How do you persuade kids to 'BuyMac'?

[Jackonicko]

In recent months I have successfully 'sold' an iPod, two new iBooks and two iMacs to friends or family.

My 79 year old father was a cinch, 'cos he was not computer literate and could soon see that the Mac OS interface would be much easier for him to learn than 'Windows'. He's as happy as Larry with his Blueberry iMac.

A teacher colleague of my wife (aged 49) was a sterner test - she was a long-term and happy PC user. But when she borrowed my dual USB iBook for two days........ And she bought an iPod too.

Apple's ease of use, compatability with adult software, and beautifully easy and intuitive OS make it relatively easy to persuade adults of the logic of 'thinking different'.

But how would you convince a teenager, who is used to PCs, has never experienced the magic and who says:

1) But £ for £ (or $ for $) the Mac has a poor spec - I can get a 2 GHz PC for what you'd get a 700 Mhz Mac, and with more RAM, and a bigger HD. Mac's are under-speced in other words.

2) You can't get the range of games and Mac's are useless for gaming.

3) What would a Mac give me that a PC doesn't.

You might say 'who cares', but this is the age group who usually have most influence on a family's computer buying.

[Beej]

Originally posted by Jackonicko
Apple's ease of use, compatability with adult software...Aldult software? Where can I get some? ;) :p

I agree... especially with most teens having been brought up with Windows... they already know how to use it. If you thor a Mac in from of them, it seems like an alien world. Sure if they took the time to lean, it would be much better. But why take the time to learn when you already know another way and are happy with it?

[Jackonicko]

Clarification: Adult Software = Powerpoint, MS Word, Quark, etc.

[Funkatation]

I find myself in the same predicament. (I'm at the ripe age of 20.) I love gaming, and I love macs. The 2 don't tango very well though. So I just have a gaming PC, and a mac laptop. That seems to suit my needs. Younger kids don't usually need 2 computers, so in answer to your question, until they grow up, I think they'll probably stay with pc unfortunately.

[Sun Baked]

Offer them a choice

1. Use a Mac and get help on car expenses.
2. Use a PC and get no help on car expenses.

[mymemory]

You give money to kids and they buy anything.

After a few decades this kids will be divided into 2 groups, the compulsive buyers and the smart buyers, or what is the same: women and men.

[G4scott]

You need to show kids that games aren't everything. Show them how they can have 'fun' doing projects for school, like making movies. Trust me... I did that in the 10th grade, and it was fun. My friends who worked with me said that it was fun, and everyone who saw it was in awe... You'd need that "I can do anything you can do better" approach, except with good software.

Have a commercial with a brain-dead kid in front of his 2+ghz computer with the 19" CRT just wasting his time away on games, by himself, having no fun at all. Then show a group of kids huddled around an iBook, iMac, or eMac doing something cool. Then flash 15 years into the future, and show a middle-aged man with an unshaven face in his pj's in a messy room with the same computer playing the same game. Then show one of the kids as he drives up in his jaguar (the car, not the OS :D ), walks into his mansion, talks with his friends online with video-conferencing and starts playing an online game on a 23" display and some new computer (The G5?) with the iSticks- surround, and a really awesome setup.

Apple need to emphasize that games aren't everything, but the games that are there for Mac are just as good as the pee-cee versions. There are just too many pee-cee games out there. I can't stand playing more than one regular game for more than a week, unless its an online game, like StarCraft.

Apple also needs to show kids using their products having fun, and Apple needs to explain or show why their products are better. Just showing kids in front of an iMac won't work...

[gbojim]

I have a method for this that has worked well twice now. It did not work on one occasion in which case the person in question was interested in nothing other than playing games.

I took them to an Apple store.

[billiam0878]

Get 'em while their young-- Bundle iMacs/eMacs/iBooks with educational software that is fun to use and comes free with the machine. Parents and schools will like that, kids will learn and get used to the Mac and they'll probably stick with what they know later. Otherwise, Apple does need more games. Perhaps they can offer more incentive to developers (newest dev tools delivered more quickly, technical support; basically let the developers know they're appreciated as Apple has always had trouble with this in the past) and put better GPU's in the machines. Just my 2 cents,

Bill

[MacAztec]

My friend Cole just yesterday got a PC. I am good friends with him, and about 2 years ago I convinced him into getting a mac because he thought they were 'cooler'.

