"I bought a Mac because it is so cool.
"It never occurred to me that I could use it to run a huge variety
of software. I didn't listen to the talk about it being free of
viruses. No one told me that it comes with a bunch of integrated
software that handles my photos, tracks my music collection, and can
help me make better home movies. I think that the people who say you
can run all your Windows program using Boot Camp to load a copy of
Vista, are lunatics.
"The only reason I bought a Mac is because I own an iPod, and iPods
are cool. That, and I wanted to use it to play video games."
The only thing I can say, is God bless anyone like the person
described above. Apple needs more people like you buying their product
(just kidding).
I don't think people like that really exist, unlike Matt Asay, who
wrote The
Linux Desktop, Macs, and Barking Dogs. His message wouldn't be so
bad, but there are dozens of people reporting this type of trash,
basically calling Mac users a bunch of lemmings who have been
brainwashed by Apple's marketing prowess.
You can put lipstick on a pig and call that marketing - or you can
make a great product and call that marketing. Marketing doesn't create
the product; its purpose is to broadcast a specific message about the
product. Basically it teaches consumers that there is something to like
about the product. To succeed in marketing, both the message and the
product have to trump the competition.
In the case of Linux, your message is "low cost leader", e.g., your
product is "free". But if no one is currently using it, then you have
to pay for training. Add to that installation, maintenance, frequent
updates, and fuzzy customer support, since who owns it. Your marketing
message is quickly eroded by the true facts behind the product.
Compare this to Apple's message: "easy to use". Again, few people
may be using it, but for the most part new users can be thrown into the
water, and they will learn to swim on their own quickly.
Why? Because Microsoft Office for Macs isn't that different from
Office on Windows. Add to this the easy install, low maintenance,
automated updates, and clear customer support (Apple is responsible for the whole
thing, unlike the Windows and Linux platforms).
The marketing message and the facts agree. Macs are easy to use. New
users and old agree. So the message works, and the general opinion is
that Macs trump the competition in this area.
If "easy to use" is the thing you're looking for, then it makes your
choice of a new Mac look smart.
If cost is your primary concern, Apple isn't making any false
promises about having the lowest price. You'll have to go beyond the
marketing message and decide if buying a Mac makes financial sense.
Read a few articles on Mac pricing to see if they have what you want
for a good price. Here's some links that may help.
I agree with
Bob Sutor, vice president of open source and standards at IBM, on
this one: Linux needs industry-specific software. Leave the lipstick at
home and create some real advantages for Linux before you can expect
anyone to take your marketing message seriously.
