At this year’s Software Industry Conference in Boston, USA, I gave a presentation on The A to Z of Online Marketing. Letter M dealt with the Mac.
Chances are that you don’t have or use a Mac, and aside from seeing them in a store, you probably only know one or two people who have one. I’m guessing they’ve already told you how amazing a Mac is, right?
The reasons for there being less Mac users than Windows are simple.
Macs have limited software, limited hardware, limited availability and higher prices.
So why do people buy Macs?
Many Mac users will tell you that PCs are unstable. And they’re right.
If they relied on their computers to keep them alive, stability would be worth paying three or four times more for. But most Mac users use them for the same thing that you and I use PCs. And if you dig a little deeper, the non-evangelist Mac owners (a rare breed) will admit that their systems aren’t quite as reliable as some like to think.
So why do people buy Macs?
The Mac website is aggressively going after PC owners, and until recently had a large headline of “Why your next PC should be a Mac.” Much of the website and their ongoing ad campaigns focus on Macs being more reliable, easier to work and more secure.
Having never worked with a Mac, it may well be more reliable. But it won’t be easier to work with, as most of my software won’t work on it. So aside from the fact I’ll have to buy a lot of new software, many of the applications that I work with on a daily basis won’t work.
Of course I could run Windows on a Mac, but why would I want to?
So why do people buy Macs?
They’re quieter, they look nicer and they’re supposed to be fast.
But what’s in it for me? Aside from a major increase in costs (I can buy a PC for less than $300), having to live without most of my software and a massive investment in time and familiarisation?
The Mac website addresses many of these questions in an incredibly slick and evasive way.
Can a Mac run Windows and Office – yes it can and “most other popular applications are available for the Mac too.” Can they really say that??
Is a Mac safe from PC viruses? “Yes, a Mac is 100 percent safe from viruses designed to attack PCs.” Beautiful! And “Apple continually makes free security updates available that can be downloaded automatically.” Why does that sound familiar?
So why do people buy Macs?
They’re definitely cooler. They look good, and they’re cooler, and they look really good. And if I’m really, really honest, I want one.
I suppose it must all be down to marketing. Who’d have guessed it?
I’ll be giving a revitalised version of The A to Z of Online Marketing in Berlin next month, at the European Software Conference. I hope you can join us.
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