It makes me sick

corysw · Apr 22, 2006

Articles all over the internet are talking about how the delay(s) of Vista will cause consumers to seek "alternatives". But what they don't understand is that 90% of people don't even know what a Mac is. When holiday time comes, people will supposedly not want to buy a Dell because it has Windows XP instead of Windows Vista. It works in theory, but that's just not the reality.

Kokopelli · Apr 22, 2006

Outside of a small crowd I don't think people really care. XP, Vista, whatever. Forum regulars and tech geeks are not the majority. Due to advice from the geeks holiday sales might take a hit, but I do not see a mass migration happening that's for sure.

smeshy123 · Apr 22, 2006

I'm a senior in high school, and I can tell you that the people in my school graduating are having a very difficult time deciding whether they want to get a mac or a pc, and a much larger portion of them will be getting macs, so I think that mac targeting the younger audience will pay off in the end. As apple switches the younger community over, they will slowly gain market share. The teens get laptops, the parents go oh how cool! It's so easy! (like my mom), and then the parents eventually get desktops and such for themselves.

I don't think this speculation of more people moving over to macs is totally unwarranted. I've seen it start happening over the past 2-3 years of my high school education.

Smeshy

corysw · Apr 22, 2006

I've also noticed that you very rarely see Windows PCs on TV.
To name a few,
In almost any commercial involving a website, the browser is IE for Mac OS 9.
You can also tell by what color the cursor is.
The computers on those "TBS Funny" commercials are flat-panel iMacs.
On Friends, Ross uses a Powerbook G4, and there is a Tangerine iBook on the desk in the back of Monica's apartment.
On Sex & the City, Carrie uses a Powerbook G3.
On Seinfeld, depending on the season, there is either a Performa or a 20th Anniversary Mac in Jerry's apartment.
On Bernie Mac, Vanessa's computer is an iMac G4.
On The Sopranos, Tony has an iBook G4.

Not to mention this article:
http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,50441,00.html

smeshy123 · Apr 22, 2006

Haha, I love 24, that article is great!

Smeshy

baggss · Apr 22, 2006

corysw said:
Articles all over the internet are talking about how the delay(s) of Vista will cause consumers to seek "alternatives". But what they don't understand is that 90% of people don't even know what a Mac is. When holiday time comes, people will supposedly not want to buy a Dell because it has Windows XP instead of Windows Vista. It works in theory, but that's just not the reality.

I don' know that it will make people choose alternatives, but it may make people just keep their money instead of making the new purchase. A new OS is often the catalyst for many to buy new hardware. This is likely to impact companies like Dell and HP more than MS. There will be a certain number who will look at a Mac, but not, I suspect, droves of them.

And I completely disagree with your hypothesis that "90%" of them don't know what a Mac is. The popularity of the iPod has changed that and many more consumers are a ware of the Mac platform since they bought their iPods in Apple retail stores. The iPods "Halo" effect on the Mac market is real and it's not slowing down.

lil · Apr 22, 2006

Few people I have met don't know what a Mac is. Most would see it as that other computer, the one that isn't a PC—and thats where the buck stops. Virtually none would know it runs Mac OS X.

That said a lost of interest in the Macintosh is still generated by a little curiosity on the part of a switcher. Otherwise it remains a known yet unknown entity it would seem to most!

Vicky

corysw · Apr 22, 2006

"Most would see it as that other computer, the one that isn't a PC—and thats where the buck stops. Virtually none would know it runs Mac OS X"
Exactly. baggss - when I said they don't know what a Mac is, I didn't mean it literally, per se. I meant that they would just think it's another computer manufacturer like Dell or HP, completely unaware of the fact that they run an entirely different operating system. I just get upset when I think about how many people would be delighted to spend an extra $300 on a Mac, if only they knew how great OS X was. No viruses... no worrying about opening emails from people you don't know... no installing drivers... no stupid little animated dog thing when you're trying to type... no inexplicably superfluous product activation...

Smartz · Apr 22, 2006

I'd like to say that as someone who only recently ( last 2 years ) switched I would say that i would agree with the unknown quantity line. I was always under the impressions that Mac's were extremely expensive and offered no real benefits....now i feel like Dr Mac as i keep recommending my friends and family to make the switch.

Vista could work to really galvanise many people and the launch of a well featured Leopard could then help the PC user to move forward. On a off note one thing that Mac really do need to address if it wants to grab market share is to target gamers.

It is rubbish when i hear people say that gamers are not an important market or that Mac's are not about games. Gamers are a very important PC buying segment and i think that Dell's purchase of Alienware shows that it is a good, high margin market to be in. If only there was a way to run PC games via virtulisation at full boot camp style graphically accelerated speed, then i could see those who do enjoy dipping into some gaming being attracted. Failing that Apple should start working with someone like Nintendo to port the type of games that are making the likes of the DS sell by the bucket loads.

baggss · Apr 22, 2006

corysw said:
Exactly. baggss - when I said they don't know what a Mac is, I didn't mean it literally, per se. I meant that they would just think it's another computer manufacturer like Dell or HP, completely unaware of the fact that they run an entirely different operating system. I just get upset when I think about how many people would be delighted to spend an extra $300 on a Mac, if only they knew how great OS X was. No viruses... no worrying about opening emails from people you don't know... no installing drivers... no stupid little animated dog thing when you're trying to type... no inexplicably superfluous product activation...

Ok, I can agree with that.

It is rubbish when i hear people say that gamers are not an important market or that Mac's are not about games. Gamers are a very important PC buying segment and i think that Dell's purchase of Alienware shows that it is a good, high margin market to be in. If only there was a way to run PC games via virtulisation at full boot camp style graphically accelerated speed, then i could see those who do enjoy dipping into some gaming being attracted. Failing that Apple should start working with someone like Nintendo to port the type of games that are making the likes of the DS sell by the bucket loads.