Well, haven't been talking to him much lately, so turns out he go a PeeCee.

First thing, he didnt know how to listen to music. I had to teach him how to do that.

Second, his Intel Camera that came free with the machine (XP) did not work. It came with install CDs, but he kept getting an error saying that it wont work with XP.

Third, AOL has new and improved ads! Better than ever :P

His family also bought a laptop. The screen is kinda nice, its about 13.8 inches, laptop isnt too big and heavy.

Cons: Not many ports, no wireless internet, slow, confusing, small track pad.

So after my friend had troubles with his PeeCee, we went for a walk. I talked to him about macs, and he is totally convinced to get a mac next time. He wants to get into photos and stuff.

So than, we walked to my brothers apartment down the street, and I showed him his setup. He has a G4/533 with a ViewSonic A70f monitor, and the G4 is mounted under his desk with the marathon mounts. Got his Logitech speakers, iBot, iMic, and Wireless Keyboard and mouse.

It even hooks up to his TV...computer in bed.

I showed my friend iPhoto and iTunes, and he completely fell in love...

[Malus120]

Well i guess this makes me really uniqe. Im 15 and i use a mac :). And Gaming is my main thing i use the comp for. Why do i use a mac? for a few reasons
1: Microsoft, i refuse to use more MS products than i have too
2: Mac OS(especially X) The user experiance is so much better. Everything works better on a mac not to mention the stability is nice.
3: I usually end up getting all the consoles so i have more than enough games(Right now my main console is a PS2 i plan on getting a GC but i WONT get an Xbitch)
4: the only types of games i need on a comp are FPS's and RTS's which are both fine on the mac
5: i have a life and 50% of the games on PC are crap not worth my time
6: the mac works good for everything else i do
7: i dont know i just do


There are times when ive considered getting a PC as sometimes theres games i just really want. Also i wish you could tinker more with macs i took a tech class and even though the teacher was a bitch it was fairly fun.
Anyway it is hard to convince my PC friends to convert. One of them would switch as he hates MS and thinks there crap . He just needs Apple to get their hardware togeather and get more games to the platform and i bet he would be there.
And BTW to the guy who made the comment about the "braind dead teen" using his 2Ghz comp all day, i would like to say that thats a little harsh. Computer games are fun and calling someone braind dead just because of what they like is just plain stupid. anyway id right more but well more later

[tjwett]

i think in most homes the parents are usually forking over the dough for the "family computer" for gaming, school work, internet and NO porn. here's how i usually see it go down: the family needs a computer so they either A: get on the phone and order a Dell or worse, Gateway and wait for it to arrive on the doorstep, costing anywhere from $500 to $1200 range usually. or B: get in the minivan and drive to either CompUSA, Circuit City, or Best Buy. Or if they are lucky enough to have one nearby, MicroCenter. they go into the store and are hit with a half-mile of Wintels and they'll usually buy whichever ones come with a monitor and printer, costing the same as above. or C: some of the more tech-savvy parents will go to a computer trade show and "build their own" from parts, which costs less but is a rarity. i've yet to see a kid and his parents in the Mac section of any of these retailers stay for more than two minutes without gasping at the price, gasping at the mhz, or blowing it off with a comment to the tune of "We don't want a Mac because no one uses them and you can't get programs to work on them." most consumers are not into this stuff like we are and simply don't know what a Mac is or does, or is mistaken in some way. i think that Apple putting Macs in schools is a decent move but sadly i think the way to kids hearts is games. if the Mac had the gaming strength of the PC it would do better. there are a few little whiz kids out there who are doing graphics and messing with 3D that may gravitate to the Mac on his own but for the most part, i don't think the majority of kids care what kind of computer they are on as long as they can get AOL and play Wolfenstein. this may sound stupid but i think they should concentrate on creative pros and now Unix folks(OSX) because that's where their market has always been. a marketing/hardware change to try to attract kids may drive their loyals away. Apple makes expensive toys for adults. it would take a pretty big paper route for any 12 year old to afford a Mac.

