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PC Users Switch to Apple
JHromadka writes "Apple has setup a special website with real users explaining why they switched from the PC to the Mac. There's a full compliment of commercials, Mac OS X reviews, the works. Now we know why they didn't renew that agreement with Microsoft. :)" I like the commercials, they're funny, though probably not so much intentionally. Apparently the commercials begin airing this week.
Usually when people say somebody switched they think that person switched from using MS OS', not entirely true, I switched from Linux, so what Apple can offer many alternative OS' users to switch to overpriced patform
that since Apple started using a Unix base the thought of switching has crossed my mind. The only thing holding me back is the hardware costs. If the processor speeds seemed comparable to the same on the PC platforms I think I'd switch. It seems as though you get mor processing power for your dollar on the Windows/PC side. Although the small increase in processing power may be far outweighed by the ease of use and stability of the Apple platform.
CNet. The ads appear to be called "RealPeople" ads. Probably because their now using a RealOS :-)
The One Rule Of Chess You'll Ever Need: Don't play someone who carries a kit in their bookbag.
I'm wondering if the same sort of thing might work for Linux? If anything, Linux advocates tend to be even more zealous than Mac-heads, but much more knowledgeable. I imagine we could put together something pretty persuasive, maybe even incorporating a little of the toned-down Free Software propoganda? Anyone?
Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
Sure I added OS X to the OSes I use but I still use several systems and several OSes on those systems. Linux, FreeBSD, OS X, Irix and the various Windows are all great in different ways and I'd hate to better locked in to one OS or even one OS per architecture.
Does my software work on the Mac?
Speaking as a mac-convert within the past year, this point holds a lot of people back. Not will software run on the Mac, but will software I have previously purchased work on the Mac? If Apple had some service where they and the vendors had a PC for Mac trade-in program (and some do, like Adobe), it would get more people over the hump to switch.
My office is in the middle of consolidating from one floor of our office building to one, necessitating a great deal of shifting about for almost everyone.
One of my co-workers was annoyed that she'd be without music while she was re-assembling her office, so I loaned her my iPod for a couple of hours with a pair of speakers that was lying around.
I was simply amazed at how ecstatic she was over this little device. She had no trouble figuring out how to use it.
She was so smitten that she is now planning to purchase an iBook, Microsoft Office, more RAM, 3 years worth of AppleCare (due to one of Apple's promotions, buying the AppleCare and MS Office at the Apple Store with the iBook is actually $11 less than without AppleCare) and, of course, the iPod.
She wouldn't hear of waiting for someone to finish a program to interface the iPod with a PC. She was already contemplating a new laptop, and she's very excited with the features of the iBook.
I was never sure that I truly believed the stories of people buying Macs just to use an iPod, but that's exactly what she's planning!
Hint to Apple marketing: If you create an image of the typical Mac user as lonely geeky loser, no one will want a Mac!
No one wants to be a lonely geeky loser.
That Dell Dude is cooler than any of the Mac users in these ads. Even that Gateway CEO and his cow are cooler.
In one ad, the "chick" notes that she didn't like her PC because it "wasn't attractive." Isn't there more to Macs than appearance? Haven't Mac users been trying to get past the "You only bought it because it's pretty" stigma ever since the first iMac? I know I have.
Show people that real work can be done on Macs. Show people that they can play games on Macs. Produce multiple ads promoting the product, and get them on the airways.
No more "I was too dumb to run a PC, so I bought a Mac" ads, please! Here's a hint: "I was smart enough to by a Mac because it was better than a PC. Period."
Marketing 101, guys.
NetInfo connection failed for server 127.0.0.1/local
Quite honestly, I love Linux. I use it as a destop and a server on several PCs.
Laptops are another story...
I've owned 3 PC laptops in the last 5 years, and never had Linux working 100% on any of them.
Power management has never worked 100% properly for me. Even though I can get hardware video acceleration, switching to a tty, then back, breaks XFree and freezes my machine. etc... Basically the Open Source community can't keep up with the proprietary innovations going into new laptops.
Enter OSX. Now I know I can get a cutting edge Laptop, who's hardware is 100% supported by a UNIX based OS, at a reasonable price. I don't remember an opportuinity like this existing before.
