I'm telling you, price isn't the major reason. It's because people get started in Windows, and don't feel like taking the time to switch. Status quo. inevitably, the time cost is the biggest consideration. Learning a new system takes away from leisure time, and I'd argue that learning a mac from nothing is easier than figuring it out from a windows history.
<strong>I'm telling you, price isn't the major reason. It's because people get started in Windows, and don't feel like taking the time to switch. </strong><hr></blockquote>
But why do they get started in Windows? ...primarily because of price.
Sure there are other factors such as peer pressure and status quo...which was due to again, price.
<strong>I'm telling you, price isn't the major reason. It's because people get started in Windows,</strong><hr></blockquote>
I am telling you it is price, 100%
When a PC user comes into the store to have a look at a mac, they are all ready to switch, moaning about how they hate windows, how they want to get a mac, and how they are ready to buy one today.
As one woman said on Thursday;
"If that $1699 doesn't include a monitor, lets talk about that Compaq, I don't hate Windows that much"
I guess it is people's complacency with Windows, and they think: This is the way computers are supposed to be!
A MAJOR reason is the amount of illegal things they can get on a mac. You know, being illegal does not discriminate against platforms. I can get music, movies, software, and anything else that an window's user needs to get/
Another MAJOR reason is the price. Yet, when a windows user has to upgrade every 1.5 years (???) and a mac user has to change every 4 (??) years (and still can have that old one run fine!) the price adds up. Then, there is tech support, oh man, the prices on that go up! People just do not realize that the price does match what it does and how it just so ooooohhhh very nice nice nice nice.
AnOther MAJOR reason is the "lack of software" : Ohkay, maybe there are a few programs that are no out for MAC OS X , and even fewer for 9, but jeez, seriously, there are no more problem after that.. I have all the software i need to open windows documents.
ANOTHER MAJOR REASON IS THat people don't know that there are other types of computers, seriously. The windows world tries to shield people from Macs..
AND THE FINAL REASON, which goes along with price (again), is that people want the most bang for the buck! That is why people want the big double gigantic burger!! They see the mHz to $ ratio and then they are like :"what? WHAT!? You want me to buy a computer that costs this much, and is how slow?" (note, they don't say "fast" physiological!)
NOTE: thank you to AppleSpell for helping me with this post
and of course: <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
I'm a PC user. My dad, my mom, and my sister are all/were mac users. Now, i remember back when i was in seventh grade, i was bugging my parents ALL the time for my own computer. I showed them all the deals i could get on a mac. And no, the wouldn't budge. Eventually, they said that i could use some of my own money i had saved up to buy my own computer. WEll, there were a few games I just had to have, and they were not sold for the mac yet (this was back in 1996), and so i told my dad i could get a great deal on a power computing mac with an orange micro pc card, He liked the idea, until he looked at some of the PC manufacturers. Since it was my money, (hah this is funny), my dad said that i shouldn't spend it on a more expensive mac and that i should get a PC. Well, with him telling me i should get a PC, along with all of my friends of course (I still remember the arguments i had with my friends at lunch telling them how much better macs were), I bought a PC.
Six years later, I am on my third PC. Well, there are three main reasons i am still on windows and not on Macs.
1) I have invested so much money on the windows platform, it would take a lot to switch to the mac.
2) I am in the engineering department at Virginia Tech, and macs are "not allowed."
3) I just built my computer a year ago, and there is no need to get a new one. Plus, now that i use cad and have my own educational copy, there is no way i can get a mac.
However, I would definitely consider getting a mac (and hopefully will in the near future, gotta get the cash first though) as a second machine. Who knows, Maybe i can make the switch gradually. But you've got to understand, once you're on a pc, you're on a pc. And unless you haven't bought much software for that pc, it costs more than the new imac or powermac to switch over.
<strong> Another MAJOR reason is the price. Yet, when a windows user has to upgrade every 1.5 years (???) and a mac user has to change every 4 (??) years (and still can have that old one run fine!)</strong><hr></blockquote>
the only people who upgrade their computers every year and a half are the really hardcore
There are people here who by new macs more often than that, there are PC users to buy or build new PC's more often than that.