[Ensign Paris]

Originally posted by Malus120
Well i guess this makes me really uniqe. Im 15 and i use a mac :). And Gaming is my main thing i use the comp for. Why do i use a mac? for a few reasons
1: Microsoft, i refuse to use more MS products than i have too
2: Mac OS(especially X) The user experiance is so much better. Everything works better on a mac not to mention the stability is nice.
3: I usually end up getting all the consoles so i have more than enough games(Right now my main console is a PS2 i plan on getting a GC but i WONT get an Xbitch)
4: the only types of games i need on a comp are FPS's and RTS's which are both fine on the mac
5: i have a life and 50% of the games on PC are crap not worth my time
6: the mac works good for everything else i do
7: i dont know i just do


There are times when ive considered getting a PC as sometimes theres games i just really want. Also i wish you could tinker more with macs i took a tech class and even though the teacher was a bitch it was fairly fun.
Anyway it is hard to convince my PC friends to convert. One of them would switch as he hates MS and thinks there crap . He just needs Apple to get their hardware togeather and get more games to the platform and i bet he would be there.
And BTW to the guy who made the comment about the "braind dead teen" using his 2Ghz comp all day, i would like to say that thats a little harsh. Computer games are fun and calling someone braind dead just because of what they like is just plain stupid. anyway id right more but well more later

I am 15, luv the mac, and luv gamin, although I am more of a 2D gamer (Escape Velocity etc...)

Ensign

[Geert]

Originally posted by Sun Baked
Offer them a choice

1. Use a Mac and get help on car expenses.
2. Use a PC and get no help on car expenses.

hhmm, intresting, I might just try this one. :p

[Wes]

I'm 15, I'm would get into gaming but my graphite ibook 366 doesn't cut it ne more. I'm waiting for apple to release a G4 ibook or the powerbook to be a reasonable price 4 me and. Then I'll walk over to the closest mac store (50 Yards from my house) and buy black and white and castle wolfenstein.

[Dunepilot]

you're REALLY lucky to be living in London with a Mac store so close! That's a great rarity in this country.

I have a suggestion: why not hold onto your iBook and instead of waiting for a G4 iBook, get hold of the low end new PowerMac they release in July. That way you'll retain your portability and also have a faster machine for games etc. That's what I'm gonna be doing (if I can find the money from somewhere!!:rolleyes: )

[AlphaTech]

Originally posted by MacAztec
I showed my friend iPhoto and iTunes, and he completely fell in love...

Was that when you needed to get the towel to let him 'clean up' his mess??? ;) :eek: :D

At some point, I intend to give my niece a Mac system. I might wait until she can really use it for school and get her an xBook (iBook or PowerBook, not sure and who knows what will be out by then). Of course, I will be the 'free' tech support, just have to get dinner out of any support calls I make (from my sister). I think it will get her (my niece) to really appreciate the Mac, and all it can do. Besides, her father went and purchased a compaq a few years back. There are some games that they have now (for the kids) that cannot run on it. But they ran just fine on my rev. a TiBook and under OS 9. :D

[Ibjr]

Originally posted by Jackonicko
Clarification: Adult Software = Powerpoint, MS Word, Quark, etc.

Ah, real adults use LaTeX and Gimp,

[Sun Baked]

Sort of interesting that the PC has really come full circle now, originally parents brought the beastly things home because they'd be able to do work at home. And every knew that silly Apple ][ was good for nothing but games.

Now that the PC is the game machine supreme, and the networks are so much better at work than at home, game play is now soaking up a lot of the hours at work on the PCs. And everyone knows that the Macs aren't good game machines. :)

But while it's easy to say the PC at my homework, how many teacher would believe the statement "My Mac ate my homework"?

[Anon]

For kids under 10, all you need to do is sit them in front a of Mac thats loaded with some software that they can play with.

For teenagers, show them your iPod and tell them they need a Mac to use it.

[King Cobra]

Originally posted by Ibjr


Ah, real adults use LaTeX and Gimp,

Where can I download that? :D

"For teenagers, show them your iPod and tell them they need a Mac to use it."

Especially until after the Expo. But there is software to use with an iPod for a peecee. IBM has some going around.

