The Making Of A Mac Site On The World Wide Web.

What does it take to create a web site these days? Not much. A good domain name. An interesting topic. A little time.

After debating the pros and cons of ‘To Mac or not to Mac,’ Kate and I made a few decisions about Mac360. It’s good news and bad news.

First, Kate and I have been debating a serious issue for a couple of months. Kate is convinced, and I cannot deny, that Apple’s quality has slipped so badly with OS X Leopard, the iPhone, the Mac, that there’s not much difference between Apple, Microsoft, Dell, HP, et al.

It’s difficult to deny the basic premise that Apple’s famed high quality, a distinction and unique differentiator between the Cupertino company and competitors, has slipped in recent years.

Sure, our favorite Mac maker produces slick and sassy hardware, deliciously cool and awe inspiring software with a hefty gee whiz factor, but what of Apple’s so-called higher quality?

Judging from both personal experience, having been a Mac owner since the original 128k machine back in 1984, and from viewing closely recent trends, Apple is not on the right track from a customer experience perspective.

Apple’s iPhone is littered with problems. OS X Leopard is the buggiest piece of software the company has tossed out since, what? Mac OS 8.5?

No wonder people are upset. Kate might be at the top of the list. Her view of Apple’s recent foibles are personal, but she’s not alone.

That perspective has put a damper on Kate’s enthusiasm about all things Apple. Admittedly, I feel the same way, though maybe not to the same extent. Suffice it to say, we’re highly disappointed in Apple these days.

Yes, Macs remain preferred to PCs. I love my iPhone 3G, though I can’t recall having bought a new product that has caused so much grief, anxiety, mistrust, and troubleshooting time.

What does all this have to do with the Making of a Mac Site on the World Wide Web? Kate and I have secured a number of domain names and planned to expand our online presence to a number of new sites about Apple, the iPhone, and the Mac.

Our enthusiasm has been dampened by Apple’s newfound attraction to mediocrity.

So, we have some domain names for sale, including Mac360. If you’ve ever wanted to create your own web site about Apple, the Mac, the iPod or iPhone, now is your chance to get a jump start.

For example, the domain name AppleScene would make an excellent Apple portal site, a mega blog about the latest news and information from Apple. How about this duo? AppleChatter and ChatterMac?

While I have many domain names in my collection that are not Apple or Mac or iPhone related—including SpinTaxi, SciFiTaxi, HawaiiCam, HawaiiTour, and many others, these three are ready made for online success.

Consider iPhoneKillerTips, or MacKillerTips, or iPodKillerTips as the gateway to an online media publishing effort.

What of Mac360? The site receives unique visits between 150,000 and 225,000 each month, generates between 250,000 and 350,000 page views, and delivers 1 to 1.5-million advertising impressions.

Mac360 has always been a part-time venture for us, though the advertising revenue has remained steady in recent years. With full time attention, readership will increase, and advertising revenue will follow.

Advertising revenue? Yes, we already have a good mix of revenue sources from Google, Amazon, Yahoo, Tribal Fusion, Text-Link, and others. If you’re interested in setting up a web presence about subjects you know and love, this is a good place to start. Check out the full domain name list, and drop me a note for additional details.

In the meantime, Kate and I will continue to provide reviews and perspective to Mac360, though on a more limited basis. Apple is a great company with a wonderful story, many admirers, and tens of millions of customers. We wish them well, but it’s time to move on toward another future.