I'm trading my (almost) new PC laptop for an (almost) new iBook this week.
-... ---
Losers? Perhaps you're just bitter because they didn't want you in the campaign! Kidding aside, pitching Macs by simply telling people that they're better (as you state in your post), just doesn't cut. You need to show *why* or *how* they are better.
The ads do a great job of elaborating on this. And I see they "real folks" as far more credible spokespersons than a bunch of celebrities.
Apple needs to pull an AOL marketing strategy. They need to appeal to teeming masses of idiots who will snatch up the first thing that they can figure out how to turn on. That and mail out free iMacs. The day I switch is the day I get a free computer in the mail.
There isn't a OS out that "just works". They even admit it only works with most devices.
2. It doesn't crash
After spending years trying to fix Macs using conflict catcher, I hope they've finally got it right, but I'm not holding my breath.
3. Simply the best in digital music
So, there's some Apple applications that don't run on PC's. Big deal.
4. The missing link in digital photography
See #3.
5. Your own digital entertainment center
See #3 and #4.
6. Goes everywhere you go
I think portibles have been around for a while.
7. It's built for the Internet
I honestly don't understand this one. Most people can configure a PC for the internet in less than 15 minutes, so I notice they don't claim the Mac is easier (it's only implied). When my uncle got a mac, my dad had to make multiple house calls to help him set it up. They both didn't understand why it was so hard. I said, "Since when did you believe comercials?"
8. Office is Office, and then some
Oh boy.
9. Works effertlessly with PCs.
This is not a plus over PCs, only the lack of a drawback.
10. It's beautiful
While I wouldn't use the term beautiful, as far as I can see, style is the number one reason for getting a Mac. The problem is, in a few years, these things are going to be like bell bottom jeans.
Don't get me wrong, one of my favorate operating systems is Next. But I don't see any "killer app" distinction to justify switching to a Mac. Most people I see using Macs are Mac Loyalist or novices who believed the advertising. I used to recommend Macs, Windows, and Solaris were they worked best, but now it's only Windows and Linux. There are applications just as good as iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and iTunes for the PC.
...Because IMHO that's what this one is.
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
I don't see that these ads show people who were too stupid to make their Windows computers work. I think these are people who want to get something done with their computers, hated the experience they got with Wintel, and are happier now that they've switched.
"I was smart enough to buy a Mac because it works better than what I had before. It looks and feels better, too."
The message seems to be:
Marketing 101, second week.
The most important feature of the DJ spot isn't that she thinks her Mac is pretty. It's that someone told her to buy Wintel, she did, and didn't like it. She then bought her own Mac, and she likes it a lot more. She went against the flow, jumped off the bandwagon, and bought a "niche" computer. As a result, she's happier. The marketing message is: Maybe you'd be happier like our friend Liza here if you did the same thing she did.
I much prefer advertising trying to influence me with real people saying they're getting more done with less headaches as opposed to advertising trying to influence me with a fictional glue addict whose catchphrase is "Dude!" Talk about "loser"...
Just took a look at the ads on Apple's site. All of the interviews focus on people from the waste up, except for the woman who is totally anorexic(Liza Richardson), where the camera operator focuses on her entire body including her pencil thin legs.
How is her body any more camera friendly than the others?
I think that you're right. The ads were crap. Period. Annoying music, and not really typical people. Come on! A LAN Administrator, a Computer & Business Manager, and an illustrator. Most illustrators are on the Mac already, and most computer-related people use pcs (not necessarily windows). As one person said, they should say why it is better, and well, none of them really got it accross. Personally, I'd advise Apple to keep their products up-to-date, instead of wasting money on poor adverts. The iTunes and the iMac adverts were on a level above this.
This is what you need to make your machines and new OS a killer. A native OS X X server. (heh, can you call parse that sentence?). Having to start XDarwin (I use the front end OroborOSX) to run my X apps is a pain, and destroys the desktop continuity. Create those crazy bindings so I can compile my X (not X) apps natively, and you will have a beautiful unix based machine with thousands of applications at your fingertips, retaining the good ol look and feel of your OS.