But a really cool senario would be someone listening to their iPod while working on a G4 iMac. Everything is white! :eek:

[krossfyter]

advertise a mac being used by the teletubbies or something....maybe the powerrangers. i dont know.i wouldnt want that to happen though. kinda scary.


just give the kid some play doh theyll get busy!!:D

[applesurferrr]

i am 14 years old and last year i was saving me money for a new computer ...my parents who dont no a thing about technolgy would not help me out in anyway(financially) for a computer... so i was all on my own. I wasent sure if i would go mac or pc...i researched both and found out that the PCs specks seemed to look better than that and were cheaper. So then i decided i would buy a PC... then i took a unexpected trip to the apple store that had its grand opening the day i went in...as you may assume i was overwhelmed with amazing computers and i fell in love with the powerbook but i was about 500 short so i bought my ibook 600mgz with a dvd drive and soundsticks... and i am very happy with it...Scence then i have bought web desighn studio whitch included flash 5, dreamweaver, free hand, and fireworks. I have made a few games 1 of them winning a award which led to me bieng in a few magazines. I have just recently bought final cut 3 and a ZR-20 digital camcorder... also i am working on maya. Purchasing the ibook had helped me in very positive ways! next year i will recive an internship to VR1(maker of nightcaster and many other games). I did this all withought any motivation from family.
-cody brown

also this is a little sample of my RPG i have been working on for the past couple of days... www.codycartoon.8m.com/rpg.html (made this in flash5)

[fitzg2md05]

this ones easy. You beat them. A wood spoon works well. As a matter of fact...this approach works with many things. Child wont clean the yard...you beat them. Child wont clean the gutters...you beat them. Child wont eat his spinach...you beat them. You guys must be getting soft on me...I thought this one was obvious

[tjwett]

Originally posted by applesurferrr
i am 14 years old and last year i was saving me money for a new computer ...my parents who dont no a thing about technolgy would not help me out in anyway(financially) for a computer... so i was all on my own. I wasent sure if i would go mac or pc...i researched both and found out that the PCs specks seemed to look better than that and were cheaper. So then i decided i would buy a PC... then i took a unexpected trip to the apple store that had its grand opening the day i went in...as you may assume i was overwhelmed with amazing computers and i fell in love with the powerbook but i was about 500 short so i bought my ibook 600mgz with a dvd drive and soundsticks... and i am very happy with it...Scence then i have bought web desighn studio whitch included flash 5, dreamweaver, free hand, and fireworks. I have made a few games 1 of them winning a award which led to me bieng in a few magazines. I have just recently bought final cut 3 and a ZR-20 digital camcorder... also i am working on maya. Purchasing the ibook had helped me in very positive ways! next year i will recive an internship to VR1(maker of nightcaster and many other games). I did this all withought any motivation from family.
-cody brown

also this is a little sample of my RPG i have been working on for the past couple of days... www.codycartoon.8m.com/rpg.html (made this in flash5)

it's nice to hear there are young people that are as motivated as you are. i wish you lots of luck in your career. see kids...why can't you all be more like cody?

[CountZero]

I think the game argument doesn't wash anymore, especially with XBox. I had used PC since the 8088 days when I was 9 (I think) and 'Switched' 2 months ago. I still use PC for work but when I get home I want to use a computer that works.

Anyway, if the kids when to play games tell them to get a XBox/GameCube/PS2/whatever. Then when they want to use a COMPUTER, give them a Mac. Granted there are games that are on PC or Mac only but if you start early enough I think they won't know:)

[DavPeanut]

Originally posted by Jackonicko
Clarification: Adult Software = Powerpoint, MS Word, Quark, etc.

I'm 14. I use Powerpoint and MS Word. You mean things like FCP and Maya.

[j763]

Games!!! Games!!! Games!!!

I really think that's what is holding Apple back. Most of the time, kids make the decision as to what comp to buy. If Apple could buy out a couple of upcoming games off developers (eg. warcraft3) and make them Mac-Only and advertise them a lot, Apple will quadruple their market share. Apple needs to reinvent their 'image' -- at the moment, lots of kids think of them as colorful pieces of $#!+...

Apple should stop buying Nothing (that will) Real(ly help them for market share) and start buying some games and maybe some developers!!! Market Share will go up and corporate image will be much improved.

that's my 0.02

[Dunepilot]

Originally posted by j763
Games!!! Games!!! Games!!!
Apple should stop buying Nothing (that will) Real(ly help them for market share) and start buying some games and maybe some developers!!! Market Share will go up and corporate image will be much improved.


