Well, I respect my girlfriend's or any other person's critique of
the Mac,
because from a subjective user perspective, they are valid.
She's not at
all afraid of using it, she just doesn't like it. And John, with
all due
respect, to merely chalk it up to "they are just afraid to try
something
new", is a type of high and mighty attitude that will turn most
people off.
There are valid reasons why many would choose not to use the Mac. For
example, from a partially blind users perspective, I much prefer using
Windows with Zoomtext than I do Mac with Zoom.
I've recently moved to the UK where the same Apple commercials are
played,
but with different actors. And most people I talk to hate them,
because of
the percieved snobbishness. Even Mac owners I know really dislike
them.
Personally, I think that Apple's success in selling more laptops,
is mostly
due to its success in selling iPods. The laptops are well designed
and I
think that it is why many converts will continue using it. All I
am saying
is, (and on this point I'm sure you and I agree) let people judge
the Mac on
its merits. The Mac is not perfect. But it is pretty damn good.
For this
reason alone, you will get many converts, and many for equally valid
reasons, (none of which you've stated) who may choose otherwise.
I am less inclined to follow what is fashionable, and more inclined to
follow what is good. Cults always seem cool to those who join
them. In
fact, it goes without saying that all cults must be successful in
attaining
a certain amount of recruits. But all cults, are minorities. It
matters
not how many more Mac books, were sold as opposed to the top three
firms.
The point is that those top three firms collectively with other
firms, sell
more laptops with Windows than Apple could with Mac OS X.
In a creative sense, I don't know that Microsoft is stumbling.
However, I
do think that as far as their current innovations (that is, products
available to us now) they are somewhat stagnant. I'm actually of
the view
that they will give Apple a run for its creative money sometime
within the
next five years.
This is where I tend to get on the side of market forces and
competition.
In this case, it fosters more creativity and innovation. Microsoft
has been
(for a while) resting on its lorrels. For a bit of time during the
90s,
Apple seem to do the same, and they paid for it. But to stay in
the game,
both firms have to prove their worth, and I'm all for that.
Thanks again John,
Take care,
A
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of John Panarese
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2007 6:31 PM
To: General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS
X by the
blind
Subject: Re: Odd names for Mac programmes
You are absolutely correct. Slogans are slogans and a business is
always
seeking for the perceived edge in some manner. Thus, Apple markets
itself
as the creative company. BTW, as for architecture, yes, Windows is
the OS
of choice, but this is not by a substantial level based on overall
percentages. I forget where I read it, but architects are actually
beginning to switch to the overall power of the Mac Pro desktops and
affordability. I happen to know the guy who is doing the
renovations for my
parents' house used to use Windows, but now has both a Mac Pro and
iMac 24
in his office and did all of the architecture designs and
specifications
right on the Mac in front of my parents. It led to a long discussion
between him and myself and my younger brother that lasted longer
than the
consultation itself.
He changed to Macs after a discussion with a few other guys in the
business who had recently dumped their Windows boxes for Macs.
Suffice it to say, he ain't going back to Windows any time soon.
The only other thing I can add here is as it stands now,
Apple and
Microsoft are heading in two opposite directions. Creativity aside,
thinking outside the box aside, the 21st century aside, right now,
Apple is
growing and Microsoft is stumbling. What is also an amazing
phenomena is
the fact that the "cultish" behavior you indicate is not necessarily a
stigma as it stands. It's "cool" to
use Macs these days. In the venue of high school and college kids,
Mac Book sales are something like equal to the top 3 Windows laptop
makers
combined in 2007. Your girl friend, I believe, is now part of a
smaller and
shrinking population of folks who find fault in the perceived Mac
mentality
or culture. It is still the long standing myths, the fear of the
unknown
and the basic, tinkerer notion that you can't take Macs apart to
fiddle with
them that prevents the majority of hardcore PC people from turning
from the
dark side. In fact, the commercials you have indicated, according
to market
research, has done a great deal to catapult Apple's success and
have become
more than "cult" favorites among younger people. Oddly enough,
when it was
rumored a few years ago that the guy who plays the role of the Mac
was not
going to do the commercials any more, it created such a stir that
he had to
publicly assure folks that the rumors were completely false.
In any event, when the day is done, choice is choice, and the
reasons for
that choice are up to the individual. I am just satisfied to
continue to
witness the switcher phenomena and the halo effect the iPod has
fostered.
Take Care
John D. Panarese
Managing Director
Technologies for the Visually Impaired, Inc.
