Into the Abyss
I finally broke down and gave up, I put together a Wintel machine for my spouse. Before you all start flaming me with molotov email, I’ve got to tell you how much I now appreciate Apple. Putting together a machine from odds and ends really isn’t that difficult. Dealing with Microsoft’s software issues is a true pain. Trying to find out how to reformat a disk is a feat. I must have looked through dozens of books and magazines before I found the information needed. As it turns out it came from a local freebie magazine. In turn, Apple includes all the software and instructions on any emergency disk. The other problem is that only the brand name Wintel machines have a true restore CD-ROM. The generic and do-it-yourselfers are out of luck. If Gates and company actually cared they would provide the system software to start up to full-blown Windows rather than just the worthless emergency disk they prompt the owner to create that only gets one to the MS-DOS line version of Windows. Not to mention that the so-called emergency disk doesn’t have the CD-ROM driver in its file. Luckily, a local independent dealer made me a version with all the necessary drivers.
Let me back up. My wife works in a Windows environment. All of her training is in Microsoft Office. She was spending a great deal of time working and playing on our 6360, but SoftWindows 4 was just too slow. So, for her birthday I put together a 486DX2 with a CD-ROM. Like I mentioned above, the installation was pretty straightforward. I did cheat a bit by having a second machine opened up to refer to, but all in all no problem. The hard drive needed to be reformatted. That is where the fun began. After more than a week of frustration I was able to solve the mystery. Next was the emergency disk fiasco. Once all was said and done, I would guess my time dealing with software ended up running at least thirty hours. In comparison, as a beginning Mac user I was able to backup, reformat, and reinstall an entire hard drive’s worth of software on my first Mac, a Performa 475, in only two hours, and I accomplished all that without any instructions.
Since then, our school received four 486s in great shape from a local hospital group. Since the condition of the machines and monitors was outstanding, I chose to install some CD-ROMs. Having built up my confidence making my wife’s computer, I set out to reenter the abyss. The first problem was in getting the case off the Compaq desktop machine. A mere two hours later it was finally off. After that, the rest was easy: pop out the plate where the CD-ROM was to be placed, replace the ribbon cable, set the jumper pins, attach the cables, and slide the unit into place. All went well until it came time to secure the unit with screws; the metal housing had no holes for this purpose. Time to thank the Apollo space program, for to the rescue came velcro. Three well-positioned pieces of the stuff later and I was done. Another two hours to reinstall the system software and the first machine was ready. All four machines were done in a week between classes.
Out of the abyss I have come to once again evangalize the beauty of the Macintosh platform. Alive, wiser, and most importantly, truly grateful for everyone in Cupertino.
Stock Chaos
All of you who own Apple stock have been wondering about the wild ride it’s been on since late February. Prices have dropped to 32 as of March 10. Apple publicity has never been better. Products are selling as promised, inventory control is outstanding, yet the price continues to drop. I wish I had the answer. A new round of advertising is due as the spinning iMac color wheel has grown stale. Strangely enough, I have yet to see the B/W G3 advertised. I realize this is tax time, but the new seeds of purchase must be planted.
Blue & White G3s
I really wanted to like the looks of the new towers, and from the side they look terrific. But, I have to say the front panel leaves me cold. It’s boring, there’s no shape to it. The CD panel dropping down for the tray seems silly and allows for easy breakage. And though I like the coolness of the corner handles, the design somehow lacks the sexiness of the iMac. Besides, the blueberry just isn’t cool like Bondi-Blue is. I know a lot of you think otherwise, but I’ve got to be honest, maybe it needs to grow on me. I’d be happy to try if somebody will buy one for me. The monitors on the other hand are sexy, cool, and sharp. Great lines like the iMac. What a great screen, sharp, bright colors. It seems like one is looking at a ViewSonic tube.
Student Commercials
As I continue to struggle with ideas, I decided to let my current crop of students take a shot at fame (certainly not fortune) and come up with their own ideas for an iMac commercial.
Scene-
The five new iMac “flavors” are in a white room. They are making a rainbow with their five new colors.
Music-
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” sung by Judy Garland
Scene-
The iMacs are pinwheeling with their screens facing out.
Scene-
The iMacs are still pinwheeling, but the camera pulls back and they find that the picture was on a computer screen.
Scene-
The Macintosh apple with the logo “Think Different” in the five new flavors.
By: Sean D.
iMac Commercial
Scene-
(Camera rotating around the computer and focuses on a man.) A room with lights going off slowly. Only a faded light of a computer shining on a man’s face remains. You hear the keys of a keyboard and the click of a mouse.
