While a lot of the credit for Apple’s success is rightfully assigned to the iOS franchises, the OS X business has more than quadrupled in five years, according to “asymco” (http://macte.ch/xKohX), a web site that focuses on “curated market intelligence.”

The article adds that this has happened without drastic price fluctuations. Still, even with this success, as a percent of total value created, the Mac accounts for just 13% of Apple’s profit, notes “asymco.” Including software as part of the OS X franchise implies that OS X is enabling about 20% of Apple’s profits. iOS, on the other hand, is accounting for more than 75%. These two platforms combined amount to 96% of Apple’s profits (up from 50% four years ago).

“Microsoft’s Windows and Windows Live Division obtained sales of $4.445 billion in the last quarter with an operating income of $2.764 billion,” notes “asymco.” “So although Windows earned about twice what the Mac earned[1], iOS and OS X together enable 3.5 times the profits of Windows.”