Michael P. has sent us another email updating us on the results of his trip to his local Apple Store. You first might want to read, “Windows XP user mad at Apple; wants his iTunes Music Store” and then, “Windows user Michael P. responds to ‘Mad at Apple; wants his iTunes’ feedback,” if you’re unfamiliar with the saga. Here is Michael’s latest email in its entirety:
“Well, I went in there expecting to buy the low end eMac, but after about an hour with two staffers who had to be the best ‘computer store’ employees I ever had the pleasure to meet, I walked out with a 17-inch iMac with a 1GHz PowerPC G4 (which intitially seemed ‘slow’ to me spec-wise, but after the G4 vs. the Pentium 4 differences were explained, seemed plenty fast enough to me), with an 80GB hard drive and a SuperDrive. So I do have iDVD.”
“I took your advice about the RAM. It was easy to install myself. So, the iMac has 1GB of RAM now, too. Thank you, by the way, for all of your advice. You really helped me out and saved me a lot of time. I’ve got it connected to my Dell and did it in about 5 minutes by following your directions.”
“I haven’t had time to do much, yet. But, I want to tell you that from the moment I opened the box, I felt I was in for something quite new and different. The iMac is packaged like it is fine jewelery – very high-end. I have never seen anything like it – right down to the styrofoam shapes and tie wraps and books and cd case. All in a surprisingly small box. Very impressive. I felt like I had purchased a $10,000 fine audio system or something. Quite unlike any Windows computer packaging I had ever opened.”
“The buttons and finishes of the case, keyboard, and mouse are solid quality. The whole thing screams quality. My Dell’s buttons, keyboard and mouse now seem somewhat thin and ‘plasticy’ compared to the iMac’s.”
“The startup sequence of the first time turning it on only heightened the quality level. The thing was on my internet connection (cable modem) as if it was set up for me in the box. It just worked. I downloaded the Safari browser first. Wow! Compared to the included IE for Mac, it really is about 10 times faster. Plus I love the tabs.”
“I will write you a followup when I have time this weekend to spend with the iMac. This email is sent with Mac OS X Mail. So far, so good. I spent more than double what I was was planning, but I am sure I made the right decision already. Thanks for your help! You can print this email if you like.”
– Michael P.
I agree with many comments on here about the validity of the author. For more believeable and much more interesting real stories, I prefer cruising through Apple’s “Switch” stories – http://www.apple.com/switch/stories/
I like the ones where XP server techs and IT department heads make the switch.
Like the movies, the original was good, but now the sequels are becoming cheap, boring, and predictable!! Let it go.
It’s not surprising at all that this person ended up purchasing a 17″ iMac when he went in thinking he wanted the eMac. To start off with, the SuperDrive on the eMac is an easy upsell from the entry level model of the eMac. Secondly, from there, you’re only $500 away from the
“top of the line” consumer desktop Mac. The advantages are many:
slimmer, more energy efficient LCD display gives no flicker and feels brighter and just better; 2. more energy efficient menas the computer gets less hot and requires a less noticeable fan (quieter, basically); 3. more ergonomic; 4. easier to move from one place to another (23 lbs vs. 50 lbs); 5. faster DDR memory; 6. takes up less space; 7. internal bluetooth options; 8. AppleCare available to cover all of these advantages for the same price as the eMac.
Not surprising at all that he woulnd up with the 17″ beauty! Good for him.
I’ve had my iMac 15″ 800 for over a year, and I’m still the same way Michael P is when speaking to someone about it. Macs are fun! Enjoy it. Winfolk tell me how silly I am for switching to mac, but they always have a painful frown on their face when they’re telling me so.
WELCOME
Whether it’s fake or not, it sounds just like the story of me and my iBook. I gaped at them in Frys for months before I broke down and got one. You may be spoiled if you’re a long-time Mac user, but these things are astonishing. I went on and on about my packagin and stuff too. “Look! Even the cables are perfect!”
Regardless of the validity of the story. I have personally helped 7 people switch in the last year. Ti Books, Imacs, Powermacs, Emacs.. Everyone is stoked beyond belief. My sister, a medical whiz had trouble sending an email and photo. With her new 17’Imac she has become a multimedia whiz. It was very interesting watching her transformation. The numbers we hear for market share are BS and irrevelvant. Hell, I have a friend who is a project manager for MS and would love to switch, but….
I know how Michael P. feels about the jewel like packaging Apple provides. I have been a Mac person for a long time but just recently got my first iPod. Everything about the packaging says you are about to open something that is different, a real treat, something to brag about and enjoy. The conversation maker of an iPod almost makes it worth the price, that is unless you just want to be left alone. People want to know what it is and what it does. I am glad to tell them. I really see pc people being more interested in this company called Apple. Let’s hope the faster chips, those megahertz numbers they use as their reason to buy in the PC world, will persuade some to make the plunge. I would like to see the market share for Apple rise, but not too much!
Two of my fathers closest friends both purchased 15″ iMacs over a year ago (one is 55yr the other is 40-ish) and being that they are older gentlemen and both very set in their ways, who are both stubborn and proud Colombians who would never admit to anything let alone having to admit just how truly important and vital the computer revolution was/is to the progression of our society. I automatically assumed that they’d behave similarly in attitude towards this whole Macintosh/OS X phenomenon like my father has (Apple computer user since 1993) his attitude is and I quote “Its a wonderful computer and operating system, I would never use anything else but to me its just a computer a tool that helps me accomplish my tasks” he’s not a Mac-Fanatic like yours truly.
But the response and attitudes they’ve shown myself and others who’ve inquired about their Apple user experience over this past year was contradictory towards how you would have normally perceive of persons of their age, background and upbringing to have reacted to such a thing. They have embraced it with out hesitation and along with that the idea of the importance of computing in the human experience. They’ve become very passionate and loyal and defend Apple whenever they’ve observe win-lots misrepresenting and spreading of lies and preaching of their well known propaganda. I have never influenced them with my view’s on Apple. This energy of these two older gentlemen express towards Apple Computers has occurred totally on its own.
Which at first surprised me but when you’ve observe this from a view point of personal knowledge and understanding of what constitutes the typical Apple computer user experience, there is no mystery or illusions as to the reasons of why. They’ve respond appropriately as would anyone else who has had his or her fair share of moments in life when their desired expectations were never truly fulfilled much less exceeded by the promise of the perfect computing experience. To me these moments are few and far in between but when it does occur as it has with this company and involves something as significant as computing that continues to take on greater and more significant precedence in ours lives then it ever has before then this ceases to be just another object and function but becomes an important extension of ourselves in this ever evolving technocratic society we’re creating.
This entire story is nothing more than a hoax and that is very dissapointing. Making it up, and making it so obvious is nothing more than embarassing for the rest of us. I used to hold this site in relatively high regard, not so anymore.
This is just too reminiscent of the XP convert crap that MS tried to sucker everybody with. I’m not saying that it couldn’t be real, just that it is too neatly packaged to be believeable, and when the truth does come out it will probably end up doing more harm than good.
PS – He should have at least complained about the lack of a two-button mouse!
“
PS – He should have at least complained about the lack of a two-button mouse!”
Why? You feel like you’re missing out on something without it?
Gushy? Definately.
But I bought 3 slot loading 400mhz iMacs on ebay last week for the grand total of �400 which included shipping.
I had never touched a mac before this week despite 20 years using and repairing Windows/Dos boxes,
Sure my macs are all 3 year old but I am now completely hooked and have just sold my Windows XP box to dive headlong into Mac world.
I can see why he gushed!