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http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=519
Busting Mac stereotypes
By ron carlson, Insanely Great Mac
June 6th 2002
Besides adding 20 odd stores this year, Apple is reportedly considering placing PCs in
their stores to lure the ''unconverted'' with ''seeing is believing'' demos
CNet reports that Apple is considering in-store demos to draw more Windoze users to
the Mac. Lures under consideration include Macs running Connectix Virtual PC -- in
order to show Windoze users they needn''t give up all their PC software. Another
method said to be under consideration is the placement of Wintel computers in Apple
Stores for side-by-side demos.
"There''s this pervading perception of the Mac as being this alien, niche product,"
Technology Business Research analyst Tim Deal told CNet. "If you can actually show PC
users it''s not as alien, not as different as they might think it is -- something the
Apple stores already are good at doing -- certainly it''s going to increase sales."
Breaking out in hives
For those that bleed bondi blue, a PC is kryptonite. One of reason some use Macs is
simply because they aren''t PCs and any association with the latter somehow stains
their holiness. Needless to say, however, the more redolent (i.e. fragrant) among us
shouldn''t be part of the calculus used to decide whether using in-store, side-by-side
Mac-PC demos is a good idea.
Another notion -- that the Mac platform is the BMW of computers and, therefore, Apple
shouldn''t concern itself with market share -- is also moot: Cupertino is concerned
with market share and is taking steps to boost it.
>From the newly liberated eMac to the plethora of discounts available to their retail
>strategy, Apple is moving heaven and earth to drive sales. With computer use likely
>at or near the market saturation point, at least in the US, the most likely pool of
>converts is Windoze PC users.
Love them or scorn them, these are people Apple wants and believes it needs to bring
into the Macintosh gene pool. "The other 95 percent" is moving in next door and their
tool of choice may soon take up residence in an Apple Store near you.
So, the question stands -- Is it a good idea for Apple to use PCs in its stores as a
way to "educate" the unwashed? Are side-by-side, "seeing is believing" demos the best
way to bring the heathen to heel?
Wait for it
My personal take is that Apple should at least wait until Jaguar ships. As is, the
time it takes OS X to load web pages is way too slow and re-inforcing the notion that
Macs are slower (for some tasks) and that megahertz do matter will not be helpful in
the least. Also, by the time Jaguar becomes the default install, Apple will also be
shipping 266MHz DDR systems, which will also go a long toward dispelling the MHz myth.
What''s your take?
Post your comments at:
http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=519
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