To: Doren who wrote (31758 ) 1/10/2002 5:04:21 PM From: Artslaw Read Replies (3) | Respond to of 213177 Doren, I would tend to agree--I think everyone knows about Macs. Apple has great brand name recognition. I think there are roughly two types of computer buyers: those who "know" computers, and those who don't. I use "know" in the weakest sense possible, with the difference between the two being that the first group might value your opinion but will do a little research while the second group will act on your opinion without further thought. Whatever the case, if either group does a random sampling of friends, the probability that the person they ask is a Windows user is well over 90%, suggesting that most people will get a Window bias from a survey (and, there is a good chance they have a PC at work, anyway, to further such bias). Considering the second "unknowledgeable" crowd, then, we might extrapolate that they will get a PC 90% of the time (without consideration). That's why I can never imagine Apple winning over the "don't-know" crowd, even though the Macs are typically (and somewhat erroneously) touted as the perfect "starter" computer. For those with (a very little) deeper understanding of computers, one can only justify a Macintosh if money is not an issue. Why, you ask, when the prices are coming down? Because everything else is so expensive for a Mac as well. You can crack open a Fry's ad any day and look at the same software--it's always more expensive on the Macitosh, as would be expected from a volume perspective. So, over time, the Mac market can only dwindle to a small group of reasonably-well-off adherents with continued smaller growth. This can't stop unless Apple can somehow convert a large group of the "normal" crowd by offering something much superior to the PC platform at the same price point to help offset additional ownership costs. Don't get me wrong: I don't think Apple will ever die so long as they can tap the iWallets of their loyal followers, but I really don't think they can ever rise from the ashes again, either. And there is always the chance, in an economic turn, that even some loyalists might balk at paying so much more for something "different". But that's just my humble short-biased opinion. Regards, Steve