Dialogue-
“Hey, come on, our reservations are in twenty minutes,” a woman’s voice says. “Ugh!” moans the man, but doesn’t move.
Listen-
The woman’s shoes walking across a room. A door opens and slams shut.
Focus-
A closer view of the man’s face. “Bring something back for me!” he says. The woman screams through the door, “I’m sick of you always on the computer, WE’RE THROUGH!” He stops for a moment and then shrugs and goes back to “work.”
Scene change-
iMac
The man says, “Boy, I’m gonna miss her!”
By Talia H.
Scene: In a computer room with a 13-year-old kid and his dog.
Camera: Side view of iMac and dog.
Kid: “So easy to use, a dog can use it.”
Camera: Moves upward and shows a downward shot. Dog has his paw on the rounded mouse and clicks on the Internet sign. Then the boy shows the dog the way to get into where he needs to go to learn about the iMac.
Camera: Goes behind the boy to show the colors of the iMac.
Scene: The colors of the iMac are shown on the first page of the iMac’s web page.
Camera: Shows the flavors: Blueberry, Grape, Strawberry, Lime, and Tangerine. The computers with colors are spinning in a circle.
By: Ricky K.
Rambling Thoughts
Some of you are probably wondering why I haven’t responded to your email. I hate to admit it, but I have been unable to get the forwarding connection working between AOL and the My Mac email server. So, in the meantime, if you want to send me an email address it to markm@mymac.com.
Mark Marcantonio
markm@mymac.com
The Final Order
Last month I let you know of my Macintosh victory over Intel in getting iMacs as the standard school computer. Now for the rest of the story… I was all set to present the iMac and G3 all-in-one purchase plan to the school advisory committee. I had gathered up all sorts of additional material and was in the process of arranging for an iMac to be on hand running Virtual PC when my principal let me know I needn’t worry. It turned out that since the money was donated for a specific purpose, i.e. technology, we could skip the advisory committee and go right to ordering. This was too good to be true!
That night I went home and downloaded the school pricing list from Apple and became immediately confused. Where was the G3 all-in-one? Puzzled, I got back on-line and went to Apple’s Education Store… no all-in-one there, either. So, when all else fails, call the 1-800 number. Sure enough, Apple had discontinued the all-in-one due to the need for additional assembly lines for the iMacs. This was unfortunate, because the all-in-one had been a surprisingly good seller for Apple to analysts (not myself, as schools love one-piece designs). However, Apple was offering a G3 desktop 266 w/ 1720 monitor for the same price, and that sounded just fine to me. The only exception being it had no internal modem and I didn’t want extra pieces hanging around. Oh, well. After presenting the change to the principal, I went about creating a purchase order for three iMacs and a G3 Desktop package.
After a few days passed, the idea of the desktop machine just wasn’t settling right. The issue of available desk space was gnawing at me. But, the only way to project computer images on screen was by the G3, as the iMac lacked any video output capability. Luckily, the “insanely-great” daily email gave the answer. A company called Griffin Technology http://www.griffintechnology.com had solved the problem. They have developed the iPort, a $70 device that allows for both video and serial output. The following email explains how it works:
Dear Mark,
The iPort does not plug into the mezzanine slot, rather it uses pass-through cables to connect to the the iMac’s motherboard. The iPort requires a control panel to run. From there, just load your printer/device drivers and select them via the chooser.
Regards,
Jason Litchford
Griffin Technology
Bingo! Once again third-party developers had picked up where Apple had left off. That was the first piece of good news. A few days later the new Apple school pricing list came out. The iMac was being offered in a 5-pack and bundled with the IMATION SuperDrive for $5,995. This means the SuperDrive was being thrown in for free. What a deal! Without further delay, the purchase order was rewritten and faxed. So, by the time you read this I’ll be wallowing in the fruits of victory!!!
Yeah, right, Bill
I thought only Presidents were pathetic under oath, but along comes Bill Gates with the I can’t recall; I’m out of the loop defense. Give me a break, Bill. You’ve spent the last ten years gloating, pushing, advertising your “genius” label. Telling all of us that you have the road map for the information age. Remember, The Road Ahead, that book you wrote… naw, probably not. You were a little too busy building a “house” that was big enough to hold your ego.
Why can’t you just tell the truth, say something to the effect of:
Business is ruthless. If you want to survive in a fast-paced industry, you use whatever leverage you have to guarantee your survival. Whatever deals or persuasion it takes, you’ve got to do it…
At least you would be telling the truth, instead your demonstrating to everyone, but most importantly your child, that lying is ok. Maybe you’re hoping that your offspring will never hear and comprehend what you said. Don’t bet on it.
