“They are calling it the ‘iPod effect,’ where people who had never been exposed to Apple products prior to buying an iPod music player are so impressed with the device that they buy an Apple computer for their next PC,” James Derk writes for Scripps Howard News Service. “Is it happening? According to a comprehensive study by S.G. Cowan, of more than 1,400 households studied who owned iPods and planned to buy a new PC, more than 7.5 percent were going Mac. That’s not a lot until you consider Apple’s market share is only 3.3 percent.
“For those doing the math at home, that’s a doubling of the current Apple market share,” Derk writes. “Well, count me among the pile.”
MacDailyNews Note: “Apple Computer increased its share of the US PC market during the second quarter, rising to 4.5% from 3.7% a year ago, as global unit shipments rose more than 37%,” – IDC, July 18, 2005. Also, note that the 7.5-percent number Derk quotes does not mean that Mac market share will double. It means only that within that study, 7.5-percent of people who owned iPods and planned to buy a new PC, planned to buy a Mac.
Derk continues, “I am writing this on a (so far) gleaming white iBook G4, which I have to say is pretty cool. So, yes, after 15 years of Windows computing and repairing I am taking a left turn into wow and a right turn away from rebooting. As a lifelong Windows user, I have a bit of a learning curve here, starting from the lack of a right mouse button, which so far is the only thing that is driving me totally nuts… But what has impressed me so far was that the Apple OSX fired to life out of the box and simply worked. Of course, a Windows laptop out of the box works too, but after 50 patches from Microsoft and 10 reboots.”
Derk writes, “Anyway, I promise not to turn into one of those ‘i’ people; I think both worlds can co-exist peacefully; like Coke and Pepsi, the Cubs and the Cards, the ying and the yang. As for the daily use of it, I am still getting used to how to find anything; I know I have certain applications installed and as yet I can’t find them but it’s only been a day or two. At the bottom, I have the handy bar that is very helpful in finding key applications. Anyway, I will share with you my journey as a ‘i switcher’ as well as a continuing Windows user. I will have feet deeply in both camps and I hope that will serve the reader well.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: In the very beginning, before they double-click the hard drive icon and find their applications in the handy and really-quite-obviously-named “Applications” folder, they cling still to their abusive Windows master. Not yet understanding that they are finally free, they stand dazed, blinking in the light of a new world. Read Derk’s full article. It is like witnessing a birth. Derk has caught a very brief, fleeting period: he still clings to Windows, yet now he bathes in the light of Mac OS X. The initial spark of disdain for Microsoft’s mediocrity is but a day or so away. This moment won’t last long, but Derk has captured it well for posterity.
Remember that fifteen years of Windows torture and patching patches to fix patches that the patch before the last patch was supposed to patch, but didn’t patch while you wait for the next batch of patches is easily more than enough to make anyone take a day or two before finding the Applications folder in the top level of their Mac’s hard drive. That’s quite a long time to have been wandering in the wilderness.
Also, if you have a bit of time, please help Jim in his transition and show him what the Mac Community is all about: We have already emailed Jim and offered to answer any questions that we can as he acclimates to Mac OS X.
Welcome Home, Jim!
[UPDATE: 10:40am – Added IDC’s latest market share numbers as MacDailyNews Note.]
[UPDATE: 11:25am – Clarified Derk’s strange market share math in MacDailyNews Note.]
Jeff: Comparing Apples and Lemons, my friend (pun intended). Apple’s patches breaking things – like 64-bit computing – is nothing compared to what goes on on the Dark Side.
Is MDN aiming to win some high literature award or what?:
“Not yet understanding that they are finally free, they stand dazed, blinking in the light of a new world. He still clings to Windows, yet now he bathes in the light of Mac OS X. The initial spark of disdain for Microsoft’s mediocrity is but a day or so away. This moment won’t last long, but Derk has captured it well for posterity.”
I actually quite like it! Well done MDN!
Oh, and welcome Jim – btw I haven’t spammed you.
My wife needed four years to finally convince me to switch. That was about a year and a half ago. Now I wouldn’t use anything else.
I love Apple products (hardware and software). They really understand what the experience is about (or should be).
I got my Dad to switch with a mini and he loves it. My Mom would never touch the PC, but now is spending so much time on the Mac, Dad thinks he may need a second one (I’m pulling for an iMac 20″). They have their own business at home and can’t believe how much more productive the Mac is.
My sister bought a used b&w G3 (tower, keyboard, mouse, and monitor were all original all for $150.00!!!) a couple of weeks ago and it has already been upgraded to OS X (works like a charm). She is amazed at how this 7 year old computer runs rings around her 2 year old PC.
As for me, the switch is complete…
Indigo iBook (wife’s, bought it for her before I switched)
eMac (1GHz, Panther, 1024MB)
Macintosh Classic (bought on eBay and perfect)
Performa 6200 CD (friend at work was throwing it out, my 5 year old loves it)
iPod shuffle (512MB)
2iPod minis (1st Gen. silver for me, blue for the Mrs.)
and just this morning I was loading music and photos onto the 20GB iPod I got yesterday
When I worked with PCs, I never wanted anything new (except maybe software apps), now that I’m on a Mac, I find myself wanting every new thing that comes out.
iWantAMac: Don’t give up! Used Macs are available and worth the money in my experience. Get whatever you can now and you’ll be able to upgrade in the future. It would be a good idea to check out the Apple site and see the list of machines that can run OS X. And remember to put as much memory as possible in any Mac running OS X. I can personally say that the eMac with loads of memory is a very nice machine and superior to any PC I’ve ever used (and it’s the entry-level Mac!).
