So, where’s the long-awaited “iPod Halo” effect that’s supposed to get Windows PC iPod users interested in the Macintosh and Mac OS X?
“So far, it has been minimal, if not non-existent, if you go by the big market-research firms’ numbers. But watch this space. For starters, it’s too easy to dismiss the impact of the stores and the iPod when it comes to developing interest in the Mac. The fact is, Apple’s share would almost certainly be even lower without them. And Apple says roughly half the PC buyers in its stores are first-time Mac customers or returnees from Wintel PCs,” Peter Burrows writes for BusinessWeek.
“And the halo may grow brighter in the years ahead. Evidence is starting to mount that Apple is positioned to pick up some PC share with consumers. More than 3 million consumers have purchased an iPod since 2001, and millions more are expected to follow suit in the years ahead,” Burrows writes. “In a recent survey of likely home PC buyers by the Technometrica Institute of Policy and Politics, 8% of respondents said they intended to buy an Apple. That’s second only to Dell — and up from 5% in May, says tech analyst Constantine Kambanis. ‘For Apple, that’s very good. People have known about Apple, but they’re looking at it again for the first time in a long time.'”
Full article here.
Related MacDailyNews article:
Apple Mac hits no. 2 preferred brand of likely PC buyers in July – July 30, 2004
Just “Switched” another one this past weekend. He will be a freshmen in college this fall. Got him to buy an iBook, and an iPod with Apple’s “Cram and Jam” promo. Great deal!
Thank God – someone who doesn’t think first post is worth mentioning. So now I’m the jerk to mention the subject first. Too bad we don’t have something to write that is worth reading.
People who purchase iPods are more often not heavy computer users, so I doubt that the money paid for iPods means that much more for Apple computer purchases.
I bought my ipod last fall and halo’d myself right into a dual G5. Now it is my primary machine for work and play, I use it to remote control my windows servers, remote X session on my Linux servers, and run native Mac OS X apps for managing things like my databases and web servers. For me it was the iPod that reminded me of Apple’s polish, and now that I have my mac, you’ll have to pry it from my cold dead hands.
Oh, and get this — I’m a Windows programmer by trade.
“People who purchase iPods are more often not heavy computer users, so I doubt that the money paid for iPods means that much more for Apple computer purchases.”
Charlie, if you’ve got some empirical data to back up that interesting assertion, please share it. It does not intuitively make sense to me. And even if true, it leaves out the retail store side of the analysis.
agreed pale, that statement makes no sense. plenty of people who are computer geeks, as well as those who aren’t ipods. the benefit of the ipod isn’t just exposure to an apple product, it has also helped apple with brand awareness…something that might take longer to pay off, but is very important.
I think the halo effect works for independent thinkers/adults buying computers for themselves. However, in my very humble opinion, dependent thinkers/students who want iPods because their friends have iPods also want Dells because their friends have Dells. They don’t care about the easy to use OS, BSD stability, etc. They just remember using, or hearing about an old Apple ii, on OS .1 and think that it’s still the same.
(I’ll take my 2 cents back now.)
I’ve switched 4 people.
A guy at work, who always had a PC asked me a year ago about the Mac ( because I work on one, here – and I told them how great they are etc. ) and he bought a single G5 a year ago.
He loves it, and came in my office today, ironically ( really, he did! ) and showed me a quicktime movie that he created using iMovie last night! He loves it, and really had good things to say about the Mac.
Another long time friend of mine, has a Dell, and he is pretty sick of it – I have been telling him for years to get a Mac. Just last week, when I was over and he was dicking around on his Dell, he said his next computer was going to be a Mac. Of course, he really didn’t have a choice when he came over and saw my 23″ cinema display!
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Two people who have never used a Mac before – well, I guess only 1 so far, but the other should be switching sometime within a year from now…
If you consider that iTune for Windows requires 2000 or XP, most PC/iPod owners are not ready for PC upgrade. You can forget about Win2000 users upgrading to Mac due to iPod ‘Halo’ effect, since there aren’t many of them with iPod (I believe most Win2000 computers are used for business, not likely to allow iTune). I believe XP was released in 2002(?), so using average upgrade cycle of PC (3 years), we can expect large wave of switchers in 2005? One can dream….
I switched a co-worker last fall. He is a Ga Tech Computer Science grad with an open mind. Now he has a PBG4 and recently bought the Sonnettech CPU upgrade for his Cube at home. True believer he is.
Another PC-oriented employee went shopping for laptops with me and got a 12″ PB last week – first timer. I usually drag them through Best Buy to see all the clunkers first, then go to the Apple Store – great impression.
While we were there, the traffic being pulled in by the iPods was pretty impressive, then people would drift over to the powerbooks displays. You could almost tell by their gestures who the Mac and PC people were, but the PC people did seem hypnotized and a little bewildered by the unfamiliar desktop. I think the grand plan (aka Halo Effect) is working.