It’s kind of ironic that the thing that Bill Gates is trying so hard to keep together will probably be broken up by his own words. Either that, or all the “smoking gun” memos left behind from the various companies he tried to dominate. Well, readers, it looks as if we have something Bill doesn’t: INTEGRITY.
For a Buck a Day…
When things are going good the ideas never seem to end. The iMac for $29.99 a month sounds like a winner. It’s the second part of the NC concept. The truly affordable computer. I hope there is an ISP deal involved to keep the complete price with Internet access for under $50 a month. I know my principal is seriously looking at it. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a version with a printer for $5-10 more in the not so distant future.
Until next month, enjoy the turkey, everyone.
Mark Marcantonio
markm@mymac.com
Websites mentioned:
http://www.griffintechnology.com
A Macintosh School 98-99
Destiny is a wonderful thing,especially when it involves a big change of life. Two months ago I threw caution to the wind, giving up a near perfect teaching position in my home town and moved my family 1,400 miles to Portland. At the time I knew I was being called, but the specific reason remained unclear. On September 20th, I believe I found out why. My new school had been bequeathed a large donation to the technology fund. God had wanted me to be in the setup of a technologically modern school. Life doesn’t get much better than this!
As the words rolled off the principal’s lips, my mind immediately began racing through the possible equipment choices from Apple. Then just as soon it had started the vision was stopped dead in its tracks. A fellow teacher had innocently asked what type of computers were to be purchased. Being new I paused rather then pipe up. The principal chirped, “Well, the school has both Windows and Macs. Mark, any solutions?” “Really, there is one way to keep everyone happy and not give up on any software. There are two programs (SoftWindows 95 or Virtual PC) that allow Macs to act like a Windows machine. That way whatever type of machine you or the students have at home, the same files or software can be used.” That gave me some breathing room. My fellow teachers nodded in agreement. The principal added that the computers and accessories would be purchased over the course of two years with the upper grades getting them first. A fine executive decision since the school is K-8 and I’m a 6-8 teacher.
My first thought was the iMac exclusively. A fine idea, keeping to a single model. Fewer idiosyncrasies to deal with means less headaches for me when troubleshooting. With the IMATION SuperDisk attached to one machine (I’m thinking three to four iMacs per room), files from home are no problem. However, one issue comes up that can’t be solved: the iMac has no video-out capability. I know that being able to put on a TV screen what appears on the computer is an incredibly valuable learning tool. So, I changed focus to the G3 all-in-one desktop. With the bells and whistles of Ethernet and video-out each machine hovers around $1900. Not good, when trying to get the most bang for the buck. After spending the better part of a weekend trying to find a workable solution common sense arrives. What’s wrong with a G3 primarily for the teacher and iMacs for the students. All will include a software emulator and 64 megs of RAM. Since the school will be networked, it seems like the best fit.
The October 1st Technology Committee meeting was the next stop. There are a total of five on the group: the principal, three parents, and myself. What I didn’t realize was that two of the three parents work at Intel (Portland is a major Intel office/production center). When I first saw their badges I thought my plan was gone to the deepest recesses of my dreams. The principal seeing my bewilderment took control of the meeting. He first mentioned the brochures from Compaq and Gateway, but little interest was shown. I decided to start slow, “Whatever we get has to have at least 64 megs of RAM.” Everyone agreed. Good first move; build bridges, I thought. Next we went over the inventory, one Mac 5200, three 580s, two HP 233MHz, one generic 233MHz, bunches of 386 and 486s, a few with CD-ROMs, and several IIe’s. All the 386 and 486 machines had been donated, and in truth I mentioned only the five 486s with CDs were of any significant use. One of the Intel ladies piped up, “We need to get machines that will last.” My opening had occurred. “Let me tell you about my experiences. At my last school we had over 75 Macs, and in the four years I was there our total repair bill was less than $500. Our school does not have the funding to repair problem machines.” The principal added, “There is no repair budget to speak of.” At that point the meeting changed from getting the most machines possible to getting the best machines.