~M
Don, “market share” MEANS “percent of total sales”! You’re thinking of “installed base”.
And I remember my “acclimation period” after I switched in 2001. It was like moving to England and having to learn to drive on the other side of the road. I kept wanting my Start button back. But once I really got the hang of the finder (and DragThing), I was cool.
Yup, it’s finally happening. My only fear is that Apple becomes the monster it was fighting against… Microsoft. While I’m not overly worried about this possibility, it seems to happen all the time.
http://www.tiger-compatible.com
Hey Macbeliever,
Glad you do a lot of video editing on your Mac, I do as well, Final Cut Pro just rules, period.
Sure it is not an Avid, but if you want to spend 120K on an Avid go ahead moneywasters, still workwise if you have got Adobe Premier on your resume, ‘good bye thank you for applying’, where as with FCP you’ll get interviewed.
Avid free is worse than iMovie in my opinion and I was originally trained on Avid!
iWantaMac–go on eBay and buy a previous generation iBook. Prices drop on brand new iBooks every time a new generation iBook shows up, like what has happened recently. Just make sure you get one with Airport, because you’ll need it, but you can always get a USB WiFi.
It’s worth sacrificing for. Besides, it’s well known that cuter women use Macs, so one of those pretty ones will pretend to ask you for help (we all known Mac users rarely need help).
IWantAMac… you know if you have a university ID, you get about 10% off Macs at the Apple store?
Sadly I am based in the UK, where we get ripped off a bit for US products, 14″ iBook retails at £899, which works out at about $1620.
So if any of you friendly americans fancy shipping me over a brand spanking new 14″ iBook, which would work out about £720, I would appreicate it.
Since I switched to pencil and paper I have been saying things like “oh, my gosh!!!! I just love my hand writing!”
Good used Macs.
http://powermax.com/
A performa 6200 CD? Good gracious! It’s ironic that one of Apple’s worst computers ever (GIS “Road Apples”) still is more entertaining then Windows.
Last winter my sister bought a 17″ iMac. She had been a very long time Dell user (both at work and at home) when she made the purchase.
She has recently advised me that she is now going to buy a G4 iBook.
As a switcher just on two years ago, there is another phase that will hit Jim soon – probably in a month or so. The Anti-Climax.
Comes a point after switching when you’ve discovered most of the pleasant surprises and you get back to work, writing documents, spreadsheets, whatever.
You then get these doubts… like… maybe it’s just a computer… did I really need to switch?
But then soon enough the answer comes. You start to hear Windows users – Joe Averages at that – talking about virus, infections, spyware, trojans and adware and their frustrations and what they are trying to do about it. Or they talk about the problems they are having.
You smile broadly, and walk a little taller. Your doubts disappear. By comparison to Windows, you know the Mac is not just a computer.
The next phase is when you suddenly realise you rarely do maintenance on your Mac. That’s the point when you decide you just want to use computers, you don’t want to work on them.
Ironically, you were right. Unlike Windows which felt more like a second job, the Mac is just a computer, and that’s the way it’s meant to be. A tool to get a task done, not a task in itself.
“hey MDN, I think we should let up on microsoft for their broken patches
How many MacOS security updates (including this last one) broke some major component of the operating system? Oh gee, almost every single one of them.
Huge mac fan, but I try not to drink the koolaid.”
————————————————-
Not a one on my system…don’t confuse the minority with the majority. Nothings perfect. Don’t be an ass.
You (chrish) forgot that the learning will keep happening. You’ll try something, it’ll work, and you’ll go ‘wow. they thought of that.’ And, you think of something you want to do, look up how to do it, and get it done. I keep learning new things about my Macs every day.
btw, That powermax.com site is ridiculous. Those prices are taxed. Might as well buy a new or refurbished Mac. Try the refurbished store under the sale tag at the online apple store.
…and to avoid the registration page at the article’s site, you can always visit http://bugmenot.com/view.php?url=www.redding.com
shhhhhh…
u want everyone usin macs
shut the hell up
if they all use macs we lose our computing advantage
if they all use macs why would apple bother to innovate
as long as apple has to fight for market share we the consumer win
if ppl ask just say PC’s are cheaper
say theres no mac software (esp. anti-virus software),
mac users are insane or apple is a cult
ok u can tell your mother to use linux if u must
mdn word ‘think’
I had just convinced someone to switch to an iBook. The surprise result is that they decided not to keep it because the Mac version of AOL is not the same as the PC version. Tried to convince her that there are other separate apps. which could do the job just as well if not better than AOL. No dice, so she’s returning the iBook less a 10% restocking fee and getting a Dell. (sigh)
Wow, I’ve never heard of anything like THAT before, but there sure are a lot of switchers! I got most of my family to ‘switch’ to mac with my iMac G3/350!
Good promo videos
http://pulsar.esm.psu.edu/Faculty/Gray/graphics/movies/Panther-Release-Video.mov
http://www.esm.psu.edu/Faculty/Gray/movies.html