Apple need to approach the task by giving reasons that Macs are
better than Windows PC's.
And they don't.
They focus on features which are, in general, as good as a Windows PC and think that is going to make them overcome the inertia of finding an Apple dealer or website compared to the generic PC which is on every street corner.
Top Ten Reasons to Switch
1. The Mac ... it just works - ½ point
You learnt where your programs were, you learn where you documents were, now we've put them somewhere else.
Change has to be
as painless as possible, and despite having a mac I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner computer user unless they have absolutely no Windows experience. This means a 'start' menu, 'programs' folder and *shudder* even My Documents, or at least a Windows theme. Look who's gaining desktop share : do-it-my-way Mac or bend-over-backwards-to-accommodate-windows Linux?
½ point for the driver stuff assuming my personal experience with printers is not entirley representative.
2. It doesn't crash - 0 points
zzzzzzzzz ... no less than Windows2000 or Windows XP. So what?
3. Simply the best in Digital Music - 0 points
Yes, a player with a battery that won't last a long haul flight. Downloadable music you can't listen to on any other player. Some reasonable software. All also available on Windows. D'oh!
4. The missing link in digital photography - ½ point
Not substantially better than XP. Experience certainly varies.
5. Your own digital entertainment centre - ½ point.
No arguments about the software and ease of use. Lose ½ point for constantly trying to find codecs for movies that 'just worked' under windows and the failure to find a full screen mode in QT. God that's embarassing.
6. Goes everywhere you go - ½ point
So do PC laptops and they are smaller and lighter and the batteries can be every bit as good. And yes they can change all those settings. Yes without rebooting. ½ point for the superb 12" iBook at a mere £800
7. It's built for the internet - ½ point
Is this really worth commenting on? They don't even bother mentioning viruses, spyware and such like, which is worth a point (assuming the computer buyer is experienced enough to know about them but inexperienced enough not to know how to deal with them). Cut half a point for the foot-shooting malware omission and blatant deceipt about ready for wifi - you are not ready without a wireless NIC, grrrr!
8. Office is Office and then some - 0 points
And thanks to exclusive features, the Mac versions improve on their Windows counterparts ... like what? Thus far they seem about the same apart from a few characters changing from a windows powerpoint on a mac.
Again, give me a reason Apple is
better, not the same. I already have Office, I got it as a deal with my PC, will you give me a free upgrade, Mr. Gates? And what's the deal with those floating toolbars? I want my familiar office back please ... stop confusing me!
9. Works effortlessly with PCs - 0 points.
By and large, PCs work effortlessly with PCs. By and large Macs work effortlessly with PCs. So, why change?
10. It's Beautiful - 1 point.
Subjective but I would like to think the majority think Macs look better. Obviously this alone is worth 10 points in some quarters
3½ out of 10 for their own arguments.
I don't get out of bed for less that 7 let alone down to the computer store.
(and not one of the reasons I chose a Mac is metioned, but I don't think that unix-on-a-laptop is going to be that great a marketing tool)