B-Rant

- submitted by M.B.Darden on 02/11/2008

Things I Learned At The Apple Store

By M.B.Darden

I stopped by the mall the other day, mainly to pick up a pair of sneakers my wife had ordered. (That's another story, shopping -- even picking up things -- for the wife. It rarely ends well.) Anyway in the mall, I passed an Apple Store. It had recently been renovated, and I had never been there. (In fact, I'd never been in an Apple Store anywhere.)

I went in. First, I'm not a techie or a remotely skilled computer user. I have no strong feelings about Apple. I went in without preconceptions. I went in really to avoid leaving the mall -- it was freezing out & snowing & I was hoping (dreaming) that a few minutes later it would be a lot warmer and not snowing.

Here's what I think I learned or observed or concluded on my first trip to the Apple Store...

1. Michael Dell & Other Consumer PC-Makers: It's Over. Apple Has Won
It may not show up in the numbers, but it will. And the stock price? (Apple's lower than before but way higher than most.) How do I know it's won? I don't. But in my own twisted version of Buffet's maxim -- you learn most about a company through first-hand experience -- a few quick observations....

It was bitter cold, snowing. The mall was quiet. You could actually hear the water streaming from the marble fountain a floor away. But the Apple Store was packed with people--folks laughing, banging keyboards, sampling the rows of gleaming computers and gadgets, like they were in a high tech Disney World fun park. And there were no give-aways, no store discounts; just another (frigidly cold) day at the mall.

These people were not like me--i.e., lazy, biding their time before facing the cold. The lines at the cashier were 10-15 people deep the whole time. People were buying.

For God sakes, people were lining up -- waiting time, 22 minutes -- to get a seat in the Apple "lounge" at the back of the store. What was special there? Nothing. A chance to sit, read some magazines, drink coffee and sample some computer stuff.

At least 4 people told Apple Geniuses (i.e., sales people) they've used Dells over the years, hadn't considered Macs, but now wanted Macs. These were the 4 I heard, in a few minutes; how many more were there?

Three people -- moms -- approached Apple store managers to ask how their kids could become Geniuses. The managers laughed. Their answer: Get in line, there's an application list the size of Montana. The moms did get in line, and signed up their sons.

Think the store's only for teen geeks? (I did.) The people playing were of all ages. Some looked barely 14; others not younger than 70. You have a product or place that teens & geezers both want...you've got a f***ing business!

2. Apple "Geniuses" Are Chick Magnets
Nearly half of them were surrounded by babes almost out of central casting. Local high school or college girls (indie film arty, casual-chic, cool, smart) who couldn't seem to get close enough to them. And the Geniuses, many shy on the surface, were soaking it up. Favoring the girls-women, laughing charmingly and forcing the less hot women (and the guys) clamoring for help to wait.

3. Apple Geniuses Are In Fact Geniuses
Tech geniuses? I have no idea. Sales geniuses? Absolutely. Maybe that's 1 of Jobs' secrets. Get some geeky guys (most Geniuses are guys) who kind of look like the wind might blow them down (but who are in fact "animals"); set them in a store of largely ignorant but open & "monied" tech shoppers & let them "go." I saw a couple Geniuses sell hard core pro-level computers to a couple marks -- guys in rich leather jackets -- who came in looking for low budget notebooks. Another guy who came in just to look around, within minutes was reduced to a quivering near-desperate state-of-the-art desktop buyer. I don't know how they do it exactly -- they are selling stylish, hip-looking and extremely appealing products! -- but they're masters.

4. Bridging The Generation Gap May Be Possible, After All
Gen X, Y, Z, O, whatever. Middle aged geezers were yukking it up with their Geniuses. Hitting keyboards like Herbie Hancock, discovering with joyful amazement invisible cameras embedded in the monitors--slapping backs, laughing. Even the too cool Geniuses seemed to be having some fun. A few cross-generational pairs were fathers and sons. Teens actually showing their dads how to use stuff, acting impatient, sometimes in disbelief at their fathers' stupidity; but also getting a kick out of it all, actually communicating. Apple as a long-needed parenting tool? Probably not. But showing the "art" of the possible in communication? Maybe...

