Reasons why many do NOT switch to Apple

OK, I admit this sounds like hysterical ranting especially from someone who writes on a Macintosh biased site. Bear with me a moment.

First off, you must turn off your blinders. There are people out there who for whatever reason don’t like Apple. Many of these people are well educated, know computers very well, and are able to put together more than two sentences without saying “um”, “ya know”, or “like” as thought gatherers before moving on to their next topic.

Their reasons for not buying or even trying the Mac O/S range from replacing software that they are comfortable with, lack of Mac support for a favorite application, investment in their current hardware, lack of knowledge of the benefits of O/S X in comparison to whatever version of Windows they are running, and so on. So be it. They will continue with their choice because it is what suits them. At least they have valid and well thought out arguments for staying with Windows. I wish them the best of luck and Godspeed. Then there is the second type.

These people as well are not stupid. Many of them are System Administrators or IT professionals of one kind or another. They depend on Microsoft for their very livelihoods and if Windows wasn’t so screwed up from a security standpoint, many of them would not be in their chosen field. As long as Corporate America sticks to using the security hole ridden OS known as Windows, they have gainful employment. Look at it this way. It’s a defense mechanism. If you were a seller of fruit (Lets call them Mangos. I don’t like Mangos) that was infested with, say worms, wouldn’t you put the best spin on it you could? You would be shouting out about the benefits of worm-infested Mangos. The extra vitamins and minerals gained by ingesting worm-infested Mangos. About how whole cultures consider them a delicacy. The ability to multi-task worm-infested Mangos into going fishing on weekends. Screaming that EVERYONE else is enjoying the versatility of worm-infested Mangos and that anyone who doesn’t like them is most likely a communist and their sexual identity should be called into question.

I see it this way, if your continued financial success depended on selling rotten Mangos, you would look on fresh fruit without worms as being a threat. Many of these types of people are afraid of Apple. Most of them condemn the platform without ever having really tried it. You won’t change the opinions of these people. No matter what logic you apply, the moment Apple computers are mentioned; little invisible men start shouting BLAH, BLAH, BLAH in their ears until you go away.

Lastly, there are the Geeks and Freaks. I classify Geeks as people who (for whatever reason) enjoy spending a lot of time researching, buying and building their own computers. They will agonize for days over what graphics card to buy, what pin lay-out the processor slot uses on varied motherboards, what wattage rating the power supply should have. Whether or not the ATX tower they want allows for fluorescent lights to be installed (and if they can make the intensity of the light change based on hard drive usage) so the case will glow in the dark. They know intimately what resistors to clip to overclock their machine to the point of meltdown for that extra 3% performance gain. They claim they do it because they can build their own computer for less money than buying it from some corporate entity. This is bunk. They do it because they enjoy it. They like the smell of solder in the morning (It smells likevictory). They feel it puts them in a different league than those who simply pop over to Best Buy or CompUSA and plunk down a credit card. If taken to its logical conclusion, they really aren’t saving any money. The one thing never factored into these people’s calculations is the time required to research, order, and piece together the Frankenstonian creations they build. Well, OK. If they consider their time worthless, who am I to argue?

The Geeks however seem to be split into two different camps. Some use Windows and have done the homework necessary to make it as secure online as is possible. They have all the various patches and updates backed up on CD-ROM, so when they start building another machine, they can spend the days and hours required updating their most likely pirated OEM copy of Windows for their next uber-wonder PC tower. Other Geeks prefer Linux. They will have six different distros of Linux installed with different desktop themes for each and will spend an exorbitant amount of time searching online and downloading various updates with exotic numbering schemes for each one. Neither side seems really concerned about whatever applications will be run on these machines. For them, it’s the journey, not the destination. Needless to say, these two types of Geeks hate each other with a passion. I’m not really sure why. They have more in common than they might realize. Even discounting their obsession with building their own machines, they each spend a like amount of time fixing or patching their chosen operating systems. If these people ever manage to bury the hatchet and actually work together, the world will be in serious trouble. I think the majority of the idiots that write viruses are former Windows proponents turned Linux nut jobs. That’s not to say that people that prefer the Linux O/Ses are crazy. Far from it. If I had to use X86 based computers for my own personal use, I would most likely use Linux myself. I’m not sure that exactly constitutes a glowing endorsement, but it’s the best I can do.

Finally, there are the Freaks. Freaks spend a lot of time in their parent’s basement haranguing other people online from the safety of their own Internet based anonymity about topics that in the greater scheme of things are stupid. Like games. For many of the Freaks, their one and only real reason not to consider an Apple Macintosh is because of the lack of games in comparison to Windows based computers. The fact that there are three different dedicated game consoles with a huge library of games (many with online play) doesn’t deter them from their scorn of the Macintosh platform. They go on and on about trivial things like Apple’s one button mouse (the fact that you can plug in almost any USB multi-button mouse and it just works doesn’t seem to register), and mini iPod colors without really making much sense. Freaks will never ever consider a Macintosh for one primary reason. They’reumFreaks. That covers it.

I haven’t said anything about corporate and government purchases of computers mainly because these people have no soul. They buy whatever is on their schedule to buy and that’s going to be Windows PCs. No one ever got fired for buying Microsoft (though some should be), so the safe choice is the best choice. The purchases make up the bulk of the difference between the sales of PCs versus Macs. Going to check the official numbers (In other words, numbers pulled right out of air with absolutely no research or basis in fact) shows that over 50 percent of computer sales are of this type. These are typically bare-bones computers, minimal memory and hard drive space and most likely little more than terminals for the worker drones myself included. My office was kind enough to give me an XP based PC that is so locked down, I can’t even write to my local drive. I can’t make any settings changes. In other words, sit down, fire up MS Word, and shut up. If the Network goes down (Something that happens at least once a week), that is an excellent time for a coffee break.

I also haven’t mentioned Joe and Sally Station wagon. The typical suburban family in the U.S. has at least one computer somewhere in their house. They have 2.5 kids (there’s a gruesome thought), and they bought into the hype that Microsoft has a place for them go (Where do you want to go to today?). Joe and Sally wanted to go to Hawaii. MS sent them to Baghdad. They bought the computer that the local neighborhood computer guy (most likely a Freak) told them they should buy. They use Windows at work and it is familiar. Not comfortable, just familiar. They buy it, use the color-coded cables to make all their connections, plug it into a phone jack (or becoming more common a Cable or DSL high speed connection), and without their knowing it, almost immediately get some kind of adwaare or Spyware on their computer.

These aren’t bad people. Just misguided. They don’t know how to program their VCRs (or stop that blinking “12:00” on the LCD display), much less set up their computers and be protected from all the bad stuff out there. If they get outside help, it’s most likely not an IT pro that knows what he’s doing. These are the people that should buy Macs. But they won’t. Macs are seen as too expensive and different. They fear change and it prevents them from getting the computer that will do all the everyday tasks that they bought the computer for. I won’t go into YARALCAC (Yet another rant about low-cost Apple computers) here. But Joe and Sally won’t buy a Mac until they are as cheap as the competition.

The last segment I’ll mention are the various School Board Members at districts around the country that insist there is no reason to buy Macs since most businesses use PCs with Windows. Two things to bring up. First, do they honestly believe that elementary school children will still be using Win 98, Win 2000, or Win XP when they graduate from High School or College? Second, I question whether or not these Board members are actually human. Or maybe that’s just me being petty and going for the cheap laugh