WSJ: Why Windows Users Won’t Switch To The Mac.

I like Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal. He treats Apple and the Mac fairly. He’s critical of Cupertino from time to time (aren’t we all?) and praises OS X, the iPod, Macs, including the mini.

What’s his list of reasons why Windows users won’t switch to Mac? It’s long, ugly, and full of what most of will probably call “human nature” excuses (reasons?).

Let me list Walt’s major reasons why Windows PC users may not switch to a Mac (as summarized by The Mac Observer), then look at each reason, one by one. You’ll be disappointed, but not surprised.

As I’ve said more than once, there’s a lot of mis-information available in the information age.

Who Won’t Switch To Mac:

• 1 - People who are resistant to learning new ways of performing tasks
• 2 - PC users on a tight budget need more than just the Mac (Microsoft Office, or maybe a multi-button mouse)
• 3 - Windows users who need specialized business or financial software
• 4 - PC users whose IT departments support home computers
• 5 - Users who are required to remotely link up to a Windows network
• 6 - Microsoft users who, for whatever reason love or must use Microsoft Outlook
• 7 - PC users who collect and play lots of games
• 8 - Windows users who rely heavily on specific financial software. There’s no Microsoft Money on Ma. Mac Quicken is different, converting Quicken data is royal pain and other financial applications don’t exist for Mac
• 9 - Computer users who want an ultra-light laptop. The smallest Mac weighs over 4 pounds
• 10 - Music lovers who use a music player other than iPod. Napster can’t run on the Mac

Walt’s playing with a deck of human nature cards. I could easily come up with a list of 10 Reasons Why You Won’t Switch From Time Magazine to WSJ. I should get paid as much as Walt for writing such obvious nonsense.

If you’d add up all 10 of those you’d assume that no one using Windows on a PC would ever switch to a Mac. Ever. For whatever reason.

I don’t think so. First, reasons like that are not “inclusive.” They don’t apply to everyone. Apple will have a huge year in 2005 if market share went up only 1 point, say from 3-percent to 4-percent.

If Apple did it again next year, going from 4-percent to 5-percent, that would actually be a decline in the rate, but I’d bet the stock would split again.

Meanwhile, what’s Microsoft lost (besides a few towels used to clean egg off the face)? Not much.

Here’s why Walt’s list is waaaay too general.

1 - People who are resistant to learning new ways of performing tasks
Yep, that’s the case. Look how long it took to get Mac users to switch over to Mac OS X. We should not expect the Mac mini and OS X Tiger to make Windows users swarm to the Mac. Again, a 1 point increase would be wonderful.

2 - PC users on a tight budget need more than just the Mac (Microsoft Office, or maybe a multi-button mouse)
Walt, PC users on a tight budget probably aren’t using Office. Now, about this multi-button mouse issue; I use a Microsoft mouse and love it. Why? Good fit and right click.

Most PC users, honestly, don’t know there’s a “right click” that does anything. Ask around. It’s a non-issue.

3 - Windows users who need specialized business or financial software
Yep, that’s a tough one. The numbers are small, too, so it’s probably a non-issue, too.

4 - PC users whose IT departments support home computers
This one is probably true for some road warriors and larger companies. Most users have little trouble connecting to Windows networks with Mac OS X Panther, recalcitrant IT departments notwithstanding.

5 - Users who are required to remotely link up to a Windows network
I don’t see huge numbers there. Not much different than #4. The Mac mini makes it a non-issue, too, as it’s designed as a second computer even for Windows users at home.

6 - Microsoft users who, for whatever reason love or must use Microsoft Outlook
I don’t know anyone who “loves” Microsoft Outlook. Most users hate it. Many are forced to use it. Microsoft Entourage is not a substitute.

7 - PC users who collect and play lots of games
Again, it’s a non-issue. They want the fastest dog they can get and it won’t be a Mac. These users won’t go for a Mac mini, either, and can’t afford a G5 loaded to the gills.

8 - Windows users who rely heavily on specific financial software. There’s no Microsoft Money on Ma. Mac Quicken is different, converting Quicken data is royal pain and other financial applications don’t exist for Mac
Let’s limit that to Money and Quicken (numbers for other financial software are miniscule). The Quicken transfer from Windows can be painful but can be done. Quicken Windows has more features than Mac Quicken. Again, the Mac mini comes to the rescue as the “second machine” for Windows users.

9 - Computer users who want an ultra-light laptop. The smallest Mac weighs over 4 pounds
There’s no tiny Mac laptop. There’s not likely to be. For what it’s worth, they don’t sell in big numbers anyway.

10 - Music lovers who use a music player other than iPod. Napster can’t run on the Mac
This one is in favor of those using music players on Windows. Switching to a Mac would be a pain for a Dell DJ or Creative Zen user. However, since there’s only about 100 of both, the numbers favor Windows iPod users switching to a Mac. There’s millions of them.

Click Here for Walt Mossberg’s full article. Click Here for The Mac Observer’s take on Walt’s list.

What do you think? Will Windows users make the switch? Is the mini and Mac OS X Tiger just what PC folks need? Share your thoughts and click the Comments link below. What’s Tera think? “Change” is one of those constants in the universe.

Most of us would agree that it is also difficult for many people to make major changes in our life styles. We know, for example, that we should not eat as much of certain foods as we do. We do anyway. Why? Not enough pain. Then, when health or weight reach a critical “pain” threshhold, we’re willing to make changes.

A few of us anyway. Then more. So it will be with Windows users. Those who’ve reached a sufficient “pain threshhold” will make the change and be better for it ("healty," so to speak). Most won’t. Why? Not enough pain. 

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