5. Starbucks, Don't Get Too Cocky
Starbucks is retrenching, closing stores in the U.S. (Dell, of course, is closing all its stores.) But that line in the back of the Apple store, for a seat and coffee and magazines? It reminded me of Starbucks a decade or 2 ago. I went back there. I confess: I waited in line. The coffee was great. The chairs were comfortable. The people were relaxed, having fun. Add some muffins and a few other items and, who knows, Apple could sell coffee and style too. (What does Starbucks know about music and books? Nothing, a few years ago. Now they're selling merchandise like the neighborhood Barnes & Noble.)

6. New Best Place To Furnish Your Home
It sounds ridiculous (OK, I'm only 1/4-serious). But, step aside Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Ikea. The chairs in the back of the Apple Store were among the most comfortable I've sat in. No wonder no one wanted to leave, and the wait when I left had grown to 45 minutes. Want a new living room? Go to Apple, check out the sofa manufacturers and you're done. If you buy a new Mac, who knows, maybe Apple will throw in its corporate furniture discount.

7.Black (In fashion) Is Back
Actually, not entirely. Black as cool went out in the 90s. But thanks to Steve Jobs' evident unwavering commitment to black -- there was a photo of him in the store, wearing the black turtle-neck thing you often see him in -- it may make a more formal fashion comeback. All the store managers were in black and some of the Geniuses. They looked silly - the Jobs uniforms; like, what the f***, anyone tell you the 90s are over, you can dress in colors, even white? But by the time I left I was thinking, you know what, I liked my black turtlenecks back then, I'd probably like them now. They were simple, they went with everything; and, most important, when they got dirty, no one could tell.

8. I'm A Lot Less Savvy And Smart Than I Thought
OK, I'm an idiot, a near retard with no self-control. You know that guy I mentioned above, who went in with no intent to buy anything but just to chill? I was that guy too. But after relaxing in the lounge, I approached one of the Geniuses, just to ask a few questions. I told him I'd been buying Dells for the past 12 years. He laughed. (Not a cheerful laugh, a disdainful laugh.) He showed me this "basic" desktop system with a 24-inch monitor whose images looked more vivid than my new Sony HDTV flat screen TV. I told him I just bought a new desk top 6 months ago and it did everything I needed it to do. He said, what do you need it to do? I said, basically, Word, Excel, surf the net, etc. He said, you have no idea how much you could be doing. (He said this with a straight face and, while part of me wanted to smash that face for its pretentiousness, another part was intrigued, eager...Of course I wanted to do more, who doesn't?)

He said, "this" system--iMac 2.8GHz--was the least I should be using &, unlike my current system, it would last at least 2-3 years (a lifetime today). And it only cost $2300, he said.

I had gone to the mall to pick up my wife's sneakers. I had no need for a new computer -- I thought. It would be crazy to buy this thing. But the Genius, seemingly already abandoning me, was playing with some images and videos on the screen, simultaneously interweaving them, then dragging stuff from one section to another...and it was so...cool, beautiful. It looked so...fun.

When I got home, and I hauled the boxes into the den, my wife simply shook her head. Then she made a few critical comments -- of course, she didn't understand. Then she asked where I put her sneakers, I probably left them in the car.

I said no, I didn't; I reacted indignantly. I hadn't left them in the car. I hadn't picked them up at all. Sneakers? Who gives a crap about sneakers when you can get a computer system that has everything built into a massive -- yet light -- monitor that displays images more brilliant than I'd ever seen and which, I was almost certain, my friend Jack's son (14, going on 25) would be in awe over. And, I thought, if I play my cards right, I could probably get the brat to come over and actually download some of those games he and his friends are obsessed with and, you know what, are going to look damn good on my new computer.

I went back to the mall a few hours later; I got the sneakers. And, definitely Jack's kid was psyched to come over. The challenge, Jack said, was going to be to get him to leave. As for my next trip to the Apple Store? I'll give it some time. Although now that I think about it, my notebook is pretty heavy, and the ones at the store looked awfully light and easy to carry. And I know there's been a lot of criticism of the new feather-weight MacBook Air, but it is really light and it's unbelievably thin and it looks pretty cool, and...did I say that it looks really light?...

M.B.Darden has written for numerous magazines and newspapers (some of which you have heard of). He has had more jobs in the media & entertainment & financial industries than he can remember (i.e., he's been fired a lot, but then often inexplicably rehired). He lives in the burbs somewhere in the Northeast, with his family and, he says, within 30 minutes of 14 shopping malls. ...read more rants

• Get it off your chest

Avoiding the Starbucks Curse

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/11/2008

As long as Apple stays away from gross smelling breakfast sandwiches and doesn't provide a bathroom for every indigent person for miles, they have a chance of avoiding the Starbucks curse.

