Misinformation In A Microsoft World. Apple’s Uphill Road.

We receive plenty of comments on our news, reviews, and commentary. It’s to be expected. The Internet and web sites such as ours allow much more of a two-way communication than mainstream media of the past.

What hasn’t changed much is the “knowledge-base” of computer users. Humans are sometimes ill-informed creatures, as evidenced by a recent comment from a Windows user.

Back in early January, the Mac world was buzzing about the rumor of a $500 Mac. Tera wrote a great article on why such a product would make a great “bomb” dropped on Microsoft.

Click Here for the gory details. Suffice it to say, Tera outlined all the reasons why such a $500 Mac would finally make a dent in the Microsoft and Windows dominated world.

She went into great detail about iLife, Mac OS X Tiger, and the tremendous value of the whole $500 package.

That was Tera’s hopeful speculation because Macworld Expo and the release of the $500 Mac mini was still days away.

What do Windows users think of the Mac mini? Well, I don’t know. I have yet to meet a Windows user who’s bought a Mac mini. Actually, I haven’t met anyone who’s bought a Mac mini (they’re in short supply) but most of the mainstream and Internet media seem to love the little beast.

Some Windows users who read Tera’s article on the “$500 bomb” seem to have difficulty gripping reality. It’s this “misinformation” (a polite word for “ignorance”) that’s most telling. Many Windows users don’t know anything different than the experience they have on their PCs.

So, they brush off the Mac, Mac OS X, iLife, and the Mac mini, as something that was probably copied from Microsoft in the first place.

Take, for example, this email message we received from Windows user “briack.” His/her email message is enclosed below, with commentary on Page 2. As you read this commentary from a self-avowed Windows users, you’ll figure out why the Mac will probably never reach 10-percent market share.

WINDOWS USER’S COMMENTARY
“I hate to pick apart the only backbones of your article, but, I just can’t help myself.”

“Go down the list with me. iTunes, iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto, Garageband, iCal,  iSync, Address Book, i Work Pages, iWork Numbers, iWork Keynote, iChat AV (with multiple audio/video channels).” 

“iTunes - For one, the illegal transfer of files, media or otherwise, still reigns supreme. I’d rather take a risk and download illegally than spend a hundred dollars or so and get an iPod.”

“iMovie - From what the name says, I’m guessing this is a movie player?  Microsoft calls that “Windows Media Player.” It’s been around for years.”

“iDVD - Now I’m not a big one for DVD’s, but I do know that when I put a DVD in my computer, it can play on it. I even get a choice of several players to use. Why buy a Mac/Apple to play a DVD when you get download a two megabyte program?”

“iPhoto - For one thing, there’s MSPaint, sure, it isn’t too great, but it’s been in every Windows PC so far, and it does the job just fine. Modern computers also have Adobe PhotoShop installed right off the bat, for those who really want to work with their media files. And there’s also Microsoft Image Composer, a more Windows-based version of Adobe (which I personally prefer).” 

“Garageband - Not sure what this is, maybe you can listen to 12 year-olds bang out off-beat tunes until their dad tells them to stop? I’d rather listen to professionals.”

“iCal - Unlike most Mac/Apple programs, this one tells me nothing about what it would do. My only guess is they stole Mr. Ripken’s name, and are “dropping” his name for publicity. Maybe not. I have not idea what this is.”

“iSync - Well, I’m guessing Sync would be short for synchronize, although I don’t quite see what point of having a program that synchronizes your computers components, aren’t they usually pre-synchronized? Maybe that’s just Windows.”

“Address Book - This is an obvious one to tell what it is. But where’s the little ‘i’ in front? Why isn’t is iAddress, or iBook, or even iAddress Book? Anyway, I prefer Outlook. Which has a built-in address book.”

“iWork Pages - I guess this is an employment program? Look for an employer or employees! Still not sure why this is going to come with Macs. If they’re expensive doesn’t that mean the person has a job?”

”iWork Numbers - Another division of iWork. I guess this is to fight off Quicken and Money?”

“iWork Keynote - Perhaps it would have been wiser to simply say iWork by itself. No idea what this is, maybe just the crucial employer/employee information, just the key notes.”

“iChat AV (with multiple audio/video channels) - Well, anyone who knows about computers will know you need a separate channel for Audio, and a separate channel for Video, unless you’re trying to say that it has separate chatting channels. I’d sure hope so. I don’t have 9 teenagers screaming at me all at once, now featuring their acne-ridden faces.”

“Now granted, they all aren’t that way, nor look that way, but that tends to be the people in chatrooms these days. There are plenty of free video chat programs anyway.”

“I’d also like to point out that you quoted your own article several times,  as if Apple themselves had said that, and not you, stating your opinion. I guess you’re trying to work in foreshadowing into your article? This isn’t a novel, it’s you trying to sound tough about Apple computers.”

“I find it quit humorous how Apple realized that nobody was buying their iPod, so they needed to make it Windows-compatible. Now look how sales have soared. I’d like to see a profit comparison of the sales of Apple computer against the sales of iPods that can be used with Windows. I’m guessing they’d be roughly the same.” 

“It seems to me, as a Windows user, that Apple isn’t dropping bombs on Microsoft, but they’re merely stealing- err, “borrowing” Microsoft’s ideas to catch up to them.”
END

You see? The Internet is often a “misinformation highway.” Response and “Mac” commentary comes on Page 2. Click Here for Page 2.