This is pretty big news: Macs now account for 14% of all PC sales by units sold. By dollars spent, it’s 25% – yes, they are friggin’ expensive.
In my microverse, the laptop share must be 80% or more. What’s interesting is that even by techies, they’re not being bought for OS X. The reasons I’m hearing are that it’s very reliable and (this is coming from a very talented sysadmin, mind you) “it’s just so thin…”. Several people are using Windows as the main OS.
By non-techies, it’s totally the external form that sells it. Clearly Microsoft thought making Vista look more like Aqua would help, but it’s the container, not the guts, that’s grabbing buyers. I heard another story on Hacker News from a guy who explained to his friend how the Macbook Pro was so much faster than the Macbook, even though the specs look similar. His eyes glazed over, and then he proclaimed, “Yeah, I like look of the glossy black one better.” These aren’t computers, they’re accessories.
I think they’re cool, and I love the fact that it’s UNIX under the hood and runs Windows reliably. But I still have a hard time spending $600+ more for a laptop with fewer features than an HP or Dell. But I’d definitely take the Apple over the Sony.
It’s an alarming trend. We are turning into a nation of fawned-upon Lotus Eaters, content in paying out outrageous sums for advertised easy-to-use computing. And the objects of our desire and consumption come in so many glossy colors. Ugh.
If we are ever to defeat HAL-Queda we will need to grow a population that can come up with effective solutions using a haphazard combination of clunky Windows PC operating systems, off-the-shelf discontinued software, hardware salvaged off the sidewalk and a spool of baling wire. Whatever happened to our pioneer spirit??
You disgust me, Apple users. Pony up to the bar and start contributing to our National Defense Preparedness. Where is the Bin Laden killer app (literally) that our nation so desperately needs??