Not "Getting it"
I've always known that using and loving Macs somehow involved "getting it,"but until the other day, I guess I never really understood just how ignorant PC weenies could be (seemingly by choice). I have one friend (well, a couple really) who insists on pulling out his same old tired anti-mac arguments every time the subject of computers come up. But the ultimate was the other day when my sister (who is starting college in the fall) mentioned the computer she is getting (combo-drive iMac). She's all excited, she mostly uses computers for word processing and solitaire, doesn't care about much else. She loves the way the new iMac looks and is excited because she can get "Solitaire Antics Ultimate" for OS X. So anyway, she was describing the way it looks and my friend said "are you going to just sit and look at your computer, or do you want to actually be able to use it?" Some PC weenies minds have been so corrupted that they think that anything that has aesthetic value, or is enjoyable to use, is worthless as a computer. It's amazing.
I know how Apple can increase market share:
The PowerMac PC:
Large beige enclosure with plenty of out of alignment fans, so it's real noisy
Any OS so long as all the alert box and menu text has been run through an internet translator to german and then back to english and it is rigged so that each time you open an application a random number is generated which determines whether or not the computer will crash. (And it should probably be monochrome, so as not to scare anybody away)
Oh, and a sticker on the outside that says 6.7 million Ghz celium processor inside.
And I suppose it should probably come with a 36.8 button trackball mouse too.
I think that oughta do it, Watch out Microsoft!
I know how Apple can increase market share:
The PowerMac PC:
Large beige enclosure with plenty of out of alignment fans, so it's real noisy
Any OS so long as all the alert box and menu text has been run through an internet translator to german and then back to english and it is rigged so that each time you open an application a random number is generated which determines whether or not the computer will crash. (And it should probably be monochrome, so as not to scare anybody away)
Oh, and a sticker on the outside that says 6.7 million Ghz celium processor inside.
And I suppose it should probably come with a 36.8 button trackball mouse too.
I think that oughta do it, Watch out Microsoft!
Comments
I've run into the same thing...Wintel people who can't seem to get beyond the looks of things (oh, something orange and THAT toy-ish looking can't possibly be a REAL computer, can it?").
Especially maddening are the TONS of people out there who ONLY surf the web, e-mail, write a bit, chat, etc. who somehow think that a Mac "doesn't do that, does it? I mean, they're only for running Photoshop and graphics, right?".
Ugh.
I hope phase two of Apple's new "switch" campaign actually gets a little "under the hood", and SHOWS the Mac doing things (Microsoft stuff, iTunes, surfing, e-mail, the iApps, etc.).
I'd like to see Apple sink money into a 1-2 minute "mega commercial" that just comes out swinging: hardcore FACTS, real people doing real things with real Macs, touting OS X a bit, a cool eye-catching look, etc.
Maybe even a popular Mac-loving celebrity or two?
The "switch" commercials are a step in the right direction, but I hope it doesn't end with these eight plain schmos. Apple's hardware and software is so beautiful (on many levels), that a commercial NOT playing that up and trading on those particular strengths is just unbelievable.
Hell, even bring back Goldblum and let him answer all those common "myths", one by one, that came out in those little booklets at the Apple Stores ("Macs can't run Microsoft Office", etc.).
Something like THAT! Distill it down to 30-60 seconds, but keep that loose, casual "real people" vibe to it, show the hardware and software doing cool stuff, put some nice music and camera work in it, etc.
I always thought that dancing iMac with that funky song (which appeared at the LCD iMac's debut in January) would make an AWESOME opening image/scene for a commerical.
Just goes to show that Mac users are thinkers while many PC users are... well... directing their mindpower elsewhere.
Of course, by saying you hate all blanket generalizations... oh, you were making a joke... He he
well, what i was trying to elude to was that many people lump others into groups, and push traits on the group, traits which some times are only possessed by a few. its called stereotypes. while some people may find that the peecee users they have met/encountered have sub-par inteligence, its ridiculous to claim that all peecee users do. i know some very intelligent people who use peecees (fyi: when i write peecee, i mean `non-mac personal/business computer, usually runnign a microsoft OS`, macs ARE personal computers (PCs)). just about every1 i kno who has a comp runs winblows. i'v had discussions on the merits of an Apple computer versus a (any other computer maker name here) computer. They bring up valid arguments, sometimes. Sometimes they say ridiculous things like, "max suq".