The middle mind speaks!
The TV ads on the site are aimed at the edges of the WinTel user base, not at it's core. While I'm not happy about that at a 'gut' level, I think it does make sense. At first I wanted to see a suburban/small town shmoe dressed in Wallmart fashion with a stock car racing cap because that's the core of mass market home purchasing. Instead it's a bunch of people (like me) who wear black (other than to funerals) and roughly half of them are writers. But it dawned on me that they are at the edge between the Mac/Windows world, and just ended up on the wrong side for whatever reason. The are the next 5% who can most easily be brought over. It does require a bit of technical sophistication to switch over (e.g. you might need to know what an ethernet crossover cable is to move your old files over if you don't have access to a network). Thus, there's a big hump to get over for a big part of the market. Once wireless networking is stock, this might become easier. Imagine that part of the out-of-the-box wizard asks you if you want to move files over from the PC that it found (wirelessly) in the same room. They're going after SOHO users because there's a lot less 'inertia' to deal with - "You need a new computer every 2 to 5 years, make it a Mac this time. It's easy. Give it a try." They don't mention it in the ads, but MSOffice is a big part of why this will work for a lot people. "You word process, you prepare presentations, you e-mail and web surf. A Mac works better for these things." For Wall Street a few percent shift would be a big thing and would strengthen the perception of Apple, so it seems like the place to start is with the fence sitters.
not the Subject Line Troll, but a fan
2. It doesn't crash
Are you just a tad too well acquainted with the notorious "blue screen of death"? Bid it a fond farewell. With Mac OS X, you'll become accustomed instead to industry-leading stability. In this elegant new operating system, memory is fully protected and applications can't conflict with the OS or one another. And, oh yes, Mac OS X is built on the industrial strength of UNIX. Most Fortune 500 companies, governments and universities rely on UNIX for their mission-critical applications. And now, so can you.
Marketing hyperbole is one thing, but seeing as a Google search on "osx crash" returns over eight thousand hits, it seems that Apple has crossed the line from hyperbole to deception.
Badly done, Mister Jobs.
Well, for me, the answer is "yes," although I only have anecdotes to support my opinion.
Just today, a co-worker called me to her office. She couldn't change her default printer in Windows. Rather, she repeatedly changed the default, but the program she wanted to print from didn't recognize the change.
I'm a Mac guy -- I figured something was wrong, so I walked her through the procedure one more time. It still didn't work. Maybe we have to restart the program? Nope, still defaulted to the wrong printer.
We eventually had to change the printer in "Print Setup" before the program would "default" to the printer she wanted.
On a Mac, you'd change your default printer and all of the program would automatically print using that printer. No restarting programs, no restarting the computer, no trying to figure out some obtuse reasoning to accomplish a very, very simple task.
Does the Mac work better? I think so.
This is slightly off topic from Apple's new campaign, but I think this needs to be said.
People complain that G4s are slower than current Intel/AMD offerings. I don't necessarily have an argument with Apple losing the processor speed war. But if it is true, it doesn't matter. Based on my experience using fast Intel and Apple systems, no desktop x86 OS environment has software that is as productive with the available processor power as Apple does. An Intel/AMD processor may be technically faster, but a G4 system running Mac OS X seems to accomplish more and seems quite a bit faster. That is what matters to me and most people. Tech-heads that think the computations per second are what matters most are not looking at the big picture.
And if you don't believe me about the speed of Mac OS X on a G4 system right now, give Jaguar (Mac OS X 10.2) a shot. It'll officially be out in about a month. You won't see that much of a performance increase in any update to Windows or Linux any time soon.
When I learned that 1) NEXTSTEP was the basis for Apple's new OS and 2) new Pro towers were forthcoming, I decided to go Mac (from PC), and did in Jan '99 w/ a G3 400. I've since upgraded to a dual G4 800 PowerMac for just shy of a year now, running OS X exclusively. I have had two kernel panics. (One stemming from plugging in an unsupported USB device.) When I had the other kernel panic, I was horrified. I powered the machine off and started recalling the memory upgrade I performed a few months earlier--wondering if it could be the culprit. I checked the LED clock at my side to see if there had been a brownout. I felt the FireWire connection to my external 160GB drive to make sure it had not come-aloos and somehow caused the problem...
