iggyb said:
Good point, SiliconAddict...
Remember, folks. Even if this rumor turns out to be true, there won't be a huge exodus of Windows users to Macs.
I don't think anyone expected that... but for the costs, it's more reachable than ever before if it does hold true. Some might even buy one just to play around with as a secondary computer for the hell of it, or use as a more secure internet box for getting their email and web surfing, keeping their dedicated PC's offline to keep away from virus concerns. A transition plan can be put into place for those that don't have specialized software that is Windows-only with no compatible alternative on Mac.
Now, for those who use their computer for basic use (surfing the internet, digital photos, writing letters, etc), this would not be a huge change in software. For those who use their machine as a business, then software costs are a huge factor.
Very good point. This could end up being a computer purchased for kids of the family. This could be as I said, an internet computer so as to keep their PC offline and away from spyware, viruses, and adware. Use it as a basic email and internet box of sorts, one that can open some Word documents with Appleworks. It can play MP3's, open .WMV's and .MOV's and Real's format of video. It can serve another role in the household and be an alternative or something merely to play around on. At very worse, if Apple puts it out with a 15" or 17" widescreen LCD as a monitor... it could very well be an expensive multifunction DVD player.
😉
That said, this will create more switchers, and this can turn into a steady growth in marketshare for Mac users. A good thing indeed.
Agreed.
🙂
As for the people you talk to that rebut with "I can still build a cheaper PC", don't even worry about them. They're still waiting for the 99 cent value menu at the 4 star restaurant in their town.
You mean they don't have it yet.
🙁 😉 LoL
The way to look at is this... yes I can even build a cheaper PC than this Mac myself, $85 for a motherboard/processor, $80 for a hard drive, $40 for a decent clone-brand AGP video card (if the motherboard I buy doesn't come with crappy integrated video), $29 for a CD burner or $69 for a dual layer DVD burner, and then for enough RAM to make it worth running... probably $60-100 for 512mb.
Yet... said cheaper PC will not have the security, won't be as efficient, and it won't be as stable after 3 months on the net as said Mac. To run said PC, I also need to purchase a $199 version of XP Pro (Home sucks) SP 2 to be remotely secure from an OS perspective and not be annoyed with the OS trying to do everything for me with no manual override. Plus you need to likely add $65 in Norton Antivirus, Systemworks, and Firewall software to really have a good semblance of protection. It's $149 for a copy of Mac OS X but ::gasp:: it comes with the above-rumored machine for free.
😀
You'll also have peace of mind in knowing that in a few months Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger will be out (perhaps even with a free upgrade?) and that it'll have many of the features promised in Windows Longhorn that's scheduled for 2006. Some of said features have been axed for the 2006 release, and by the time more features are brought to light... Apple might beat them to the punch even there. Firefox is already ahead of IE, in another year it might make IE look ridiculous. Safari is hot on Firefox's heels.
It might not turn the tables overnight... and to go from 2-5% marketshare to 90% isn't even a realistic dream. It can however slowly make inroads if done right. Here's the start... it's just up to Apple to deliver, and to continue on delivering.
