Thanks to a blockbuster fourth quarter that saw consumers snap up more than 52 million Apple iPhones and iPads, U.S. Web traffic on iOS devices has eclipsed traffic on Mac OS X computers, according to new stats from Chitika.
The mobile ad network found that OS X has seen its Internet market share drop by 25 percent since a high point in September. This month marks the first time that iOS surpassed OS X, with iOS nabbing 8.15 percent of traffic compared to OS X's 7.96 percent, Chitika said.
The trend isn't all that surprising if you look at Apple's fourth quarter numbers. Apple released the long-awaited iPhone 4S in October, which helped Cupertino sell 37.04 million iPhones and 15.43 million iPads during the quarter, compared to 5.2 million Macs.
Why the shift? Chitika suggests that the Apple faithful might be opting for the iPhone and iPad over a MacBook because they offer similar services at a cheaper price point.
"Perhaps Apple's habit of launching cutting edge gadgets year after year is driving consumers to newer products. Combining this aspect with the similar functionality of iOS devices and a lower price point, it may be that consumers are choosing to go mobile, instead of purchasing more expensive Apple computers," Chitika speculated. "Alternatively, the shift towards an on-the-go lifestyle could be driving mobile device purchases by the consumer, and thereby driving the corresponding increasing in mobile web usage."
The number of Apple mobile users could grow in the coming weeks; recent rumors suggest that Cupertino might unveil its next-gen iPad in the first week of March.
While Apple captured 43 percent of the U.S. smartphone market last quarter, it has a ways to go on the PC front. Recent data from Canalys actually named Apple as the world's number-one PC maker, but the firm included tablets in those numbers, which of course significantly boosted its market share.
Excluding tablets like the iPad, Gartner data from January said HP was the number-one PC maker during the fourth quarter with 14.7 million PCs sold. With 5.2 million Macs sold during the same time period, Apple has to top Lenovo, Dell, Acer, and Asus in worldwide sales to attain PC dominance, Gartner said.
In other MacBook news, MacRumors reports that the white MacBook is officially a thing of the past. Last July, Apple confirmed that it would discontinue its iconic white MacBook and make the $999 11-inch Macbook Air its entry-level laptop. The white MacBook stuck around for education customers, however, until now. Resellers have been notified that the laptop is now classified as "End of Life."
For more, see PCMag's full review of the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2, as well as the slideshow below.