Horace Dediu, of the excellent Asymco blog, presents some interesting Mac vs PC stats in Building and dismantling the Windows advantage.

Take a look, then come back, I’ll wait.

In 1984, Windows was outselling Mac at 6 to 1. In 2004, it was an incredible 56 to 1. Microsoft was killing it. Microsoft had won.

But then Apple turned around. By 2010, the number had dropped to 20 to 1, still strongly in Microsoft’s favor, unless you add iPhone and iPad into the mix. Then, it drops to below 2 to 1.

Considering the near future, it’s safe to expect a “parity” of iOS+OS X vs. Windows within one or two years. The install base may remain larger for some time longer but the sales rate of alternatives will swamp it in due course.

My take: It’s a very, very good time to be an indie iOS and Mac dev. Especially one with experience and has capacity to take on a few more consulting or development engagements. Email me at hiltmon@noverse.com.