“In a lot of ways, I’m a good example of why a lot of people are predicting a surge for Apple products in the next few months. In fact — and true Apple-heads will hate to hear this — they look ready to become the one thing that no one expected — mainstream,” C.W. Nevius blogs for SFGate.com.
MacDailyNews Take: Would “true Apple-heads” really hate it if Apple went “mainstream” and kept their quality and drive to innovate? What would be bad about the world increasing their productivity and lessening their stress and frustration at the hands of Windows? We don’t love Apple Macs because they’re not as widely used as Windows PCs, we love them because they’re better. We hope every personal computer user figures it out, too.
Nevius continues, “The reason, I think, is a little unexpected — iPod. With a little help from Microsoft’s wannabe music player, Zune. Zune, just out in time for Christmas, is not only getting some lukewarm reviews, it is reinforcing Microsoft’s worst image problems. Either the Micro-guys are clueless dorks — Zune is as expensive as iPod, bulkier, and is neither as easy to work as iPod nor as cool. Or, worse yet, the boys up north are malicious bullies.”
Nevius writes, “Bill Gates must grind his teeth every time one of those TV commercials comes on depicting the cool and very chill Apple guy talking to the doofus “PC,” with his baggy khaki pants and Gates-like horn-rim glasses. But Microsoft has managed to create its own version [Zune].”
“Sure, the iPod a great product, but that’s not the point here. There are ramifications that extend beyond the cool factor of walking around with hip white earphones. Whether Apple meant to or not, they created the ideal stalking horse for the rest of its line,” Nevius writes. “In other words, if a duffer like me bought an iPod (and I did) and if he not only loved the product, but the ease of use and terrific design (and I did), then I might start thinking about buying other, larger Apple products, like a laptop or desktop computer now that my old PC is starting to become outdated (and I am.) It is the long-awaited, much-predicted, and until now not-happening surge in ‘mom and pop’ Apple buying. Older buyers, who still control the bulk of the buying power in America, are starting to look at Apple as a dependable, well-designed alternative to a PC.”
“The response to the Zune, which was supposed to be ‘the iPod killer,’ only convinces me that I am right. Microsoft is probably being hurt by those TV ads which portray them as a doofus. So they went out and proved it by introducing a much-ballyhooed product that only reinforces the image,” Nevius writes. “Squirt that.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: “Ignorance Lag” really is ending.
Related articles:
Apple’s ‘iPod Halo Effect’ in action – October 21, 2006
Analyst: Apple Mac market share primed to explode; iPod Halo Effect to become increasingly important – June 13, 2006
Is there really an Apple ‘iPod Halo Effect’ behind Mac sales or not? – November 17, 2005
Analyst: ‘there are definitely a lot of people joining Apple Mac ecosystem for the first time’ – November 08, 2005
Analyst estimates over a million Windows to Mac switchers during 2005’s first three quarters – November 07, 2005
Microsoft executives acknowledge Apple’s ‘iPod Halo Effect’ – July 29, 2005
RealMoney: Apple’s iPod Halo Effect ‘quite profound,’ Macs taking good market share from Wintel – June 27, 2005
The Street’s Wolverton: Apple’s iPod halo shines – July 19, 2005
Needham & Co: Apple ‘iPod Halo Effect’ fueling Mac purchases; predict 43 million iPod sales in 2006 – July 18, 2005
Comprehensive survey shows ‘iPod Halo Effect’ is increasing Apple Mac sales, market share – July 12, 2005
SG Cowen survey shows evidence of a significant iPod halo effect boosting Apple Mac sales – July 12, 2005
Merrill Lynch: Mac sales ‘appear robust,’ expects futher evidence of ‘iPod Halo Effect’ – July 07, 2005
Morgan Stanley: Apple’s ‘iPod Halo Effect’ is ‘roughly double what the market expects’ – March 18, 2005
Apple’s Mac is not doomed to small market share forever; the ‘Ignorance Lag’ is ending – February 11, 2005
Apple execs now see ‘iPod Halo Effect’ clearly paying off with higher Macintosh sales – January 13, 2005
IDC VP Roger Kay sees no evidence of Apple ‘iPod Halo Effect’ based on ‘Apple’s desktop share’ – January 10, 2005
Good read. I think he’s very right.
Rotate the “d” in dork 180-degrees to get a description of the dark side’s CEO.
That’s a great idea.
In addition to having the “I’m a Mac and I’m a PC” ads, have the corresponding “I’m an iPod and I’m a Zune” ad. Now those would be hillarious.
Alright Zune Tang, get it off your chest…the conspiracy theories, Apple’s tyranny, anything else that’s on your mind…
Yeah, the Zune guy could try to “squirt”, and get brown liquid all up and down the fron of his shirt.
I think it would be really great to have an I’m an iPod ad. I’d do it with having a bunch of cool looking iPod people (hot chicks and dudes), and then just one dorky I’m a Zune. Then for the tag, have the Zune approach a hot iPod chick, and go, “I squirt”.
Got a chance to see and play with a Zune over the weekend. On the surface, they definitely got some things right.
– the user interface is actually decent and it does have one cool factor – use of a background image in various point. Neat. But, I suspect, there is a price to be paid for this in the battery – doesn’t this require the processor to work harder?
– the screen is actually edging towards appealing. I still would never use such a device for video in any but a few circumstances. Even though the additional size does make some difference, it is still too small. I think even 5″ would be too small for my taste. Also, it does look pretty crisp (viewed one video and some pics).
– the one I saw was brown. Not nearly as crappy as the pictures, but still not very appealing. Overall not a pretty device.