After all, unlike Starbucks they can't bring back their founder. They did that trick already.

It must be true

- submitted by well then on 02/12/2008

Apple must have won because the genius who writes for "burbia.com" declares it so. Puh-leeeze.

Youre a moron.

- submitted by you said it yourself. on 02/12/2008

"I'm A Lot Less [Savvy And] Smart Than I Thought"

Saying Apple has won proves this.

lol wut games?

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

You'll be lucky...

Well this is another website

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

Well this is another website I will not read again. Thank you.

Article summed up in 2 lines.

- submitted by ha! on 02/12/2008

"I'm A Lot Less Savvy And Smart Than I Thought."

"OK, I'm an idiot, a near retard with no self-control."

And we're supposed to believe this drivel you write about, self-titled retard? Go find some play-dough or something, leave thinking to the big boys.

padjav

- submitted by poon-jab on 02/12/2008

Your a friggin moron, could you use anymore stereotypes to cast people at the apple store?

I have had much different experience's, I am not an apple fan boy but do enjoy their products(I am in IT), and on top of it... I bet my mac geniuses could beat up yours.... most of them are not your classic computer geek... but certainly not in the shining spot light of every 'high-schooler, and college goer' in the store... get out some more man, your missing out on alot of life it sounds like.

your font suck

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

your light gray font suck. It is hard to read. I got bored

The Furniture

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

I looked into getting our kids one of those "ball"-ish chairs that they have at the kids table. They're Italian. $800.

Ugh.

Haha you got played

- submitted by Nitai on 02/12/2008

Everything your new Mac can do, a PC can do.

Video Editing? PC can do it.

Photos? PC can do it.

Websites? Psh, you don't even have to have any specific OS to do that now, theres tons of websites out there with ready to build templates

Music? Uh.. theres itunes for pc to.

Games? This is the main reason I play games. I gurantee your Mac won't run the best there is for games in 2-3 years. My new 1500 dollar computer can play the best of the best right now but it won't be able to in probably a year. I mean i'll be able to play it but not maxed out.

Apple has not won. They have created a Niche. They have also mislead millions of people with their commercials. Everything a Mac can do a PC can do and potentially better.

"Hi I'm a Mac" "And I'm a

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

"Hi I'm a Mac" "And I'm a PC" "Hey PC what are you doing?" "Right Clicking" "*#&%@)$@#"

Embarrassing to read

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

If you must write a polarising article, at least use credible arguments and reason.

"At least 4 people told Apple..."

What, 4 people in 10 minutes? an hour? A week? This kind of anecdotal evidence would fail a first year journalism stuident. Hell, in high school that would be marks off any paper.

I cringed while reading this.

Good luck

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

"...download some of those games he and his friends are obsessed with and, you know what, are going to look damn good on my new computer"

You just bought an Apple, theres a good chance those games won't work at all.

are you kidding me? first

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

are you kidding me? first off (only 2300$) is a lot of money for a PC these days. you can buy a gaming PC (twice the power as that one) for the same price, and guess what? you can play games!

your logic is completly flawed. of COURSE people are going to be pro mac in a MAC store. im not even going to bother finishing, this article is attrocious.

Uh-oh!

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

Uh-oh! Looks like you upset all the Windows fanboys! Run! FLEE!

idiocy

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

you are the biggest idiot ever... idiocy is an understatement.

i have never read anything more ignorant, and factually inaccurate as this article. Burbia Media has lost all credibility, and this is the first article i've ever read on this website.

Wow, just skimming the article again, I am amazed that non-technical abominations like are given opportunities to publish materials on the internet. This article had as much useful content as apple computers give flexibility to software programmers, meaning 0.

Prepare to be fired, permanently this time.

WTF FTW

- submitted by Christie on 02/12/2008

What is with the comments to this article?? While I am not a mac person myself, that has nothing to do with it. You are reading about his own experience in an Apple store, he is not trying to convince you to buy one, geez.

Why is he an idiot for this? Makes no sense.

Personally, I found the article to be witty and humorous, even ignoring the Mac talk. You people just need to chill.

And if you stop reading this entire site because of this one article? You have serious issues that need to be addressed in the real world.

right click

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

"Hi I'm a Mac" "And I'm a

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

"Hi I'm a Mac" "And I'm a PC" "Hey PC what are you doing?" "Right Clicking" "*#&%@)$@#"

You are an idiot, Mac's can right click and have been able to for a very long time. Stupid PC users, I really do feel bad for you people.