I can only speak for my own customers, but most of the people buying new Macs and PC these days are replacing Pentium II's and G3's.
I haven't seen many people replacing Pentium III's or early Pentium 4's yet.
But both Macs and PC's seem to have a good 3 or 4 years before they are replaced, and I think that period is being extended on the PC while shortening on the Macintosh because of Mac OS X which runs very poorly on anything but more recent G4's
You don't need any excuses for rejecting the Mac, price is an excellent reason to do so on it's own.
Resale value is not dependable and highly impractical for volume buyers. Plus you're still considerably further out of pocket on your initial investment.
When you inevitably keep your old PC, you get two perfectly useable machines; doesn't happen when you sell your old mac. Also, the net costs don't work nearly so closely because the next PC you buy will also be much cheaper than the next mac. You can easily buy two PC's for the price of an equivalent mac if you shop around, with those deals it doesn't matter if the PC depreciates faster than used gum, you still come out even or better on the PC side (given that you have two machines for the price of one)
However, a little model juggling (ask Murbot) will keep you in new macs for little more than the cost of sales taxes if you're vigilant about selling them often, and buying the latest models. Doesn't help if you need a "specific" type of mac.
<strong>I need you help. Whatever you know, think, hear, or feel about why PC users don't buy Apple products, please post your comments on this thread. It could be anything. Duplicate opinions are welcome.
Some of my best friends use PCs, better make that most of my best friends use PCs. As far as they know, ?Windows? is the computer, unless ?Office? is. The very idea to try anything else, and unknown at that, is terrfying for them.
And then there's the price.
Many of said friends don't use big-name PCs (Dell, HP, Compaq), but rather a machine from some local oufit with a name like ?Big Bob's garage, PCs, and tattoos?. And Apple could never be price-competitive wirh these, nor should we expect it to.
Not that my limited personal experience is any reliable indicator as to why most PC buyers don't even consider the Mac.
[ 12-15-2002: Message edited by: Immanuel Goldstein ]</p>
there should be some sort of rent-a-mac program out there. i think people would be more inclined to try out it out if they didnt have to commit to a purchase. i firmly believe that if they ever really used a mac, most of them would drop their fears and misconceptions about it. for example, my uncle was anti-mac for a long time, but then a family member lent him their TiBook 867 with airport for two weeks, and he became a believer! i was floored! he couldnt afford a TiBook (another problem for consumers), so he got himself an older powerbook G3 since he just had to have a mac after he had to give the TiBook back.
there was once a program like that... "Test Drive a Mac"... it horribly failed. it was a disaster; the macs who came back were scratched and abused, the resellers hated the program...etc..
-"Because Macs are crap and go wrong all the time" is the usual excuse. If they've ever heard of a Mac.
Oh, I see, the practically uncrashable UNIX vs the almighty power of DOS, why do macs not have their version of "the blue creen of death" then, if you use a Mac you know perfectly well that's not true. People tell me they've used Macs and they're crap because everything's in the worng place. When I ask them when, they say "A few years ago" or something similar. So firstly their comparing Mac OS 8 to Windows XP. And secondly they don't consider that "the wrong place" might actually be a better place"
-"Because they don't have as many games."
True, but would you rather have 100 different versions of tetris, minesweeper and solitare. Or the newest 3D RPGs with graphics that make the XBox look like the Mastersystem.
As I said, most people don't actually know what a Mac is, Apple just don't do enough advertising here and when they do all it tells you is that the computer is new and translucent, not about quartz extreme or aqua or the core audio system. After the New iMac advert someone at school asked me "Have you seen that new Applemac PC? The screen can move on it's own"; aaaggghhhh! Why?
[quote] Average joe does not know about megahertz, you give him too much credit. Nor does he look at software.<hr></blockquote> True, very true, and most salesmen are no more enlightened about the Mac than the customers. All the customers need to be told is "It's got Windows XP, that's the newest system" and their convinced. They don't realise that like every other Microsoft product it's just a cheap copy of the Apple equivelent.
Even people who just wan't to check their emails and type letters. Why not get a computer that will set up itself and that you can trust not to crash and delete all your files because you gave your document the wrong file extension or moved the mouse too fast or something.