The other Intel parent pointed out that two public school districts had in the past few years gone all Windows. True, but they also ended up having to hire a full-time technology troubleshooter for each school, and we don’t have that kind of money, I countered. That’s when the third parent, an employee of Nike, stepped into the discussion and the tables began to turn. “In my area we are running both Windows and Macs, and the Mac people seem to have a religion about their machines.” I asked hoping for a positive statement, “How many machines of each are there?” “Oh, I would say, about 200 Windows and 150 Macs.” “How many technicians to keep each platform up?” I asked. “Approximately five to seven Windows guys, but just one Mac techy,” he replied. The two Intel ladies eyes widened. “Are you sure?” one questioned. “Yes. From having worked with both, the Macintosh Operating System is just more intuitive, even with its flaws I see people being able to do more.” BINGO! A nonsolicited answer. Now, I moved in for the kill. “Do you know that the Mac can run Windows?” They shook their heads. “There are two programs out on the market that through software can make a Mac think it is a Windows machine and run either Windows 95 or 98. The key is that we can be a dual-platform school without having to hire a troubleshooter. I have a Gateway 486 in my room which was down for three weeks and took nearly ten hours of my time to get up and going again. If a bug in the emulation software causes problems all I have to do, if all else fails, is to reload the software. That’s a heck of a lot easier than what I had to do with the Gateway.” Both women were speechless for awhile. Then, the second one spoke up, “Does this software really work?” I told them of my own machine at home running SoftWindows 95 v.4 because my wife works in a Windows environment. They both nodded in agreement.
Having won them over, they began to ask about what type of Macs to purchase. I clued them in on my vision, re-emphasizing the Mac’s dual-platform capability with students being able to start or finish work at home. I also told them of the ease of networking with the built-in Ethernet capability of both machines. The meeting adjourned under the agreement that my classroom would be the demonstration model and that the necessary peripherals would be purchased to insure a successful classroom for the students.
What a rush!!!!!!!
Rolling, Rolling, Rolling
Chiat/Day continues to pump out quality commercials. The first set of iMac ads set a great tone. The camera panning around a Wintel box, wires going everyone. Confusing sounds of chaos. Then the switch to the iMac; smooth lines, only two wires, the deafening quiet. My favorite part is that the viewer actually gets a chance to see the iMac in one image rather than quick flashes (my pet peeve about TV advertising; car ads are the worst).
In just the last few days the second set of ads with Jeff Goldblum have begun to appear. In one he talks about people at a party discussing email and “you” being left out because you don’t have a computer with email capability. This ad is ok, but I only wish they would have shown him hooking up the machine. Maybe in the next set. In the other, Mr. Goldblum discusses the lack of character, boringness, and originality in the typical beige box. Then he gleefully announces the uniqueness of the iMac. This ad has more zing to it, illuminating the “Think Different” theme.
Getting Respect
Since Apple is putting celebrities in front of the camera now, here’s my idea and celebrity choice.
Plain white background
Rodney Dangerfield is shown lifting an iMac out of the box. “Hey, a handle for us average people.” Next, Rodney is shown at a white table reading the manual, “Plugged into the wall, check. And plug this guy in right there. That’s it, it can’t be. There’s got to be more, here it is, push this button.” The startup chime sounds. “Respect, respect. They finally designed one with respect…” The camera changes to a view from behind the iMac. Rodney Dangerfield is wiping tears of joy from his eyes. In the background is a collection of Wintel machines in a pile. The iMac logo on the top of the machine appears and the words “Think Different.”
Homework
Ok, readers, I need your help. If any of you are running SoftWindows or Virtual PC on a network, please email me and let me know how it’s working.
Mark Marcantonio
markm@mymac.com
Each month I receive a variety of letters from readers with all sorts of questions. Since everybody else is talking about the iMac and I haven’t been able to see it myself I thought I’d do something a Denver Sports columnist occasionally reverts to… answering his readers.
Who do you think you are criticizing Apple?
I’m a loyal Mac fanatic who one year ago was tired of seeing a great company go down the tubes in part due to incompetent marketing. But instead of just whining about it I wanted to offer some fresh ideas.
Do you really think anybody at Apple actually reads your column?
Yes. People can’t help reading about their job and what others think about it. I think some of them have actually agreed at times. And I’m sure thought I had no clue as to what was going on on other occasions.
Do you actually think somebody at Apple was going to use one of your commercials?
Honestly, at first I did. Matter of fact, I had thought up what it was going to cost them. But after the first month I came to my senses. Now I just do it to feed my addiction to be heard.
What kind of Mac do you own?
Currently, (my wife says for a long time) I have a Performa 6360 (160MHz 603e) with 1.2 gig and 48 megs of RAM which I hope to increase to 102 megs very soon. I’ve always liked the looks of the 6360 and the price was a steal. My monitor is an Apple 14″ with the Trinitron tube (I’m very partial to Sony tubes). To round things out a Color Stylewriter 2500, Mustek 600II scanner, Zip Drive, and Altec Lansing speakers.
Where do you get your ideas for commercials?
The first few months were really easy, I had a list in my head and all I did was add things to it. Many of the early ideas came from personal experience. Now, I spend several hours, usually driving to and from work working on each idea. I have a lot more respect for ad people who have to spend years coming up with new ideas for the same company.