"Games? This is the main reason I play games. I gurantee your Mac won't run the best there is for games in 2-3 years. My new 1500 dollar computer can play the best of the best right now but it won't be able to in probably a year. I mean i'll be able to play it but not maxed out."

It called a video game console. They last longer than a year, look better than a PC game, and wait for it, they actually have GAMES TO PLAY. All good games for PC are already on or will be on the Xbox 360/PS3.

Like I said before, stupid PC users.

Looks like the...

- submitted by Alveric on 02/12/2008

NASCAR, Bud swilling, BBQ chicken munching, bubba crowd didn't agree with your article much. Typical of them.

You do make some silly presumptions. Geniuses (which is just an arrogant job title to begin with) are, in my experience, not really all that genius nor do they qualify as "babe magnets".

On the other hand your observations are pretty accurate to some extent. To say Apple has won is a bit ahead of the curve, it's hard to raise the banner of victory when your market share is still in single digits. However, within the next year or so their market share will cross the crucial 10% point (in PCs) which is critical for firmware developers (read games).

With Apple's switch to a UNIX-based OS it is much easier to port games (or programs) (or develop directly) for the Macintosh OS, it just hasn't been economical. Apple has done an excellent marketing strategy of refocusing the company from simply computers to technology (iPod, iPhone, AppleTV (wait to see how big this becomes when the next generation has either the cable card or subscription capabilities directly with HBO (hint - check out Apple's recent patents)) placing Apple products at the center of your entertainment and digital life. And Apple products just work, seamlessly, for the most part plug and play.

Hitting the 10% plateau will make it economical for developers to create directly for the platform or port their products over to the Mac. More products (especially games) and the natural tie in with the other brand products means more sales of laptops and desktops, which means more programs and so on.

It is conceivable for Apple to have a 15-20% share within the next decade. And for the Bubba crowd, Apple really doesn't care about you, you're not their target audience, it is a boutique product, priced on the high end for a purpose. Jobs is more than happy to let Dell and Gateway have your business, he's got bigger (richer) eggs to fry.

Macs have a right-click Macs

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

Macs have a right-click Macs are easy to use...and much easier to understand for the "retards" of this world and thats what they are designed for...

all their hardware is faulty laptop shit and they OS is just a dumbed down version of Unix with a fancy GUI...

Leopard is the biggest pile of shit in the world....it has so many damn problems that it doesnt even qualify as a damn OS anymore...

in short....any one who buys an apple is a fucking moron...

Apple is FAR from winning... but through their viral marketing and benign techie-plagarism they do stand a chance against the slowly dying M$ empire

ALSO...id like to add....i own 6 macs, two PCs (one windows one linux)...and on top of all this....i work for an apple store...

moron

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

"in short....any one who buys an apple is a fucking moron..."

Well than sir you are a fucking moron, please no more comments from you.

"all their hardware is faulty laptop shit and they OS is just a dumbed down version of Unix with a fancy GUI..."

Faulty laptop shit, really? Thats why the MacBook Pro was the fastest Vista laptop? Their hardware is not faulty, and just because the iMacs and Mac mini use laptop parts doesn't mean there shitty computers. There built that way for a reason to be small. I don't think the Mac Pro uses laptop parts, it might be a little big for that.

Please, when are people going to learn

- submitted by Gabriel on 02/12/2008

Listening to the PC fan boys is almost as much fun as listening to the Mac fan boys. Really people, have you ever even used a Mac, I mean really used a Mac? You know what most people don't care about, games. This is why Apple doesn't care.

If you want to play games, buy a PS3, XBox, Wii, whatever system you like. If all you do on your computer is play games, then you really can't talk about "using" a computer. I run Windows, 3 flavors of Linux, and I own 3 Macs. Every day after spending 8 hours on my Windows PC at work, I long for the productive and enjoyable experience of my Mac. All day I'm forced to deal with a computer that is "in my way", keeping me from doing my work, not helping me do it.

As for "right clicking," any Mac can right click, obviously you've never used a Mac. It's right in the mouse preference pane. You know what, you don't need a right click, if the OS doesn't hide everything from the user.

Don't get me wrong, there are things I would love to change about my Mac. Every "system" by definition, has problems. Are there things I would change? Sure. But, you know what? Those things don't prevent me from working and enjoying my Macs.