Mind you Windows PCs do have their place in this world, like.. emm.. people who.. no, companies who have to... something... or... no definately not schools.. maybe.. no, not that either.. emm.. oh, I give up.
Actually, no, it isn't crap at all. The key word is "comparably".
What forms the basis of the comparison? If it's speed, then yes, you can get 1000USD x86 boxes that will easily run with a 3000USD powermac. As you add features the price rises, but you can still do a feature for feature mac beater for about 50% less without any difficulty.
Comments
<strong>I'm telling you, price isn't the major reason. It's because people get started in Windows, and don't feel like taking the time to switch. </strong><hr></blockquote>
But why do they get started in Windows? ...primarily because of price.
Sure there are other factors such as peer pressure and status quo...which was due to again, price.
<strong>I'm telling you, price isn't the major reason. It's because people get started in Windows,</strong><hr></blockquote>
I am telling you it is price, 100%
When a PC user comes into the store to have a look at a mac, they are all ready to switch, moaning about how they hate windows, how they want to get a mac, and how they are ready to buy one today.
As one woman said on Thursday;
"If that $1699 doesn't include a monitor, lets talk about that Compaq, I don't hate Windows that much"
A MAJOR reason is the amount of illegal things they can get on a mac. You know, being illegal does not discriminate against platforms. I can get music, movies, software, and anything else that an window's user needs to get/
Another MAJOR reason is the price. Yet, when a windows user has to upgrade every 1.5 years (???) and a mac user has to change every 4 (??) years (and still can have that old one run fine!) the price adds up. Then, there is tech support, oh man, the prices on that go up! People just do not realize that the price does match what it does and how it just so ooooohhhh very nice nice nice nice.
AnOther MAJOR reason is the "lack of software" : Ohkay, maybe there are a few programs that are no out for MAC OS X , and even fewer for 9, but jeez, seriously, there are no more problem after that.. I have all the software i need to open windows documents.
ANOTHER MAJOR REASON IS THat people don't know that there are other types of computers, seriously. The windows world tries to shield people from Macs..
AND THE FINAL REASON, which goes along with price (again), is that people want the most bang for the buck! That is why people want the big double gigantic burger!! They see the mHz to $ ratio and then they are like :"what? WHAT!? You want me to buy a computer that costs this much, and is how slow?" (note, they don't say "fast" physiological!)
NOTE: thank you to AppleSpell for helping me with this post
and of course: <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
Six years later, I am on my third PC. Well, there are three main reasons i am still on windows and not on Macs.
1) I have invested so much money on the windows platform, it would take a lot to switch to the mac.
2) I am in the engineering department at Virginia Tech, and macs are "not allowed."
3) I just built my computer a year ago, and there is no need to get a new one. Plus, now that i use cad and have my own educational copy, there is no way i can get a mac.
However, I would definitely consider getting a mac (and hopefully will in the near future, gotta get the cash first though) as a second machine. Who knows, Maybe i can make the switch gradually. But you've got to understand, once you're on a pc, you're on a pc. And unless you haven't bought much software for that pc, it costs more than the new imac or powermac to switch over.
toy, then if refuted:
software, then if refuted:
herd mentality, then if refuted:
price (about 90% of discussions end here), then if refuted:
MHz, then if refuted:
"Macs suck"
[ 12-14-2002: Message edited by: BuonRotto ]</p>
<strong> Another MAJOR reason is the price. Yet, when a windows user has to upgrade every 1.5 years (???) and a mac user has to change every 4 (??) years (and still can have that old one run fine!)</strong><hr></blockquote>
the only people who upgrade their computers every year and a half are the really hardcore
There are people here who by new macs more often than that, there are PC users to buy or build new PC's more often than that.
I can only speak for my own customers, but most of the people buying new Macs and PC these days are replacing Pentium II's and G3's.
I haven't seen many people replacing Pentium III's or early Pentium 4's yet.
But both Macs and PC's seem to have a good 3 or 4 years before they are replaced, and I think that period is being extended on the PC while shortening on the Macintosh because of Mac OS X which runs very poorly on anything but more recent G4's
$3000 PC after two years --> $500
if you're adamant about certain PC-hardware things, I'll campare to a $2000 PC, which will sell for about 400 is two years.
