What's in a Number ?

by Phil Esbenshade

[Wednesday, May 5, 1999] Ever since the arrival of the iMac last year I have been recommending them to my friends and family who are considering purchasing computers. The problem, however, is in the numbers. "Why should I pay over a thousand dollars for a 266 speed when I can get a PC at 350 for less ?" I try to explain that it's like comparing apples and oranges (no pun intended) but those darn numbers !

Undaunted, I continue attempting to persuade these folks to consider the Mac. I speak of the legendary benchmark speed trials, I tell of the horrible crashes that plague the majority of PC owners, I discuss color management and Apple script. I try, I really do, but the numbers keep coming back at me, "It's only a 266 !"

Unfortunately, many of the new computer shoppers just don't understand that you simply cannot compare a G3 to a Pentium. Shoppers are drawn to these numbers. After all, people love numbers. They tear open the morning paper to check the sports scores. More numbers. They check price tags before examining the quality of products. Even more numbers. In the world of motorcycling, numbers are better understood. For Example, a 650cc single cylinder engine is much slower than a 500cc twin cylinder, although the 650 really has the larger displacement. Most motorcyclists know and understand this, but you can't compare motorcycles to computers. Computer buyers are driven by what they see and hear. Much of this information, unfortunately, comes from salesmen and media advertising. There is no doubt that wintel ads outnumber Apple ads by a landslide.

Apple needs to understand this obsession with numbers if they are truly committed to making a serious dent in the consumer market. A simple approach, if at all possible, would be for Apple to get their numbers up to match those of the PC industry. Apple continually lags 50-100mhz behind bargain level PCs on the market. Although, as Mac users, we understand that this is all apples and oranges, we are not the ones Apple is trying to appeal to. After all, we are already sold on the Mac. It's that new student, that elderly couple buying their first computer to get on the internet or that business owner who just wants the best deal for his money. These are the people Apple needs to appeal to, and if all that these people see are the numbers, maybe it's time to raise the stakes.

Phil Esbenshade lives in San Diego, California. He is a part-time Web Designer and full-time pre law student. His hobbies include reptiles, motorcycles, and all things Macintosh. His award winning website, Gecko Links , is designed, updated, and maintained exclusively on his computer of choice, the iMac.

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July 05, 2009