When it's all said and done, a computer is just a tool, and right now, Apple makes a really good tool. If you would have asked me 5 years ago, who made a better tool, I would have said the Linux community. If you would of asked me in 1995 or 1998, I would have said Microsoft. Apple understands its users, both new and old. This is something that the Linux community has never understood, and that Microsoft often seems to forget.

Is Apple going to win? What would it mean to win? There would be no competition, that doesn't sound like a good idea, does it? Pick the tool that works for you. If that tool is a PC and Windows, then great, run with that. If that tool is Linux, then please you, use it, and support the community. If that tool is a Mac, good for you, Steve (and Apple stockholders) loves you. Just remember, that every tool is a hammer, when all you see is nails. If all you do all day is pound screws with a hammer, maybe it's time to find a screw driver, no matter whose brand name is along the side of the handle.

What?

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

This is the dumbest thing I've ever read

Yep

- submitted by Dude, Im getting a dell on 02/12/2008

"OK, I'm an idiot, a near retard with no self-control."

And you're the perfect pawn for Apple. I just bought a new laptop, am waiting for it to be delivered today in fact - and I am a techie, 15 years in IT. I bought a Dell. Why? Because to have the same hard drive size, processor speed, amount of ram and graphics it would have been a $4000 MacBook Pro. My cost? $1800.

Apple is akin to fascism "You need what we say you need". The fallacy with Windows and the PC is the fact that it has to be able to handle video cards made by 50 different companies, not 1 as in Apple's case.

So, seriously, Apple won't win - that pretentious fascist bullshit doesn't work well beyond the yuppies that just HAVE to have a pretty computer.

Though I'll admit, the Mac Mini is pretty sweet, I like mine. I also like my iMac. But there was no way in hell I was buying a mac laptop - that's nothing but a fashion accessory.

Games

- submitted by riiight on 02/12/2008

Games do NOT look better on a console than on a PC. Maybe they look better on a console than they do on a Mac, I don't know, I use my Mac to score all the hot chicks that are attracted to people with money, because you have to have money to play with a Mac.

You think people don't care about games played on a computer? Have you *heard* of something called World of Warcraft? 10 million subscribers...yeah, no one cares...

New Slogan: "Macs are for Morons"

- submitted by Ha ha on 02/12/2008

Everyone complaining about using their PC all day, and it getting in the way, then going home to the heaven of Apple - are you people idiots?

Seriously?

I'm sorry you're not bright enough to properly use a PC and have to come running back to your point & click Mac, with only Apple approved accessories, with limited expansion (Have a Mac Pro desktop and want the new graphics card? Sure, $300 for the card + $129 for the upgrade kit. Fuck you Jobs, you can take my Mac Pro and shove it up your ass - I bought into the hype, and feel stupid for doing so)

Oh, wait, bashing MS and the PC makers - the ones that bailed Apple out of near bankruptcy and drove the cost of PCs down, if the 'cool' thing to do.

Whatever, take your Frappucino and your iPhone and bugger off.

Genius

- submitted by Alphab on 02/12/2008

Interesting story!

Just one comment : not all Apple employees are "Geniuses". Only the ones in charge of technical assistance located behind the Genius Bar are. The others employees are just "sales" guys. I mean shopping assistants, of course ;-)

Actually...

- submitted by Björn on 02/12/2008

Actually I think it was pretty entertaining and I do recognize that feeling of "WOW" when going into a store. To be overwhelmed. Be it any store. Any chrome, glass, large screens, who doesn't feel an urge to shop:)

Cheers Björn

And...

- submitted by Björn on 02/12/2008

As for the comments on Mac users being less tech savy. I would say Macs are for powerusers as much as anything. I bought a mac because I loved the "unix experience" of freebsd but was missing out on a nice gui (at the time, now kde 4 and gnome are as user friendly mostly).

//Björn

This is an observational

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

This is an observational piece and not intended to be deep analysis. As a 20-year user of both PCs and Macs daily, I would agree with the basic premise that Apple products overall simply have far more "cred" than ever before, thanks to the iPod. Better or worse? Who cares? I don't drive the same car as my friends and don't wear the same clothes as my friends. Use your brains and do a little research when making any major purchase.