What was the funniest comment you ever got?
It was from a teacher in a newly all Wintel school, after explaining his plight he ended with the phrase, “Why me”? But, seriously, he knows what is ahead of him and it isn’t going to be fun. I just don’t understand the reasoning of making things more difficult for classroom teachers.
What is so bad about the Windows platform to you?
It’s an operating system designed for engineers and tinkered with to fool the vast majority into thinking it’s easy. I like to compare Windows to H-P calculators “Reverse Polish Notation” wherein you key in a number, hit enter, key in the other number, then hit the +/-/x key to get your answer. You don’t say six enter, two enter, times. That is what using Windows is like, foolish steps that take time away from productivity.
What do you think of Bill Gates?
Honestly, I’m apathetic. I think he is a very shrewd marketer who understands how to keep the market happy while at the same time guiding it to his own interests. He and Alan Greenspan are very similar because they both turn congressman into blubbering idiots who buy everything they say without truly questioning their motives.
My favorite Gates story was not when he got hit by the pie but what supposedly happened on his first night in his monsterous mansion. As the story goes, the NT operating system that ran everything in the house was having all sorts of problems (surprise surprise). The giant disappearing screen in the master bedroom would not turn off and go down. Supposedly Bill himself tried to force the display down into its recessed cabinet. He ended up having to place a blanket over the screen so he could go to sleep.
Will the iMac save Apple?
No, I think Steve Jobs has already saved it. The goal of the iMac is to get non-Mac people the opportunity get in on the Macintosh experience.After all, isn’t the time spent with the machine what hooked the rest of us? The iMac will increase the base of Mac users once the initial flurry of current Mac owners upgrading ebbs.
What was your favorite Apple commercial you came up with?
It would have to from my first article I called it “Classroom”
Classroom
Scene: Middle School, technology classroom, Mac and Wintel CPUs.
Students at the Wintel machines, some with hands raised, others trying to read a manual. One student even pulling his hair. The teacher and an assistant hurriedly running from machine to machine. On the other side, students are shown on Macs surfing the Internet, printing reports, developing multimedia with animation, even writing the school newspaper. The camera then focuses on two boys who turn to look at the students on the Wintel machines. “Great idea, Jake. From now on, no showers after gym so we can get a Macintosh”. “Yeah”.
The boys “high-five” as the camera pans to the right showing two cheerleaders, one holding her nose as the other bends forward crinkling her nose, both saying “Eeew”! Screen blackens, famous Apple ad voice speaks:
“At Apple, we understand that technology only educates children when it works”.
Apple and the Mac OS logos appear.
Conclusion
As a classroom teacher it says everything, much like a Norman Rockwell painting. Thanks to all of you for a wonderful first year. Next month I’ll return to writing TV commercials after I have a chance to see the iMac ads.
Mark Marcantonio
markm@mymac.com
A Salesman’s Salesman
Once again Steve Jobs has created excitement without a major product announcement. After all, the iMac had already been announced and the upgrade to a 56K modem wasn’t in doubt. One must take a moment to marvel at the enthusiasm that expands with his every word. No matter whether you are for or against his point of view, one still gets pulled into his charismatic orbit. It’s not limited to us Mac aficionados either. Just take a look at Apple’s stock during any few days surrounding a Jobs’ speech and you will see an average of a five point price jump. People buy into the Jobs mystic. After all, he is the one-time boy wonder who took a workbench experiment and turned it into a multi-billion dollar company. That’s only half the story; in true Hollywood fashion he is forced out, only to return later to save his incarnation.
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The Next Step, Part II
In the May issue I suggested one way how Apple could regain dominance in education. I recommended that Apple create several totally Macintosh schools (urban, suburban, and rural) using the latest technology. This month, I suggest that Apple renew its national technology seminars. In past years, Apple education specialists and local representatives put on several dozen seminars across the country. The ones I went to in Denver were attended by teachers, some of whom traveled hundreds of miles, eager to hear and learn about the latest innovations in hardware and software for education. With their emphasis on how technology could be used to enhance learning, these seminars always gave Apple the inside lane with teachers. Understandably, this required Apple to devote an hour to pitching its latest hardware, but they did so tactfully, making it the true definition of the soft sell. Teachers like myself really appreciated the focus on how we could use technology in the classroom rather than spending the day hearing, “buy, buy, buy”.
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I’ve spent the last few months praising the gang in Cupertino for their agressive advertising. But it’s time to take the next step, reclaiming what was once Apple’s domain but was weakened during the “Dark Times”. Nothing more than Apple’s biggest support group, education.
