimate edition and it sells for 129 bucks, [...] the Ultimate edition of Vista [...] sells for 250 bucks."

Apple is particularly popular for its laptops. Two-thirds of a Apple machines sold in the US are laptops. In terms of revenue, Apple already outstripped the competition (because their machines are [generally] more expensive). A lot of their consumers are former Windows users who have crossed over to the other side, partly in thanks to the success of the iPod and iPhone.

The research firm Gartner has forecasted that Apple will rise 37% in the market. And if Leopard continues the tradition and sweeps the market off its feet, what's Apple's plan? Upgrades. Lots of product upgrades for the Leopard that might last for as long as a decade, says Jobs.