The guy is an idiot not

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

The guy is an idiot not because of his thoughts on the Apple store, anyone can be caught up in the Apple brand and marketing, I was and almost bought one of those $2500 MacBook Pros, then I too realized I could get a MUCH better machine for about a $1000 less if I got a Dell XPS laptop, which I did. This guys problem is that he went to the mall for sneakers and came home with a $2300 impulse buy because (surprise) the guy in the store told him its what he needed! The guy in the Apple store just used his commission from this guy to buy a better Dell when he got home!

Poor Windoze Fanbois

- submitted by Tim on 02/12/2008

Wake up kiddies - this article is happening to THOUSANDSupon THOUSANDS of people across the world and your sorry asses don't even know it. How sad.

A revolution happening in front of your ugly little virus-infected windoze fanboi faces andit's passing you buy. You should be embarrassed.

Save up your welfare checks and buy a Mac and open your eyes you dumbass sorry losers.

haha

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

Don't you sorry windoze losers realise that Macs can run your diabolical OS too? All your games?

Macs run MUCH more software than your cruddy out of date junk AND without viruses and spyware.

By a virus-riddled software-limited pile of crud if you want - it probably suits you PERFECTLY.

Those of us who know better will buy Macs.

Choice is good

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

I`m just happy there`s a choice be it Linux, OSX or Windows. MS is not the only game in town and people are realizing this. Be thankful folks that platforms and companies are constantly competing for your hard earned dollar each striving to improve their products, in this environment the consumer wins.

Enjoy your new Mac

poor, sorry

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

this typeface in light grey is so lame... makes me sleeepeeeee.......

Nitai is an idiot!

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

"Everything your new Mac can do, a PC can do."

Wrong on the most basic level. Mac's can run OS X and all OS X software. PeeCee's can not. Mac's can also run Windoze and all Windoze software - FASTER than a PeeCee. That makes the Mac the most capable computer.

"Video Editing? PC can do it."

No one said they couldn't. On a Mac, it's easier and more enjoyable an experience.

"Photos? PC can do it."

Yeah. My cousin, the Neurosurgeon did that, too. Then is precious PeeCee got a virus and the "experts" had to reformat his drive. He lost all of his family photos forever. I'm sure EVERYONE know a poor Windoze sufferer with a similar story.

"Websites? Psh, you don't even have to have any specific OS to do that now, theres tons of websites out there with ready to build templates"

A template will still require hours of manual labor to populate a gallery and keep it up to date. iWeb works TOGETHER with the other Apple Apps like iPhoto to automatically build these. The whole experience is greater than the sum of it's parts.

"Music? Uh.. theres itunes for pc to."

You can thank Apple for their generosity, then. The poor PeeCee sufferers had nothing stable for using with the Apple iPods they were buying in droves. Apple decided to give them a little taste of how beautiful it is when things just work.

Suppose you are more creative, though. Your precious PeeCee can not run GarageBand and there is nothing remotely like it for the PeeCee.

Spoken like a true 13 year old!

"Apple has not won. They have created a Niche."

Yes. A niche of the smartest, wealthiest, most creative people in the world. Please, stay with your PeeCee.

"They have also mislead millions of people with their commercials. Everything a Mac can do a PC can do and potentially better."

Well, I've already proven that statement to be wrong. I think you're the one who has been "mislead" - mostly by your english teacher.

RE: haha

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

Listen, I run a PC. I can pick and choose pretty much any OS I want. It's not now nor has ever been an issue. And hardware? I've pretty much got my run of open compatibility. Macs are great at what they do. They just are'nt PC's. They are not a viable purchase for someone wanting a really cheap, easy to support and upgradeable home computer. And cheap is one of the first modifiers there so no matter how close you draw the parallels on the other factors you cant skip round the vast pricing difference. I manage a medium sized hardware and systems retailer in my city and have had to ban Mac users from purchasing from my store. Reasons include: RAM which works with over 99% of PC systems wont work with Macs. Hard drive enclosures, wont work with mac but do on every kind of PC we try. And Mac users keep coming in to repeat by hardware that their machine wont run because the official Apple stores are "Too expensive". It's a sad day when I have to exclude some of my customer base, but it's better than them clogging up my store telling me products should work on their system (when they obviously dont) and it must be our hardwares fault (even though it runs on every other PC).

And for clarity, PC indicates generic x86/64 tech running a variety of microsoft/unix/linux/solaris based systems. Mac users should know better than to confuse a PC user with a windows user.

There is no good Windows machine.