I posted a while ago bemoaning the failure to capitalise on Mac-centric games developers. Can you imagine how things might have turned out differently if apple had bought out Bungie instead of Micro$haft? Halo would be a mac only killer app as far as the gamers are concerned.

Maybe Ambrosia software would make a good acquisition. Ship every new Mac with a copy of Escape Velocity Nova and a more visually impressive 3D game. This would be a good start

[Nipsy]

Originally posted by fitzg2md05
this ones easy. You beat them. A wood spoon works well. As a matter of fact...this approach works with many things. Child wont clean the yard...you beat them. Child wont clean the gutters...you beat them. Child wont eat his spinach...you beat them. You guys must be getting soft on me...I thought this one was obvious

Now that I've cleaned the laughter spittle off the screens, I would like to let you know:
You are my hero!

[Angelus]

its true that games are no longer really a reason now that we have xbox,gamecube and playstation 2.sure a pc has loads of games but the mac has the best of these games as only the best in most cases get ported.i also read sumthing in a mag about sum new program for the mac that makes it easier to port direct x games.
Anyway,it sounds such a cliché now but the one thing that can influence teenagers like myself(18) is the mac presence in school.our comp.teacher is a pure mac fanatic and is always promoting the benefits of the macintosh.alot of people in my class would disregard this saying "oh macs are so slow"and"there are no games for the mac" but then obviously,the mac is not for them,they dont see the benefits in being able to make and edit movies and then burn them to dvd. thats why im getting a mac this july instead of a pc.i intend to start making movies,take digital photos and il even play a game or too.sure i could do all of that on a pc but when i see a mac i see the ability to let a bit of creativity flow.maybe its the fact that teens these days in general are sorely lacking creativity that they dont see the macs benefits?anyway an example of the above point bout macs in schools is that i made my first movie in school on a power mac and since that day ive wanted one.granted ive no experience in os x but then im willing to learn.i think thats the greatest problem apple faces in trying to convert pc users.people in general are afraid of change,so when apple says"Think different" the obvious reply is often"Why bother?"
thats my two cents and oh by the way july cant come soon enough

[AlphaTech]

While I also think that beatings would help, it's not a long term solution. Look at the people here who were beat as a child, and how f*cked in the head they are today (yes, I am talking about you king cobra and krossfyter :D).

Another problem with beating/disciplining your child today, is chances are some nosey neighbor will report you to the police for it. Then you have to go to court and all that crap. All for trying to keep your child in line. :rolleyes: Then you have to go out and have that neightbor whacked... :D

IF you do beat your child, do it in a way that won't show up in the morning, and do it in the basement where nosey neighbors won't hear you. :D Otherwise, you could become Bubba's new biatch in the big house... :eek: :eek: :D

[Dunepilot]

Originally posted by AlphaTech
While I also think that beatings would help, it's not a long term solution. Look at the people here who were beat as a child, and how f*cked in the head they are today (yes, I am talking about you king cobra and krossfyter :D).

Another problem with beating/disciplining your child today, is chances are some nosey neighbor will report you to the police for it. Then you have to go to court and all that crap. All for trying to keep your child in line. :rolleyes: Then you have to go out and have that neightbor whacked... :D

IF you do beat your child, do it in a way that won't show up in the morning, and do it in the basement where nosey neighbors won't hear you. :D Otherwise, you could become Bubba's new biatch in the big house... :eek: :eek: :D

I know/hope that this is ironic, but it's worrying nonetheless!

[Liamcow]

Ok, i'm a 14 year old "teenager"
the reason i made my parents (PC users) switch me to mac when i was 11 is because they supplied me with horrible computers, so i thought PCs were all like that, so when they brought me to the computer store, i headed straight for the MACS.
So My theory is: if you want your kids to buy a mac, give them a real clunker of a PC and use almost a revers phycology on them:)
That probably made no sense to anyone since this thread is probably not on this topic anymore. lol

[cjw]

I'd just like to mention that I'm a kid (going in to 7th grade) and I'd like to let you know that not all kids prefer peecees. I can't deny the majority do, but there's always hope. Generation X is not hopeless.

[cjw]

I'd just like to mention that I'm a kid (going into 7th grade) and that, while the majority prefer WinDoze, there are some kids who do prefer Macs---generation X isn't hopeless yet.