I'd estimate that I've done this at least 2 dozen times. Let's say about 5 minutes per demo, times 24 demos, that's 120 minutes. Two hours of free advertising!
And depending where you live, that's about $20 that you've earned (before taxes), assuming AppleInsider's info on Apple Retail salaries are true.
By the same token, Apple owes me about half a million.
[...]
However all I've got out of the deal so far is a 'free' iMac and some hard-fought discounts.
Everybody seems to think that they're owed something, whether a reward for being "smart" or compensation for being an "enthusiast/evangelist".
Apple owes you nothing. I sell about 5 Apple computers per day with printers, ipods, applecare, you name it..... get nothing but my hourly pay.
According to the NDA that you signed when you were hired, posting to a board like MacRumors can get you fired. It doesn't matter what you're posting about -- it's a blanket policy. (We developers, on the other hand, only get dinged if we post about ADC-exclusive materials.)
I've convinced friends, coworkers, and relatives to go Mac. So maybe Katie has a good point that we ought to be compensated.
If you want to get paid for selling Macs, go apply at your local Apple Store.
Sheesh, I've been "selling" Macs for years -- I've never gotten paid for it, but you don't hear me bellyaching about it.
Do you people also expect that Coke should put you on payroll when you convince a friend to stop drinking Pepsi; do you make your friends and family members pay you a gratuity when you recommend a menu item at a restaurant; do you write letters to film studios demanding a portion of the box office grosses when you suggest that someone go see a film that you liked?
Conversely, you don't have to walk around with your iPhone/iPod/MacBook Pro/etc on display -- you can be discreet and still use them. Once I grew tired of being asked to see my iPod (I bought a 1st Gen within a week of them going on sale and the white headphones attracted a lot of attention on the DC metro), I figured out very quickly how to blend into the crowd when I didn't want to be bothered.
If you want the attention that comes with showing off the newest gadget on the block, then don't complain and don't expect to be rewarded for your bleeding-edginess, either.
If you want to be an evangelist/enthusiast (I am certainly one), more power to you, but don't be obnoxious or elitist.