Between the iPod and the Motorola deal, people are talking about it. I’ve been talking to one of my friends about iTunes, (which for some dumbass reason he didn’t put on his computer) and he said that recently he’s seen a lot of news about the iPod and iTunes bringing a music revolution.
I still think the iPod halo effect is working to a small degree, and I think that Apple does intend for it to be their trojan horse back into the spotlight. I think they are doing pretty well.
I’ve switched one person so far, trying to switch two more. But it’s not like people are going to give up a decent PC (ok, relative to the other PC’s) and just go drop tons of money on a Mac that some of them think is too expensive anyway. Of course, this is my same friend who cobbled together computer parts from Fry’s to piece together a PC and then put some illegal XP software bought on the street in Singapore for his OS.
I switched 4 people too!
and the thing about swithcing someone is…all you get is praise…
I think the virus halo affect can be the carrot that gets people to switch, apart from being a fantastic computer/operating system.
Often people think its impossible for Apple to make any real impact on the computer market but truth is that if only a small but measurable and marketable amount start to turn to the mac it would create an effect not disimilar to what we see with the iPod and once it starts to be taken seriously and seen to be growing people will start to demand macs rather than allow sales starff to put them off with negativity and inferior products for the sake of habit and playing safe.
The iPod is Apple’s best selling tool by a country mile! Better than the switching campaign etc.
However the stun they have just pulled regarding the refusal to issue a simple firmware update for there third generation iPods will win them few friends and they could blow it if they continue in this manner!
Sign this if it affects you: http://www.petitiononline.com/aipodfw/petition.html
Some dumb comments on there but lots of valid ones too! Come on Apple don’t render my 2 month old iPod obselete!
Booooooooooooo!!
What’s that distant rumble I hear in the background? Earthquake? Tsunami? Switchers? Yeah, switchers — they’re coming slowly — and that’s the best way to come. There’s a trickle now … but once it reaches critical mass with the moo-herd mentality crowd … watch out!
I’ve swicthed 2 thus far with allot more potentials.
In the last year, convinced three of my friends to get iPods. A fourth actually put an order for a mini via Amazon, but after 5 weeks of waiting for it to ship, ended up canceling the order. 🙁 But one of them got so enamored because of her iPod experience, she started buying Apple stock – already made $7000 in profit from her stock trading.
Also convinced another friend to switch to a 15″ Aluminum PowerBook. Her PC notebook was suffering from crashes and viruses, so she was ready to switch.
I’m sure there will be more targets in the future.
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outech wrote: “… dependent thinkers/students who want iPods because their friends have iPods also want Dells because their friends have Dells. They don’t care about the easy to use OS, BSD stability, etc. They just remember using, or hearing about an old Apple ii, on OS .1 and think that it’s still the same.
(I’ll take my 2 cents back now.)”
I have to absolutely disagree. As a college student (though I’m not a switcher.. I think i’ve had a new mac like every year since my first macintosh system), my friends always come over to my house and pine for my mac. They love playing with it and touching it. The mac is a status symbol on college campuses. They’re more youthful and stylish. I think that most people just need to learn that iBooks are a good value compared dells and HPs, even though desktops might not be. I can think of 20 people that would buy a mac right now if they have a dell priced desktop.
I know that the comparison has been made before, but every college student would prefer buying a bmw or mercedes to a honda any day, but alas, not all are so fortunate.
The beauty of tye current market is that most applications are written to take advantage of the standardized internet platform.
Since most users use their computer mostly as an internet portal, and a typewriter, they just want something that works.
The BIGGEST problem is that they want something that’s inexpensive… as they don’t need serious computing power.
launch a headless cheap mac… and it will take off.
I switched one this summer,,
I think Apple should make us bounty hunters.
A reward for switching someone. Heck, even 50 songs from ITMS would be cool.
dv
Welcome to the fold, Brian. I’ve read alot about people in your profession being some of the biggest Mac fans.
Bungie made Halo for the Mac, now the iPod does!
All the college students that complain about the “price difference” between a Mac and a Dell need to go to the Dell site, pick the $499 system (after rebate) and configure it hardware AND software wise with a Mac and hit the “update” button. This means flat-panel upgrades, combo or superdrive upgrades, memory upgrades, and upgrading the OS to the “Media” version to handle the multimedia stuff the Mac handles right out of the box. Add to that upgrading all the “30-day trial” BS software that is loaded on the Dell to the full versions, and adding audio, video, and photo software, and viola! You’ll find that the Dell price will be quite a bit higher than the Mac’s. I didn’t even mention adding the capability of music production (i.e. Garageband) to the Dell as it’s not even offered.