TRY IT -- You'll Like It!

icfireballicfireball
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
If 10,000 consumers had to use a new Mac for one month, at the end of the month at least 6,000 wouldn't want to switch back, if not more.



I think Apple should do a Mac OS X test drive promotion.



It could be done in two ways:



1) Try Mac OS X on your current PC for 30 days! If after 30 days you love it and want to buy a mac, we will give you $150 dollars of that new Mac.



2) Pick up an Apple Computer at the Apple Store and test drive it for 30 days. If after 30 days you don't love it, send it back to use for your money back.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    This will never happen. Your first option would open a world of problems. "If OSX can run on my PC, why would I spend $2000 on a new Apple. Just sell me the OS Apple, I don't want the computer." And the second would result in a lot of lost revenue for Apple. Only way to combat it would be to slap on a pretty heavy restocking fee. Like those car companies that offer a 3 day return or something like that. Yeah, you can bring it back but you still have to pay like 5 to 10% of the MSRP, plus milage, dealer fees, etc.
  • Reply 2 of 9
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by icfireball


    If 10,000 consumers had to use a new Mac for one month, at the end of the month at least 6,000 wouldn't want to switch back, if not more.



    I think Apple should do a Mac OS X test drive promotion.



    It could be done in two ways:



    1) Try Mac OS X on your current PC for 30 days! If after 30 days you love it and want to buy a mac, we will give you $150 dollars of that new Mac.



    2) Pick up an Apple Computer at the Apple Store and test drive it for 30 days. If after 30 days you don't love it, send it back to use for your money back.



    But since it would be absolutely impossible to get OS X featuring flawlessly on every single PC in the world, people would think "hey, this shit SUCKS, no way!" even though it would run better on Apple hardware.
  • Reply 3 of 9
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Sure, we'll see if people remember this... Apple had a traveling "roadshow" with the Mac when it was first introduced. They had a nice collection of Macs and salespeople ready to take orders traveling around to the malls around the US. I had heard about it, so I rode to the mall on my bicycle and played around with it, drawing picutures using their very primitive paint tools. I was told by my brother afterward that the salespeople were selling Macs right behind my back to people impressed with the "demo" I was putting on. Ahh... those were the days.
  • Reply 4 of 9
    jdradenjdraden Posts: 89member
    Remember this? About a year ago, Apple had a 30 day promo for the Mac mini. Mysteriously, the promo was pulled the day after it was introduced.
  • Reply 5 of 9
    skatmanskatman Posts: 609member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by icfireball


    If 10,000 consumers had to use a new Mac for one month, at the end of the month at least 6,000 wouldn't want to switch back, if not more.



    I think Apple should do a Mac OS X test drive promotion.



    It could be done in two ways:



    1) Try Mac OS X on your current PC for 30 days! If after 30 days you love it and want to buy a mac, we will give you $150 dollars of that new Mac.



    2) Pick up an Apple Computer at the Apple Store and test drive it for 30 days. If after 30 days you don't love it, send it back to use for your money back.



    This would be useless for the very reason that OSX will not come with the software that people have on PC.

    Sure I can install the OSX on my PC... but then what? It's the applications that makes the computer useful.
  • Reply 6 of 9
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,322moderator
    Not to mention, most people won't want to risk losing their data by partitioning a drive. Some people who consider Linux have done this. Probably the best idea would be a live CD/DVD like you can get with Linux but there still remains the problem with drivers.



    There are reasons that people stick with Windows. They include:



    1. Windows runs adequately on old hardware because it doesn't have an advanced GUI yet or system-wide anti-aliasing.

    2. More application and driver support than any OS.

    3. Most other people in the world use it so they don't feel like a minority.



    Yes the Mac is a better experience and is a far better designed system. However, I had a hard time explaining that to a PC colleague who was actually quite happy running Windows. Most people don't care about system design, computers are just tools to get a job done. They need to be convinced that OS X will let them do that faster and better.



    Since OS X feels slower (though smoother) than Windows on similar hardware, has less driver and application support, can't play games, then what advantages are there to show? That it comes with an apache webserver? That it has no virii - explained away because OS X has less than 5% market share.



    The only way that people will use OS X more is if they can buy it for their own machine and that's not going to happen. I don't really think more people need to be using Macs anyway. Apple are actually doing pretty well. A lot of people go on about them having 5% vs 90% PC but Apple are a PC company. The biggest manufacturer is Dell with around 17% share. 5% or so is pretty good. OS X is the only real difference.
  • Reply 7 of 9
    jaketherockjaketherock Posts: 286member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin


    Windows runs adequately on old hardware because it doesn't have an advanced GUI yet or system-wide anti-aliasing





    Until Vista...
  • Reply 8 of 9
    mydomydo Posts: 1,888member
    I can see the reasoning behind this. I think it would work. Apple may be better off with a system that asks users for a deposit on an iMac, if after 60 days you want it then it rolls into a financed pruchase.
  • Reply 9 of 9
    icfireballicfireball Posts: 2,594member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mydo


    I can see the reasoning behind this. I think it would work. Apple may be better off with a system that asks users for a deposit on an iMac, if after 60 days you want it then it rolls into a financed pruchase.



    Couldn't have said it better. Thanks Mydo.
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