-2000 + 400 -2000 + 400 . . .
vs
-3000 + 1500 -3000 + 1500 . . .
Net cost of several PC's: 1600 per machine
Net cost of several Macs: 1500 per machine
Trouble is that most people don't think of resale value with computers. These numbers may be a bit off, but from my experience they're about right.
Resale value is not dependable and highly impractical for volume buyers. Plus you're still considerably further out of pocket on your initial investment.
When you inevitably keep your old PC, you get two perfectly useable machines; doesn't happen when you sell your old mac. Also, the net costs don't work nearly so closely because the next PC you buy will also be much cheaper than the next mac. You can easily buy two PC's for the price of an equivalent mac if you shop around, with those deals it doesn't matter if the PC depreciates faster than used gum, you still come out even or better on the PC side (given that you have two machines for the price of one)
However, a little model juggling (ask Murbot) will keep you in new macs for little more than the cost of sales taxes if you're vigilant about selling them often, and buying the latest models. Doesn't help if you need a "specific" type of mac.
<strong>I need you help. Whatever you know, think, hear, or feel about why PC users don't buy Apple products, please post your comments on this thread. It could be anything. Duplicate opinions are welcome.
Thanks in advance.
<img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>
Because if they did then they would be Mac users and the statement would still be true.
Amorya
And then there's the price.
Many of said friends don't use big-name PCs (Dell, HP, Compaq), but rather a machine from some local oufit with a name like ?Big Bob's garage, PCs, and tattoos?. And Apple could never be price-competitive wirh these, nor should we expect it to.
Not that my limited personal experience is any reliable indicator as to why most PC buyers don't even consider the Mac.
[ 12-15-2002: Message edited by: Immanuel Goldstein ]</p>
Oh, I see, the practically uncrashable UNIX vs the almighty power of DOS, why do macs not have their version of "the blue creen of death" then, if you use a Mac you know perfectly well that's not true. People tell me they've used Macs and they're crap because everything's in the worng place. When I ask them when, they say "A few years ago" or something similar. So firstly their comparing Mac OS 8 to Windows XP. And secondly they don't consider that "the wrong place" might actually be a better place"
-"Because they don't have as many games."
True, but would you rather have 100 different versions of tetris, minesweeper and solitare. Or the newest 3D RPGs with graphics that make the XBox look like the Mastersystem.
As I said, most people don't actually know what a Mac is, Apple just don't do enough advertising here and when they do all it tells you is that the computer is new and translucent, not about quartz extreme or aqua or the core audio system. After the New iMac advert someone at school asked me "Have you seen that new Applemac PC? The screen can move on it's own"; aaaggghhhh! Why?
[quote] Average joe does not know about megahertz, you give him too much credit. Nor does he look at software.<hr></blockquote> True, very true, and most salesmen are no more enlightened about the Mac than the customers. All the customers need to be told is "It's got Windows XP, that's the newest system" and their convinced. They don't realise that like every other Microsoft product it's just a cheap copy of the Apple equivelent.
Even people who just wan't to check their emails and type letters. Why not get a computer that will set up itself and that you can trust not to crash and delete all your files because you gave your document the wrong file extension or moved the mouse too fast or something.
Mind you Windows PCs do have their place in this world, like.. emm.. people who.. no, companies who have to... something... or... no definately not schools.. maybe.. no, not that either.. emm.. oh, I give up.
Andrew
[ 12-15-2002: Message edited by: Andrew Xt ]</p>
<strong>price of course. You can probably get 2-3 Pcs for the price of a mac.</strong><hr></blockquote>
This is quite simply...CRAP. A comparably equipped PC is NOT 1/2 to 1/3 the price of a Mac.
What forms the basis of the comparison? If it's speed, then yes, you can get 1000USD x86 boxes that will easily run with a 3000USD powermac. As you add features the price rises, but you can still do a feature for feature mac beater for about 50% less without any difficulty.
<strong>
This is quite simply...CRAP. A comparably equipped PC is NOT 1/2 to 1/3 the price of a Mac.</strong><hr></blockquote>
A lot of times that's true, but sometimes you can get a comparably equipped PC for 1/2 to 1/3 of the price.