As a teacher, I can give endless testimony of the superiority of Macintosh equipment and technology in the classroom. I love to point out that currently in my classroom gathering dust are four 386′s donated from the U.S. Mint. All are unoperable due to a variety of hardware problems. I can’t even find a charitable group willing to take the machines(?) off my hands. The standard response, “Costs us too much to get them working.” No kidding! Why do you think our school can’t use them? The funny part is that on the table right next to the clones sit 3 Mac SE’s and a Classic. All four work perfectly as a word processing center using ClarisWorks 2.0. Students from all four junior high classrooms use them daily for typing a variety of reports. My principal, when giving tours to prospective families, proudly points out our judicious use of donated equipment. Those little Macs are at least 3-5 years older than the 386′s to their left. I should also mention that we have both a Mac 5200 lab and a Apple IIe lab (No kidding). The newest IIe is from 1987, making it eleven years old!
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The attack on Intel continues, hallelujah. William Johnson, Robert E. Lee, George Patton, and Norman Schwartzkoff would all be proud of TBWA/Chiat Day’s Apple television ads. Why, you ask? Because the Apple strategy uses many of the military techniques these famous officers used: speed, surprise, and the most difficult of all, guerrilla warfare. In other words, attacking Intel with quick, hard jabs then moving off to await another opportunity.
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As I write this during the second week of February, I am truly amazed at the two great events of the last three weeks. First, my beloved Broncos win the Super Bowl. Then, Apple comes out with the best ad in years. Life is great from my perspective.
The snail ad is truly great advertising. The message is clean, simple, and powerful. Clean, because all the viewer sees is the snail with the Pentium chip on its back. Then, just the panoramic view of a G3 Power Mac. Simple, because the visual image of a snail crawling across a white background. No visual confusion to distract the viewer. Powerful, due to the straightforward message it creates: the Pentium is slow! The second area to examine was Apple’s choice of air time. NBC’s Thursday night lineup is a powerful one. The viewing age fit Apple’s target purchase audience nicely. I had been upset when Apple announced it wouldn’t spend the money to advertise during the Super Bowl, after all, over 1/2 of all televisions turned on would be tuned to the game. Many of the games viewers only watch to see the commercials. The snail ad would have garnered as much talk as the Bud frog ads around the water cooler that Monday morning. But, I digress too much. Apple has thrown down the gauntlet both for Intel and more importantly, itself. Keep pushing Steve!!!!
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The Challenge
Well, the news out of Macworld is heartening, Steve and the gang have managed to fool the “experts” by posting a 45 million dollar profit. And like most Mac fanatics, I was initially thrilled. But the underlying problem remains that fewer and fewer Macintoshes are being sold. Some in the Mac community failed to look at this fact and its long-range implications. Fewer sold machines means fewer new users to the platform. This in turn means fewer software programs are purchased, which in turn means a ever shrinking number of developers willing to write Macintosh applications.
Granted, returning to profitability is the first goal. But the focus must Continue reading »
include MARKETING. I use my hometown of Denver as a perfect example of lost opportunities. Denver is not only the highest educated city in the U.S.A., but the most Internet-connected city (per-capita) in the world. Yet, I have only seen 5 “Think Different” ads since the campaign began. That’s ridiculous under any circumstances. What’s even worse is that one of Apple’s biggest corporate clients, US West, is headquartered in Denver. There are well over 10,000 employees, with at least a third using Macs. These are potential customers not being recognized.
Fourteen years ago, Apple with the help of director Ridley Scott reinvented television advertising. The famous “1984″ ad changed the way advertisers viewed commercials. They began to see commercials as an abstract art form.
The product did not need to be the message, but instead, a sidebar to the
message. Since then, the Super Bowl has become synonymous with the best that advertising has to offer. Unfortunately, Apple has never been able to reach that level of impact since then. Many believe no one ever will, the timing was too perfect. It was the dawn of a product useful to the masses, comparable to television and the automobile. So, in judging Apple’s Super Bowl ad (they better have one) for 1998, all of us must keep in perspective that Apple will not be introducing a new era of technology, but just their newest version of it.
Fox has announced that a 30-second spot will run 1.3 million dollars. The price seems incredibly high until one realizes that up to 75% of all the televisions on at that time are tuned into the game. The advertising impact is enormous. Apple cannot afford not to run at least two 30-second spots. In addition, they may want to consider airing two 15-second spots. Total cost, 3.9 million dollars to be seen by 100+ million viewers. That’s only 4 cents per person. Pretty cheap considering the potential sales impact.