9 Nolan Court
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Tel/Fax, (631) 724-4479
Email, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Internet, http://www.tvi-web.com
AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS FOR PORTSET SYSTEMS LTD, COMPSOLUTIONS VA,
PREMIER
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, INDEX, PAPENMEIER, REPRO-TRONICS, DUXBURY,
SEROTEK
AND OTHER PRODUCTS FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED
AUTHORIZED APPLE BUSINESS AGENT
MAC VOICEOVER TRAINING
On Jun 18, 2007, at 7:29 AM, Abdul Kamara wrote:
As stated before, preferences aside, Apple has done a great deal
within its customer culture to build this notion, that of the two (it
and
Microsoft) it
does more to foster creativity; and I think that at best, one
would be
blind to buy into such an idea. Microsoft stated goal is to foster
creativity and innovation for the 21st century. ...doesn't sound
much
different from "thinking outside the box". They are both slogans,
which to an extent, both firms try to live up to... But at the
end of
the day, they are both businesses.
For a while, my girl friend refused to get an iPod and instead got an
iRiver because she was turned off by the cultish behavior associated
with Apple products. The commercials from Apple didn't help matters.
But I asked her to put aside the snobbishness of the Apple cult. I
lent her my iPod and allowed her to use my iMac-- so she could
determine for herself weather she liked it or not. She hated the
mighty mouse, and the fact that the keyboard navigation was a bit
more
combersum than with Windows based machines. She hated the fact that
there is no straight forward way to fully modify the appearance of
one's desktop environment. But she loved many other aspects of the
user experience. She decided that though it "looked sexy", she
wasn't
interested in having a Mac. But she tossed her iRiver into the bin
when I got her a Nano for her birthday.
She is not a person who is afraid of trying something new. But
she is
weary of hype, and in that regard, I don't blame her at all.
Take care,
abdul
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of John
Panarese
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2007 8:34 PM
To: General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X
by the blind
Subject: Re: Odd names for Mac programmes
I agree that simply chalking up program names on the basis of
creativity is a bit extreme. Mac users and developers do tend to
be a
lot more creative,
overall, however. Hence, the term, thinking outside the box came.
Yes,
there are certainly a lot of creative PC users and programmers.
The very
fact that one writes a program implies some bit of "creativity".
If I can
find an interesting article someone sent me a few years ago that
actually addressed this topic, I'll post it, but it went into the
ways
the Mac is used compared to how PC users generally use their
computers. It was a quite interesting comparison that did point in
Josh's direction of explanation to some degree. I remember
reading it
and thinking of people in my own circle of friends and family and
laughing out loud.
Also, cultish behavior of some Mac users is only part of the
obstacles
that keep PC users from even trying the Mac. This certainly has been
used as an explanation and there is a mentality that exists to give
this theory some bit of weight. In actuality, it still comes down to
age old myths about Macs that some PC folks cannot get beyond. As
with my youngest brother and a few other friends, it also comes down
to this notion that if you can't easily take it apart and fiddle with
it, it's not a real computer.
Macs are
viewed as "toys" by some hardcore PC people, or intended for children
because of the "ease of use" factor Mac users praise. Overall,
though, a lot of it basically comes down to folks not wanting to try
something new.
Change is frightening, even if that change is a positive one.
Take Care
John D. Panarese
Managing Director
Technologies for the Visually Impaired, Inc.
9 Nolan Court
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Tel/Fax, (631) 724-4479
Email, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Internet, http://www.tvi-web.com
AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS FOR PORTSET SYSTEMS LTD, COMPSOLUTIONS VA,
PREMIER ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, INDEX, PAPENMEIER, REPRO-TRONICS,
DUXBURY, SEROTEK AND OTHER PRODUCTS FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY
IMPAIRED
AUTHORIZED APPLE BUSINESS AGENT
MAC VOICEOVER TRAINING
On Jun 17, 2007, at 2:26 PM, Abdul Kamara wrote:
With all due respect Josh, this is an asinine hypothesis. ...and
all
I would need to prove my case is to come up with a countless number
of equal or more creative people who use the PC.
I have a Mac and I love it. But there is a completely valid reason
why a lot of PC users tend to stay away from Macs. There is a real
cultish attitude toward everything Apple that (as an owner of both
platforms) turns
me, or most off for that matter.
As much as I like the products, I don't think there is all that much
creativity behind a naming scheme where "I" precedes words like
Tunes, Book, Mac, Photo, Pod or even DVD. There was a time with
Apple, when everything was QuickThis or Powerthat.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Josh de
Lioncourt
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2007 6:54 PM
To: General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac
OS X
by the blind
Subject: Re: Odd names for Mac programmes
Actually I think it has to do a lot with the types of people who are
attracted to and use the Mac platform. Mac's have been
traditionally
used by more creative people..musicians, film makers, writers,
and so
forth.
More creative people will logically come up with more creative names
for their software, I think. And, just for fun, some famous Mac
users and enthusiasts include Stephen King, Anne Rice, Douglass
Adams, and Nine Inch Nails.
Josh de Lioncourt
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
...my other mail provider is an owl...