1) You cant connect anything to them
2) They always crash
3) Only a one button mouse
4) The Pentium 4 is the best "platform" for audio
<strong>
well, what i was trying to elude to was that many people lump others into groups, and push traits on the group, traits which some times are only possessed by a few. its called stereotypes. while some people may find that the peecee users they have met/encountered have sub-par inteligence, its ridiculous to claim that all peecee users do. i know some very intelligent people who use peecees (fyi: when i write peecee, i mean `non-mac personal/business computer, usually runnign a microsoft OS`, macs ARE personal computers (PCs)). just about every1 i kno who has a comp runs winblows. i'v had discussions on the merits of an Apple computer versus a (any other computer maker name here) computer. They bring up valid arguments, sometimes. Sometimes they say ridiculous things like, "max suq".</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well said. (nitpick: allude not elude)
Even if every mac user is on the right side of the bell curve, I'd say more than 5% of the population is at least marginally intelligent. It may not often seem like this because the dolts are pretty vocal.
[quote]3) Only a one button mouse<hr></blockquote>This one has to be a coallition between apple & the mouse makers.
[ 06-28-2002: Message edited by: xmoger ]</p>
The fact that good compilers are free for both OS flavours is major.
[ 06-27-2002: Message edited by: AllenChristopher ]</p>
Sure I miss out on the aestheics, integration and general user experience of the mac, but you cant have everything...right?
<strong>I have a peecee friend who thinks that multi-service apps like Fire and Proteus are a waste of time, and it is better to just have 4 apps open at the same time, using more RAM, taking up more HDD space, more screen space, and more dock space.</strong><hr></blockquote>
He's an idiot, isn't he?
The PowerMac PC:
Large beige enclosure with plenty of out of alignment fans, so it's real noisy
Any OS so long as all the alert box and menu text has been run through an internet translator to german and then back to english and it is rigged so that each time you open an application a random number is generated which determines whether or not the computer will crash. (And it should probably be monochrome, so as not to scare anybody away)
Oh, and a sticker on the outside that says 6.7 million Ghz celium processor inside.
And I suppose it should probably come with a 36.8 button trackball mouse too.<hr></blockquote>
I have a better idea. Why don't they make a computer that's cheap, full-featured, and fast? Uh huh...bet you didn't think of that...
I have to say, the most intelligent discussions (ermm...arguments) I've seen Mac vs. PC are in the Ars Technica battlefront. Nobody gets away with the slightest exaggeration there.
1. Too expensive
2. Too slow
3. Uses an underdeveloped operating system
4. Has much less available software than a Windows Machine.
5. Does not work well on many websites (the fault of the web develpers I know, but still a reality to deal with as an end user)
<strong>I get tired of being told we "don''t get it". What don't we get? We don't want to use a Macintosh computer that is:
1. Too expensive
2. Too slow
3. Uses an underdeveloped operating system
4. Has much less available software than a Windows Machine.
5. Does not work well on many websites (the fault of the web develpers I know, but still a reality to deal with as an end user)</strong><hr></blockquote>
1: Up front, yes, but in the long run, no. PC users must purchase extra software to do the same thing that a Mac comes with, doesn't need to do, or is cheaper for Macs. Examples: Virus eradicators, Windows upgrades (for feature parity, WinXP Pro is needed, which costs double to 3 times what Mac OS X costs), multimedia software, etc. Also, PC users must pay more for tech support and repair bills. Studies back up these facts.
2: What figures are you using to say that a Mac is 'slow'? My iBook 500MHz is plenty fast!
3: Would you please define 'Underdeveloped'?
4: Please name one thing that a home user would want to do that you can't do on a Mac.
5: Use Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.2. What doesn't it do that you want it to do?