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Bundle Shareware With Every New
Mac
By: Phil Shapiro
Let's start out first with the100,000 hours of unpaid
work. Over 1,000 Macintosh programmers have spent over 100
hours each creating shareware programs for the Mac. Many of
those programs are immensely useful. But the only way new
Macintosh users would find out about them is to read about
them in magazines or hear about them from friends, and then
download them from the Internet. Given that most new
Macintosh users take a year or two to download their first
program from the net, it's imperative for Apple to include
the best Mac shareware with every new Mac sold.
Few would dispute the fact that shareware (and freeware)
programmers have played a very large role in the Mac's
success. And now that hard drives are large enough, Apple
should be shipping a gigabyte (or more) of shareware on new
Macs. It's a crime to ship Macs with three or more gigabytes
of free hard- drive space when that space could equally well
be used for shareware and freeware programs.
How come Apple has not taken that step yet? Shipping
shareware with new Macs would in some ways be an endorsement
of the shareware. And if the shareware didn't work in some
way, customers might naturally blame Apple for the problem.
Easy remedy. Create a vivid disclaimer explaining that
the shareware included with the Mac is delivered "as is,"
and that tech support for individual programs needs to be
obtained directly from the creator of the programs.
Shipping the best of Mac shareware on new Macs would also
induce shareware programmers to create new programs and
enhance existing programs. To gain a place on the coveted
Mac hard drive, the shareware would have to be exemplary,
particularly innovative or indispensable. I can think of
several dozen Mac shareware programs that fit into those
categories. And there are probably a couple hundred more
outstanding Mac shareware programs I've yet to hear of.
Time is money. The time spent downloading shareware
programs is time that could be spent learning to use the
programs. A gigabyte of shareware would take over 50 hours
to download using a 56.6 modem. Let's give a gift of those
50 hours to all new Mac users.
Truth is, hard drives will be reaching 50 to100 gigabytes
within the next year. Shipping a new Mac with 20 or more
gigabytes of hard-drive space on it would be a crime, given
the Mac's outstanding multimedia capabilities. Apple should
be doing what Iomega does with their Jaz drives, which is to
use the shipping Jaz media as a tool for delivering
promotional and useful information. What could be more
promotional of the Mac than a gigabyte of shareware?
Shipping shareware with every new Mac would also be a
low-cost way for Apple to say thanks to the committed
shareware programmers who have supported the Mac over the
years. Those persons often work late into the night with few
rewards or recognitions for their work. What better way to
recognize their commitment than to include the best of their
work on shipping Macs?
Along those same lines, Apple might choose to give some
of the best Mac shareware programmers 50 to 100 megs of
space for QuickTime self-intros. Doing so would give a face
to shareware programmers, who so often are faceless.
It doesn't take a doctorate in economics to realize that
shipping Macs with large amounts of free hard drive space is
not doing customers, or shareware programmers, any good. By
including the best of Mac shareware on shipping Macs, Apple
would be taking a bold step forward. Making the wealth of
Mac shareware visible to new users would bring benefits to
all.
Phil Shapiro works as the Washington DC
Regional Coordinator for the Community Technology Centers'
Network (CTCNet), a national network of over 300 technology
centers providing access to technology and technology
training for those currently without access. He has given
presentations on Mac computing at various regional and
national conferences and was recently nominated for a
citywide prize honoring individuals for their exemplary
community service. He can be reached at: pshapiro@his.com and http://www.his.com/pshapiro/
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