This month, in addition to my own commercial, I asked my seventh graders to come up with their own ideas. The best five out of sixty-one are below. After all, isn’t the Mac the family/education computer?
* Note: I did make a few minor changes to a couple of these entries to fit
the “Think Different” campaign.
Well, the holiday season is upon us. Families around the country are looking at purchasing a new home computer. With technology moving moving so fast, computer magazines are literally out of date by the time they hit the stands. This means that many families will make their purchase based upon slick advertising. So as I write this article during the first week of November (between parent/teacher conferences), I anxiously await TBWA Chiat/Day’s holiday ad blitz for Apple.
My advertising wish list for this season includes a television ad that bring out the best in holiday humor, and the second that reminds all of us that family still comes first.
Santa Claus Continue reading »
Scene opens at a modern shopping mall decorated for the holiday season. A long line of children waiting anxiously for their turn on Santa’s knee. A young girl climbs on his knee.
(Re)Creating An Image
The “Think Different” campaign arrived on September 28. Its impending arrival was anticipated by almost all with anxiousness equaled to the birth of a child. In many ways the campaign is like childbirth; wonderment, doubts, anxiety, hope, and prayers. I felt all of those emotions as I watched the two spots unfold.
Below is my analysis based on some standards the advertising industry I’m sure asks itself.
Concept- A Continue reading »
The idea of showing all of these great and or unique thinkers is a reminder of Apple’s past glory. Reminding everyone which company gave the majority of us the ability to use computers. I still shudder thinking back when I took a college computer course and trying to remember the various DOS prompts (by the way, I failed the class, luckily the four credit “F” never appeared on my transcript. A true Mac user before I even knew it.).
Last month, I used humor to get my message out about the Macintosh. This month I’m going to try a more ‘in your face’ approach. As consumers, we tend to think in a certain way based upon our first influences. No matter how wrong those thoughts may be we stick with them until we are faced with one of two situations: Irrefutable evidence, or the more likely scenario, total embarrassment and humiliation. Since the latter of the two is not a good way to get people to like you, especially when it involves the separation of money, here are two commercials using the irrefutable evidence concept…
Macintosh Makes Reading Continue reading »
SCENE: Black screen appears, famous Apple ad voice, ” All these magazines and newspapers depend upon us to bring you the information you need.” Images of famous magazines flash across the screen in rapid fashion with newspaper banners interspersed in them. At the end, each appears in a checkerboard fashion across the screen for several seconds. The screen blackens, then the Apple logo appears with Steve Jobs new favorite phrase, “Think Differently”.
Sometimes it can get tough preaching the good news of Apple in the middle of this storm. This is especially true at my summer job, selling computers at Best Buy. I spend everyday doing my part in the war with Wintel, while the advertising department in Cupertino continues to approve ad campaigns that smell worse than Al Bundy’s socks. Why do they put out eight-page ads in the various Mac magazines when four will do? Put the rest of the money into two-page ads in Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, People, etc. Get the word out that Apple has the fastest machines. As military historians know: When outnumbered, increase the speed of the attack, don’t let the opposition rest.
But enough bitching. As I tell my students, “DON’T WHINE, SOLVE!!!”. In the spirit of this attitude, here are three ideas for commercials that will remind everyone that the Mac is still the easiest computer to use.
Customer Support
Scene: Software company, customer service cubes
Frantic, harried, support staff (20+) trying to talk customers through various software conflicts. The camera pans from left to right past each cube. A hallway appears, designating the end of the PC/Windows support. As the camera continues to pan to the left, a cube appears with a sign saying “Macintosh Support”. There, sitting at a desk is a late 20ish female talking to an older male in a blue uniform. “Dad, I always thought you were kidding when you said you had the loneliest job”. The camera angle changes to show the father, actor Gordon Jump in a Maytag repairman’s uniform. “Honey, I never thought your career would have as little stress as mine”.
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It is absolutely amazing to me that not one journalist has hit upon the basic reason why we really invaded Iraq. It’s a simple case of political geography. Take out a map of the area. On the left side you will see Isreal and above them, Syria, a sponsor of the Hezbollah terrorist organization among others. To the right lays Iraq, covered by the U.S. Army. Farther right is Iran, a twisted, limited democracy controlled by hardline Islamic clergy consumed by power more than faith. Iran is a known sponsor terrorism and hiding place for terrorists. On top of that is their pursuit of nuclear weapons cloaked under the guise of nuclear power. Finally, to the top right is Afghanistan, under the military watch of US Army.