Oh...I just picked up an iBook 700. I have no practical need for this, as I am behind a machine all day at work (developer) and my G4 is there when I get home. I simply wanted to be able to bring OS X with me. On a whim, I can make use of it. It's that good. It is truly a shame what so many people are missing.
blakespot
-- Heisenberg may have slept here.
iPod Hacks.com
"the way it works is like the way your brain is supposed to work"
So that's why I keep seeing gray stripes everywhere.
I just saw the first ad (Mark Frauenfelder) on MSNBC. The irony of Apple ads targeted to MS users on MSNBC is just soooo good. I bet Bill is pissed.
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - BF
With M$ holding so much of the market right now, any competition they can get is good for their image, and for their antitrust lawsuit defense. For that reason, I doubt anybody at M$ really sees Apple as a big threat, or is worried by these commercials.
Now, if Apple somehow managed to get up to 20% marketshare, then there might be a problem.
Myself, I switched back in March of 2000, and I haven't looked back since.
These ads are great. If it gets a few extra percent of the market, then they did their job.
My favorite part of the ads? The fact that they're trying to win over PC users without using direct insults.
Let me add that I kind of like that the mac platform is small, to a certain extent. Don't get me wrong, I like converts and Apple's latest strategy moves, but it's nice to be using something that you have clearly chosen and that you are satisfied with.
A 10-20% marketshare would be nice (and I really think it's possible if Apple doesn't screw it up!), but not much more than that. We'd just get another Microsoft and who'd like that?
I've been in love with Liza Richardson ever since her late night show at KCRW, Santa Monica. It's nice to put a face to the voice.
xoxo Liza!
A 10-20% marketshare would be nice (and I really think it's possible if Apple doesn't screw it up!), but not much more than that. We'd just get another Microsoft and who'd like that?
Indeed. Let us remember--Apple need not come anywhere near market dominance to be wildly successful and secure. It's like Jobs' own comparison, B&M, Mercedes, etc.
Anyway, if Apple was the market leader, they'd end up "the bad guy."
blakespot
-- Heisenberg may have slept here.
iPod Hacks.com
The ads do a great job of elaborating on this. And I see they "real folks" as far more credible spokespersons than a bunch of celebrities.
Francis Ford Coppola was once quoted as saying, "Somewhere out there there's a six year old girl with a camcorder who's changing the future of film."
When they intro'd the new iMac, Apple showed a video at the keynote address. (QuickTime version available here.) It's an amazing little piece with tons of production value.
In it, they featured interviews with Seal, Annie Lebovitz, and, yes, Francis Ford Coppola. Coppola talks about how the iMac and the digital media tools give regular people the kind of creative power that was once reserved only for big, famous filmmakers like himself. At the end of the video, he says, "I look at something like this [the new iMac] and I think, oh, I want three million of them. So I can put them with, you know, three million young people."
The fact that Apple never turned that into a commercial spot in wide release is just a crime. It's a really moving piece.
*cough* I'm a lonely geek loser! I think that they are trying to apeal to user who don't yet have a computer. They are trying to make a mark in a market where new users automaticly think "I need a computer. Windows is the answer!". Thus, they are tying to say macs are so much beter then pcs, that people actully switch. Granted, you have a point about the "pretty" computer stigma. I've never had one of those coloured macs, yet I still have to deal with comments about "girly" macintoshes. Oh well, I guess it is up to people to try the computers before they can fall in love with them, rather then having to hear about it on commercials.
"You sir, have just crossed my happy line..."
Here are some interesting performance benchmarks (using lmbench) comparing Darwin (aka Mac OS X), NetBSD, and Linux. Can you guess who came in first place? ;-)
lmbench 2.0 summary
cpeterso
Although the small increase in processing power may be far outweighed by the ease of use and stability of the Apple platform.
Disclaimer: borrowed from the AppleAddict forums.
If you're in Nevada, and you want to get to San Fransisco, do you:
Apple already is wildly successful. Which is not to say they couldn't be even more successful.
now I'm not totally arguing your point. There ws some aesthetic choosines going on, but try focusing on her face as she talks. That girl was moving all over the place.
