[Ti] Re: PowerBook competition

[Tarik Bilgin]

On 22 Sep 2005, at 02:01, Chris Olson wrote:

> When the G5 was introduced all I saw was some poor dude getting  
> blown out the side of his house and smacked into a tree.  I have  
> yet to see Apple actually advertise Mac OS in recent times.
>

Well said Chris, this has been my thoughts exactly for some time.  
Microsoft run full page adverts in magazines, posters at bus  
shelters, and everywhere else  constantly focussing on why their OS  
is so great. Of course that is Microsoft's flagship product (whereas  
Apple's is (sadly) an MP3 player and Music Library software).

Let me throw in a real world example about Notebook marketing.

I was visiting my father just one week ago. He has used notebooks for  
the last ten years, grew up with DOS and (eventually) learnt windows  
and at one point had an Apple Cube on his desk though he always  
struggled with Mac OS 9.

He asks me which notebook he should buy, as he is ready to replace  
his tattered Asus. I look up from my Powerbook and state that clearly  
the best choice is a Powerbook, but that if he doesn't want Mac OS X  
then he should look at IBM, Samsung, Toshiba.

A few days later and a notebook salesman has arrived in his office,  
carrying the latest and greatest of the PC notebook world. My father  
settles on a 17 inch widescreen Toshiba Satellite, which features  
Harman Kardon speakers and a clear emphasis on design and looks and  
usability for the hardware. But everyone agrees that my lowly  
Powerbook 15 incher is the clear winner in terms of "what it looks  
like"....which is a major factor for a businessman (or anyone) buying  
a notebook.

Everyone comments that "it's a shame it doesn't run windows". I try  
to explain that OS X is possibly the most secure and hassle-free  
platform for a desktop computer out there at the moment. Everyone  
nods but they add. "Yes but the problem is Apple don't really have a  
presence in Turkey. And none of our [technical] staff have a clue  
about OS X".

--

Cut to one day later. I am spending the best part of 5 hours  
installing and trying to get  to work a PCMCIA bluetooth card with  
(typically) badly written drivers because Toshiba were too lazy,  
cheap or stupid to put a bluetooth device into one of their top model  
computers. I think to myself "I wouldn't be doing this on a mac".

The problem IS the marketing side of things of the OS imo. Apple have  
a great OS here. OK it has an awful Finder that is almost impossible  
to use (why i invested in Launchbar 3 years ago), but other than that  
is simply the best computer user experience I have ever had. Oh and I  
can run X11 and *nix applications on here too....oh and it has a  
security model that is streets ahead of XP. Oh and we don't have ton  
of malware or viruses floating around to test that model either. Oh  
and Apple users and companies always have a tendency to try to  
provide quality solutions rather than producing any old crap and  
shoving it in your face. And guess what -- every peripheral I use on  
my system "just works".

I could go on ad nauseam, but why aren't Apple focussing on these  
totally good reasons for buying a Mac? A big black poster with an X  
on it appeals only to the Mac junkies like us. It's about time Apple  
start to reach out to the masses with some hard hitting marketing  
campaigns.

--
Tarik