Re: Bad old days
I doubt many salesmen will actually try to talk a PC buyer INTO a mac, even if the primary use for the computer will be digital video, etc. [/B][/QUOTE]
youre absoulutely right. on top of that we also have to ask ourselves this question-in the world of consumer electronics, which items sell more?
The BEST which are the most expensive(macs), the mid priced items that are pretty good(p4), or the really dirt cheap items that any consumer knows are cheap(celeron)?
-the midpriced sells more. I mean come on, how many people actually buy computers from Best Buy? Just look at the stores inventory. There is a bigger selection of kitchen appliances then there are computers. Most people who go in to Best Buy with thoughts of perhaps purchasing a computer there probably dont know much about buying computers, and most likely are not power users. Every Mac power user I know get there macs from either apple store, online, or mac specialty store. Every PC power user I know assemble there own PC's or maybe from dell or frys.
So all of the other consumers probably dont really know what they want. They just want something to plug into the wall and "go on e mail." These people are not power users who are very particular about what they put on their desks or in the overhead bin. These are people who for what they want to buy a computer for- a cheap pc WOULD be the best economical buy. Seeing how they will only be on it 1 or 2 times a week to get on the net or mild video and pics. THESE are the people who go into Best Buy looking for a computer. Why do they go into best buy? Because 'they sell electronics there.' These people would glance at the mac area, see how cool the computers look and be attracted. Then they will open up explorer, or word-because thats basically all they would ever really use. Then they would look at the price and gasp. After which they will browse the pc section, and open up explorer or word and experience the same exact thing. What would they say to the 1000 dollar cheaper price tag? Well they would obviously go with the pc.
It is so difficult for Apple to sell in a place like this because all the glitter and glitz of any buying experience can not correctly display what is REALLY the difference between macs and pc's. The only way any one can ever truly discover what the difference is, is by becoming a slave to the windows platform-doing what it wants you to do-downloading drivers from some website because the included cd rom doesnt happen to work with your HP.
You can not experience the pain and suffering of owning a PC as opposed to the productive, and fun environment of the mac by browsing a mac section then a pc section at Best Buy.
I think that Apple needs to come up with a better strategy to lure switchers-one that can display the REAL difference between macs and pc's.
Something other than "it just works," or "macs are so much easier"
In fact I hate that term. It really makes it sound like Macs are for those who dont understand computers, instead of identifying the fact that it is not that they are designed for computer illiterate. If you look at those two common descriptions of macs, you can see their roots. They are in reference to pc's. Meaning they just work-unlike a pc. Meaning they are so much easier-as opposed to a pc.