– the biggest problem with the device itself is lack of a clickwheel. Even if there are only a screenfull of items to go through in a category, it was laborious. The clickwheel is so much easier to use it is ridiculous. I cannot imagine having to get through a list of 400 artists (which is about how many I would cram into the limited 30 GB). Total pain in the ass. Even if the integration with the store and Zune software was as easy to use as iTunes (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA), the lack of clickwheel would prevent me from buying Zune. I knew before that I preferred the clickwheel, but standing there trudging through menus demonstrated the wide chasm between clickwheel and up & down buttons.
– didn’t get a chance to use the wifi.
To me, the dorkiness does not necessarily reside in the hardware or software, but the PR campaign. Everything seems like a parent trying to be cool. As Craig Ferguson said, “clack-a-lacking!” I am more pragmatic to care about such things when spending $250+, but the campaign is still pathetic.
Sounds pretty much like he’s describing the “halo effect” that most people said years ago wouldn’t work…
MDN: “We don’t love Apple Macs because they’re not as widely used as Windows PCs, we love them because they’re better. We hope every personal computer user figures it out, too.”
Here here!
The iPod is exactly the reason i started thinking about an Apple computer a couple of years ago.
Got one for my daughter, played with it a little and went hmmmmmm…this thing is really a marvel of design form and function. I wonder what are they doing on the computer end?
Now own 5 latter and sold many others on them.
Apple: HI! I’m an iPod
Microsoft: Hi! I’m a Zune.
A: Welcome Zune. What are you up to today.
M: Well I’m looking for someone to squirt to.
A: Yuck. Stay away from me. That’s just weird.
M: That’s OK I can’t squirt to you.
A: Thank God. I wouldn’t want any of your diseased squirt. You really should use a condom or something. Watch where you point that thing too.
M: I’m sooo lonely…..
The Zune is the culmination of the glorious peoples’ revolution led by the most righteous Premier Bill and his most worthy deputy, Chairman Steve!
All running dog capitalist roaders who resist the power of the all righteous Zune shall perish!
Your potential. Our Politburo!
Hey! The Zune is up to #76 on the Amazon best sellers list for electronics. In fact, it’s even beating the 80GB White iPod!
I agree with Zune Tang.
The internet is dead!
The future lies with a world of interconnected, wireless Zunes, communicating via SquirtsForSure.
What is really much more interesting (and kind of sad) is that about half of the comments on the Nevius blog are defending MS and Zune. (These people are serious, unlike Zune Tang who is trying to be funny and sarcastic – our own version of Borat.) Which just goes to show you that there are people who will support the Zune. The Ignorance Lag may be ending but we still have a long way to go!
Peace.
makes no sense to put Zune in an Apple ad…it would only help increase Zune’s awareness…and we all know Zune rolls downhill.
“…the Micro-guys are clueless dorks…”, “…the boys up north are malicious bullies…”
Nobody should have to take this vile slander and nothing could be further from the truth. But when I read the following:
“Older buyers…are starting to look at Apple as a dependable, well-designed alternative…”
This guy loses all credibility. He also has the gall to use “ease of use” and “terrific design” to describe an iPod. When I read that I could smell the fear in yet another iPod lemming who doesn’t get it. Resorting to name calling and making preposterous claims over the clearly inferior and poorly received iPod seems to be all that is left for the Apple fanboys. Apple products are neither dependable nor well-designed, and if they were, they would be so because they copied Microsoft. Again.
Face it iPod lemmings, you lost and the Zune won. My Zune points are people ready, what about your iPod points? Oh yeah, that’s right—you don’t have points. Dorks.
Your potential. Our passion.
Make sure you link to the story and read the comments on the article. It is delightful to read the pathetic whining of the Microsoft shills who feel so unfairly put upon. I have no qualms about admitting my hatred for Microsoft as an evil company producing garbage products and screwing all who deal with them – partners knifed, competitors illegally shafted and customers extorted. Reading these M$ butt boys fills my heart with schadenfreude – the glee I feel at the soreness in their lower alimentary canals.
Stopped by Circuit City on Friday night. Was looking at the Zune and accessories. They were surrounded by iPods and iPod accessories. They had the Zune (Brown) inside of a small dispay from Microsoft, err, Zune. You couold use the Zune, but could not remove it or even see how thick it was. I played with it for a while. The background picture feature is worthless, as you cannot read text through it. The fake scroll wheel was lame. The only thing good about it was the screen. Me like. The problem is that the Zune is almost twice as thick as the iPod and taller. Plus surrounded by iPods, the Brown Zune looks like shit. They had over 20 unsold Zunes in a glass case below. Guess they had plenty for Black Friday.
> Face it iPod lemmings, you lost and the Zune won.
> My Zune points are people ready, what about your iPod points?
> Oh yeah, that’s right—you don’t have points. Dorks.
Smoking Zune Tang!
If folks love Zune they’ll go ape over Vista.
I agree with Goople. Simply mentioning the Zune helps Microsoft. If Apple is as smart as they seem, they’ll completely ignore Zune in public, especially in ads.
Think if political attack ads. If a higher-profile candidate runs enough about his/her appointment, the name starts to stick. Then it is up to the other guy to rush in a clean up the image. If nothing else, M$ has the cash to exploit Apple making it seem the Zune is on equal footing.
In the PC business, Apple is playing catch up and has to compare itself to Windows.
Simply mentioning Zune helps Microsoft? Huh?
Zune is no threat. It almost seems designed to fail. And if you hold up a stinking pile of sh** up to the light, you still only have a stinking pile. No amount of press will change the fact of Zune’s severe lameness.
The I’m an iPod adds could have chunky little clones of PC as the Zune. The iPods could be kids, professors, bus drivers, moms, tycoons, youth elderly, pastors – basically anyone.
Microsoft is like George Soros. Both are wrong, have lots of money, and will spend it in last-ditch attempts to persuade people that they are right.