All this adds up to a classic squeeze play by the United States under the Bush Administration. Invading Iraq was done out of sheer convience with a built-in excuse, Saddam’s blantant standoff with the UN gave Bush all the reason he needed to invade. The results of the invasion are clear: Syria has quietly let Hezbollah know it needs to cool it with homicide bombers as it fears the 1st Armored Divison will destroy President/Dictator Assad’s regime. Iran, fearing a combination of our armed forces and more importantly, CIA supported student uprisings on a massive scale have agreed to unfettered access of their nuclear program by the UN and nuclear watch dog organizations.
With one bold move, the Bush administration has corraled two of President Bush’s “Axis of Evil”.
Have you spotted it? Unfortunately, I have, and it it too close to home to not worry about it. A few web pages in Safari running in Panther (OS 10.3) will not display the full page, even upon increasing the window size. All the info in the page just keeps increasing in size. For me this is particularly bad news as my school web page is affected,
http://visitationschool-verboort.org
It does not appear under Jaguar. At first I thought it was just my iBook Dual USB. However, upon checking at a local Mac retailer the same flaw appears. It also happens in Explorer, but not in Mozilla strangely enough. My one possible theory is that the page doesn’t play well with Safari because I had to write it in FrontPage. If you have experienced the same thing, let me and Apple know.
Dear Jonathon Ivey;
As you design the third generation iBook, please keep a few things in mind. One: Place the processor and the battery up near the screen and the CD ROM and the ports below the palm rest. Why, since I have upgraded to Panther I have noticed a significant increase in heat on my left palm. It’s to the point where I have to use a pad of various types to keep my palm from feeling the affects of being slowly burned.
Two: Please place USB ports on both sides, I, and many others are tired of pulling cords across the back side of the case.
If any other readers are experiencing the same Panther heat problems with their iBook dual USB (mine is the original 500Mhz), pleaase let me know.
A rather interesting discussion has been going on behind the scenes here at MyMac. It has involved the issue of how Saddam Hussein is questioned and whether it constitutes torture. Some of my fellow MyMac writers feel that waking Saddam every two hours for questioning sometimes for a minute, other times for hours to disorient him. Playing rap music loud along with other non -physically irritating actions is torture. They point to the idea that Americans should take the highest possible road. That we wouldn’t want our soldiers treated in this way.
Well, I’d rather have our soldiers treated in this fashion than the physical torture that Hussein’s henchmen delivered upon our POW’s in the Gulf War. These brave “normal” people endured vicious beatings, mock castrations, mock executions, etc.. The linked article is just a hint at what our POW’s faced.
Their is a huge difference in our treatment of Saddam versus his treatment of our soldiers, or the tens of thousands of missing Iranian and Kuwaiti men. Talk to any POW from WWII, Korea, or Vietnam and they will tell you the sobering truth; Saddam is getting off easy, very easy. The rest of the world considers us to be softies and way too nice in our interrogations. It’s time to accept the truth, our standards for interrogation are far above those of any military nation on the planet.
Steve Consilvio’s reply to my Torture blog is a perfect example of of the intellectual debate that goes on amongst the MyMac writers. If only the politicians debating the issues were as honest and specific as those of us here. One of the place that I always tell me students I would enjoy going back in history to witness would be the Lincoln-Douglas debates. The quality of the thought those men expoused would have made the founding fathers proud.
Lincoln spoke with a simple, clear logic, using language and ideas that anyone in the audience would understand and grasp. Douglas, used a “flowery” intellectual prose that many of the witnesses of the time commented was as lyrical as the best songs of the time. These two styles as opposite as they were kept the audience and readers riveted. For many Americans, those debates finally framed the real issues behind the patched and repatched schism the country was facing. Today, we can be grateful, that virtually word for word of those debates have been preserved.
As for a rebuttal to Steve’s “Integrity” piece. Ask yourself one question based on Steve’s own words, “Abraham Lincoln did everything that Saddam Hussein did”. This is a ridiculous notion. Lincoln pardoned thousands of soldiers for deserting, a military crime punishable by hanging. Southern prisoners of war were treated quite well for the time, unlike their Northern brethren, especially those who suffered at Andersonville. Yes, Lincoln did suspend Habeas Corpus. Had he not, the out come of the war would have been much more in doubt. But to put him in a league with Hussein, that is intellectual folly.
Peace is always the highest form of integrity, but as humans we continually come up short. War is an aweful, disgusting waste of human life. Unfortunately, so is corruption of power on the scale that Hussein practiced. I pray for all those innocent lives lost and bodies damaged. Sometimes, sadly the only way to free people of tyranny is by force. The lives lost are a sad but inspiring trade off for the freedom the masses now have the opportunity to pursue.
Comments. Be heard!
MyMac Podcast #403
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