I think it was at least partly representative of just who she was and how she presented herself. Some people don't even think of themselves as having a whole body when they are talking.
Simply stated, if Apple were to offer up X windows as a GUI option and developers could count on it being on every mac, we'd see a bunch of shallow ports of X windows apps, which would pollute the platform with UI that in many cases is even worse than that on MS Windows.
By keeping X windows as a separate thing you have to find and install, the pressure remains on the developers to make a native Mac app if they want to be on the volume-leading UNIX.
-jcr
BTW, don't even start with me about calling it "X Windows".
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
If Apple doesn't do this, they people won't magically become devoted Apple Cocoa developers. Rather, Apple will only create unnecessary porting headaches for their newest developers--UNIX developers. Those developers won't switch to Cocoa, they will simply continue using the same toolkits they have always been using (Gtk+, wxWindows, etc.), but with substandard and poorly maintained OSX-backends. That only hurts Apple.
I know it's tough medicine to swallow for Apple. But I really don't see any alternative. Hoping that the world will switch to Cocoa is a pipe dream--whether it is technically good or not, Cocoa is a niche product. Only a small, dedicated core of Mac developers will spend time on it.
#2. You obviously have not used Mac OS X at all have you? But your comment did remind me of endless Conflict Catcher (which I lauded as a mac advantage at the time) sessions trying to stabilize my Mac OS. Now my uptime record is 60+ days before the power went out (go figure).
And I've had a single (1) kernel panic when using my PowerBook in FireWire target mode and having forgot to put in the power cable. Worked great until the battery ran out.
"I tend to think of OS X as Linux with QA and Taste", James Gosling, creator of Java
752,000 in google.
I've used Windows 2000 for a year now. I've never had a kernel panic (no matter what I plug in) and I can't recall having any kind of lockup that couldn't be fixed with the Task Manager.
-- SIGFPE
Extraordinary Vacations. Exceptional Prices
perhaps you should just fork out some cash and buy Tenons Xtools X server for X
No, he shouldn't.
Tenon has all but abandoned Xtools. There hasn't been an update since last September, and the currently available version (1.0.4p1) is horribly unstable.
Xtools was useful for the 6-month window between the initial XF86 port to Darwin and the release of XFree 4.2 (which integrated the rootless quartz server into the main code tree). Since then, however, it's rotted. At this point, OroborosX is faster, better-featured, and much more stable.
News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters? Like hell.
Well if switched kindof... I had a pc (linux... not windows) and now I have a tiBook... but I still have my pc. I like UNIX and I hate windows. I tell all my friends that I won't help them with their windows problems anymore but I will help them with OS X or Linux... I now get very few questions because my friends running OS X don't need help because they don't have any problems and my linux friends don't have too many questions after they get started. It's amazing though... I still get requests for help with windows... I of course reply with "I have an extra Debian install disc that will fix that pesky windows problem"
-Chris
I will never switch... only try new things.
Try opening every QT movie in a differnet tab in Mozilla and play them at the same time. You won't feel so lonely.
She has a great music show on KCRW the public radio station here. I've seen her in person she is skinny, but in no way anorexic (ie black toothed and bow legged)
& am p;tmplt_type=Everything
http://kcrw.com/show/td
http://kcrw.com/cgi-bin/db/kcrw.pl?show_code=td
Quote:"I'd been eyeing OS X since it was announced, and I have to say that Apple has done a spectacular job creating what I never thought was possible... a Unix that my girlfriend can use."
:) and on a 400Mhz G3, it wasnt too slow, and it was an early version of OSX.
Not that i have a girl friend, but this guy is right on the money. This machine has so much geekness about it, its not funny. I actualy had a little peack at one the other night, what i saw was real nice
Since this PC is actualy old now (i didnt realise untill my dad bought a better computer[still not good] for $150) i will be needing a new computer eventual, especialy when i move out, so i think i might make it an iMac.
Or an Amiga if iFusion (PPC Mac Emulator) supports MacOS X.
Giving IE users a taste of their own medicine since 2005 - http://pods.-is-a-geek.net/