We published a story earlier today about Windows PC sales being down, even as Mac sales surged. Ted Samson of Infoworld has an unusual take on the situation, give iOS devices some credit for that surge! 
Samson writes:
There’s also “the halo effect,” which has arguably helped boost Mac sales ever since the iPod caught on. The theory beyond the halo effect says, if customers fall in love with one of a company’s products they are more likely to purchase other products from the company. Following that logic, the iPod has helped boost Mac sales among consumers over the past few years. Combining the halo effect with the trend toward consumerization of IT means that consumers and professionals who are hungrily grabbing up iPhones and iPads are also gravitating toward Macs. Those also tend to be the folks who can more readily afford pricier Mac hardware, another factor boosting Apple PC sales the past holiday season.
He says those factors contributed to U.S. Mac shipments growing from 1.7 million to 2.1 million, year over year. They also help explain why Apple ended the quarter in the No. 3 market share spot. At the end of Q4 2010, Apple was ranked No. 5 behind Toshiba and Acer.