- submitted by Say no to Dull on 02/12/2008

You guys call this guy an idiot, yet you compare a crappy Dell to a Mac and claim the Dell is better? Or cheaper?!! No PC is cheaper. I have one that I won as a door prize. It's the most costly computer I've ever owned! Constant problems cost money. So does antivirus software, not to mention the cost when it fails. And don't get me started on productivity! Windows is constantly in the way. Everything is two or three steps more than it should be, and the system tray is just another place for popup windows!

Make the switch to the Mac and you'll save yourself 4 to 8 hours per week of struggling with your computer.

Its Over. Mac has Won

- submitted by Jon T on 02/12/2008

Get used to it, that's reality!

Windows is only OK for people still living in the 90's, unaware that we're now in the 21st century...

Defending Windows over Mac a sign of mental illness

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

Enjoy!!.....

http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/490/opinion/

:-)

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

Spot on - amen!

And all the windoz-kidz... well, what can I say: LOL

Mac will rule the world

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

Please!!!! I have been a PC user for 15+ years and an IT professional and a Mac user for 3 months... Macs freakin rock!!!! I can't believe I put up with Microsoft BS for sooooo long. Vista is a joke, a bad copy of OSX Tiger. Mac will over take all PC sales in less then 3 years. See ya microsoft!!!

people amaze me

- submitted by dumb a$$e$ on 02/12/2008

wow these posted comments from stupid retarded people really make me feel better! Nitai you are an idiot, did you even read your comment? You contradict yourself half way though and the rest of you, wow talk about no lives, apples are just blowing pcs out of the water and right now there is no looking back, I have had my mac for 8 years now, upgraded once used it all through college and for another 4 years after, i have NEVER reformatted it, NEVER had a virus and I download stuff all the time from the web. Yeah lets a a PC that we will have to trouble shoot all the time. Not worth it, just like reading your posts

Start saving!

- submitted by Vertti on 02/12/2008

It wont take long when your wife also wants a new Mac ;)

And welcome to the better world!

Truth

- submitted by FactChecker on 02/12/2008

The comments here prove that Mac users have made conscious technology choice and are therefore better informed.

"Ignorance is bliss" ought to be Microsoft's company motto.

Someday we'll all laugh about how the vast majority of the world had at one time ended up on the worst possible platform.

Why do PC users get so upset

- submitted by Angry Sheep on 02/12/2008

Why do PC users get so upset when somebody switches to Mac and enjoys the experience? It's an opinion - not an insult flung at your whore sister for crying out loud!

Years using Mac: 22 Viruses: 0 Satisfaction: 100%

Why do PC users get so upset

- submitted by Angry Sheep on 02/12/2008

Why do PC users get so upset when somebody switches to Mac and enjoys the experience? It's an opinion - not an insult flung at your whore sister for crying out loud!

Years using Mac: 22 Viruses: 0 Satisfaction: 100%

@ Defending....

- submitted by Anonymous on 02/12/2008

Yup Stockholm syndrome indeed!!! Beautifully written HA HA!

Funny Article, Strange Reactions!

- submitted by Mr. Reeee on 02/12/2008

Wow the venom being spewed by the PC users is pretty unbelievable.

The guy's not being anti-Microsoft or Windows, he's surprised the he actually bought a new Mac on a whim and loves it.

BTW, if you want to run your Windows games on a Macintosh, you can actually install and run Windows on any current Mac because they ALL use Intel processors.

There are actually THREE ways to run Windows:

1. Using Apple's Boot Camp and your current Windows (any flavor) installer disk, you can install XP and boot directly into it, then boot back into Mac OS X.

2. Using virtualization, you can run ANY flavor of Windows, or Linux, simultaneously with Mac OS X using either Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion. Same deal with your copy of Windows.

3. There's even a thing called CrossOver that can run some applications in Mac OS X without installing Windows at all.

Some of you folks need to chill out, leave your mom's basement and get laid.

PC Morons

- submitted by Bill on 02/12/2008

It seems a lot of ignorant people have commented here. Too bad they're in denial and will probably continue to worship their Windows PCs. Sure, Windows can do most everything the Mac can do... in some areas more... However, I've used both for years and the Mac OS is way more intuitive, there are less problems and the virus hassle is non-existent. The beauty is that you can run Windows on your Mac if you absolutely need to, but everyone I know who has recently switched ends up migrating over to use only the Mac. Many Windows users are either switching back to XP or moving to Mac and that says a lot about Vista and today's Microsoft.

Enjoy your new computer(s).