Games are a HUGE part of the PC market, I don't think there is any real debate on that. The Mac is good at the games that are available for the platform. Apple has never been big in the gaming world because they have chosen not to be, plain and simple. Apples not going to work with Nintendo or anyone else because they don't want to. That is just a sad truth.

dimagex20 · Apr 22, 2006

Time will tell.

kaidomac · Apr 22, 2006

smeshy123 said:
Haha, I love 24, that article is great!

Smeshy

I have to say I was quite proud seeing a Cube on the show when I watched it again a few months ago

MacMania55 · Apr 22, 2006

I think alot of people know who apple computer is but dont know what the **** mac osX is. Tons of people at my school use windows( mainly for games). Many say they think macs are pricey and useless

caveatipss · Apr 22, 2006

smeshy123 said:
I'm a senior in high school, and I can tell you that the people in my school graduating are having a very difficult time deciding whether they want to get a mac or a pc, and a much larger portion of them will be getting macs, so I think that mac targeting the younger audience will pay off in the end. As apple switches the younger community over, they will slowly gain market share. The teens get laptops, the parents go oh how cool! It's so easy! (like my mom), and then the parents eventually get desktops and such for themselves.

I don't think this speculation of more people moving over to macs is totally unwarranted. I've seen it start happening over the past 2-3 years of my high school education.

Smeshy

Since Bootcamp now exists, why would anyone ever want to buy another PC?

Left Face Down · Apr 22, 2006

caveatipss said:
Since Bootcamp now exists, why would anyone ever want to buy another PC?

Only one reason, the ease of changing out the parts. Personally all of my computer literate friends are getting to the point where we don't even want to touch an OEM PC. The quality just bites so hard and we can build a way better computer, most of us being gamers, for the same price.

Mac has always had that rep of not likeing even after-market RAM. It seems like it varies from computer to computer almost. Seeing reviews on Newegg.com (PC builders will know that site by heart) with one person saying this does or does not work with the Apple MacBook Pro (to name one) and then a review after saying, they are lieing it doesn't or does work with the Apple MacBook Pro.

Yeah, like some one is going to drop $200~ and then lie about if it works or not.

techster82 · Apr 22, 2006

Don't forget all the Apple computers that they had in the movie "Hackers". I watched it the other day on HDNET and talk about a blast from the past. It has been years since I heard someone say the word baud when talking about computers.

corysw · Apr 22, 2006

This is from a Windows site:
"When you close the lid of a Vista-based laptop, or leave any Vista-based machine idle for a set length of time, it will move into sleep mode nearly instantaneously. But if the machine isn't reactivated within another set amount of time, hibernation will be triggered, pushing the contents of RAM onto the disk so it can be resuscitated at a later date."

It's unfathomable.

Game2954 · Apr 23, 2006

Well just to put in my 2 cents being a recent switcher. I think people still have the mindset of Apple say 10 years ago. Thinking that it is a niche based product that isn't user friendly with any platform outside of apple products. And that "it doesn't work with Windows" While M$ on the other hand has pushed their product in your face since Windows95, maybe even earlier(Remember the Rolling Stones Start me up commercials??) When was the last time Apple promoted their products via any media. More Mac purchaser use word of mouth to pass information onto current users and future switchers. And to me that is more valuable than any commercial, at least I can get a trusted opinion before purchasing.
About the possilble shuggish sales forecast for computer manufacturers this holiday due to the the Vista delay? Maybe, then again the smart customer will look and compare before making a purchase.

to_tough_to_die · Apr 23, 2006

Smartz said:
I'd like to say that as someone who only recently ( last 2 years ) switched I would say that i would agree with the unknown quantity line. I was always under the impressions that Mac's were extremely expensive and offered no real benefits....now i feel like Dr Mac as i keep recommending my friends and family to make the switch.

Vista could work to really galvanise many people and the launch of a well featured Leopard could then help the PC user to move forward. On a off note one thing that Mac really do need to address if it wants to grab market share is to target gamers.

It is rubbish when i hear people say that gamers are not an important market or that Mac's are not about games. Gamers are a very important PC buying segment and i think that Dell's purchase of Alienware shows that it is a good, high margin market to be in. If only there was a way to run PC games via virtulisation at full boot camp style graphically accelerated speed, then i could see those who do enjoy dipping into some gaming being attracted. Failing that Apple should start working with someone like Nintendo to port the type of games that are making the likes of the DS sell by the bucket loads.

It's not that Apple doesn't want the gaming market, but here's the problem with gamers: upgrades.

I can't upgrade an iMac. I can do a few things to a Mac Mini, but nothing with the graphics, and with the price, it just isn't worth it.

As far as Apple's laptops work, they are some of the worst on the market. As if laptop upgradability wasn't hard enough, it takes over 50 screws to get into the guts of an iBook, not to mention the issues people have had with screws on either of Apple's portables.

The only truly upgradable model that runs (a legal version of) Mac OS X is the PowerMac G5, which, while some people would go for it, it costs a lot of money.

One of the few things I like about the Windows side of things is the fact that you can build a gaming PC for $500 (you can't even get a new Mac for that price), or you can blow $5,000 on one.

That's why Apple will never get the gamer market. As much as I love Apple's machines, and I think they deserve the best design awards you can get, they just aren't expandable.

mr g5 · Apr 23, 2006

most people like macs but are scared to switch because of compatibility or people dont care what you say they will never switch.

It makes me sick

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