When Apple Computer says that they have about an 85% share of the
"creative professional" market, exactly how are they defining
"creative professional" and how many people is this?

Hi! Thanks for the question.

The following people in these fields are considered creative
professionals. The numbers indicate how many they are per industry
according to the latest figures of the US Department of Labor which is
2004 data.

Graphic designers - 228,000
Multi-media artists and animators - 94,000
Art directors - 71,000
Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators - 29,000
Artists and related workers, all other - 8,500
Craft artists - 6,100
Commercial and industrial designers - 49,000
Fashion Designers - 17,000
Floral designers - 98,000
Interior designers - 65,000
Computer software engineers - 800,000
Drafters - 254,000
Desktop publishers - 34,000
Sales managers - 337,000
Marketing managers - 188,000
Advertising and promotions managers - 64,000
Public relations managers - 58,000
Photographers - 129,000
Prepress technicians and workers - 141,000
--------------------------------------------
Total = 2,670,600

Source: U.S. Department of Labor 
Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.bls.gov/home.htm

I hope this would help you in your research. Before rating this
answer, please ask for a clarification if you have a question or if
you would need further information.
                                                          
                              
Regards,                              
Easterangel-ga                              
Google Answers Researcher

Great answer - straight to the data.  Much appreciated.
scott