| Home > Technology > Dumpers: An angrier, edgier new breed of Windows to Mac Switcher |
| Dumpers: An angrier, edgier new breed of Windows to Mac Switcher | | Date Created: 18 Jul, 2005, 01:03 PM |
 When Apple first introduced its "Switcher" program several years back, picking out random, anonymous Americans and making one or two almost household names via their curious television advertisements, it was trying to tap into a basic and simple dissatisfaction with the dominant Windows platform.
Some of the ads. touted Apple's advantages with its OS X and iLife suite of applications, others with crashing and interface issues suffered using Windows.
At the time, malware/spyware/virus issues were still below the horizon for many people, but as broadband "always on" internet use has penetrated 50% and more households in many parts of the world (and the US specifically) the shortcomings of the Windows platform have become painfully obvious.
The long gestation of Longhorn, the vacuous promise of "Trusted Computing" and the maturing of the OS X platform via the Panther and current Tiger versions have seen Apple's brand shining once more, riding on the coat-tails too of the iPod phenomenon.
The release of the Mac Mini, and now Apple's own switch to Intel chips has and will serve to bring more attention to the Mac platform as a viable alternative to the Windows monopoly.
But I detect a new breed of Switcher arising as a result of these recent developments in the consumer IT world. Whilst Apple's first attempt to acknowledge and encourage Switchers could be argued as "wishywashy" in terms of its conversion success, there is a self-nominating group who requires no help from Apple to make the switch.
This is a group who can be labelled as Dumpers.
Their move from Windows is more aggressive, more vituperative, more public, and reflects a true breach in a long term relationship with Microsoft than the original more benign Switcher program.
The Dumpers have a "Network" feel about them: "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more".
I thank self-titled Microsoft Technical Evangelist Robert Scoble for prompting me to think about the Dumper concept. Scoble has been hard at work attempting to put a human face to Microsoft, encouraging its employees to reach out to its customers via blogs and RSS feeds, as well as video feeds of current developments, with the promise of more to come from Microsoft.
But Scoble also takes a battering every so often when he comes off as a Microsoft apologist, such as with his recent support of Microsoft's business practices in China, and that country's attitude to internet censorship. He backtracked wisely on that one, but not before seeing how easy it can be to toe the company line unthinkingly, until brought to book by those he respects, including his wife.
In a recent piece, Scoble has brought attention to PR maven Steve Rubel decision to dump Windows.
This is what Rubel writes in his blog entry, in the form of a "Dear John" letter:
"Today, the Web is where the action is. It's the new OS. This means I can safely return to my old flame - the Mac - and yet still experience most, if not all of the hot new applications that are being built on AJAX on my new 15" G4 PowerBook. In addition, I don't have to put up with patches, viruses, spyware, slowdowns, bloated registries anymore. And if I need to have a one night stand with you, I always have that option. You're on call."
Rubel doesn't as much give faint praise to the Mac, as he does condemn Microsoft for its lack of foresight and its future irrelevance. True to say, he doesn't cut his ties to MS, and signs off his letter "Forever your friend" - after all, he is in the PR business and who knows when MS will next call upon his services.
But this very public dumping of MS is but one of numerous public displays of disaffection (PDD) if not outright hostility expressed towards the dominant platform.
Google "I dumped Windows" to see the results you get. 95% of the entries seem to me to be at the enterprise level commenting on leaving MS for Linux, with the Mac getting very few mentions. And the Dumpers are not just corporations, but cities and nations.
As the X-files stated in its opening credits, "The truth is out there..."
It seems that more than a few people, of high profile within their communities and willing to undertake whatever potential consequences may follow, are telling their version of the truth: That they have been badly let down by the Monopolist and its apologists, and with enough anger and disappointment to fuel their search, they have "discovered" an alternative "truth".
That truth is that the Mac platform will help them do almost all the same tasks as they were performing on the monopolist platform, but without the energy wasting and emotional tzures that is the price to pay for the "safety in numbers" option of staying with the 90% of desktop computer owners using Windows.
Wise heads ready to make the dump must have been pushed along a little further in their decision making when Intel CEO Paul Otellini stated during an interview that the Mac afforded better security, after discussing how much weekend time he spent cleaning up his daughter's Windows-based PC.
Of course, we now know that that interview was held after Intel and Apple had come together to form a new relationship to replace that between Apple and IBM, producer of current G5 chips, so that interview was not quite "off the cuff" necessarily.
Another long-time Windows user, Michael Hyatt, has documented his switch to Apple, after his introduction to the aesthetics of the iPod, but more specifically after seeing a Keynote presentation and its bettering his own Powerpoint style.
Hyatt started with envy, and the expectation he might purchase a Powerbook just for Keynote usage. But along the way, a truth dawned on him too. The Mac just works. He went from ignorance to envy to being seduced by an emotional relationship with the Mac and its OS and hardware.
In recent months, perhaps the most famous and publicised Dumper has been security expert, Winn Schwartau, who documented his disenchantment in a series of angry blog entries entitled, "Mad as Hell".
When someone of the calibre of Schwartau states he is dumping MS and then proceeds to pour scorn on Windows and praise the Mac, it puts Apple on the radar for those in the enterprise market who have been given years of "truth" by their MIS advisors.
Even the likes of Dave Winer, welded it seems to his PC, is scratching his head asking why he doesn't own the rights to his Windows software on his laptop. In a recent blog entry, he writes:
"Interesting NY Times piece says users are throwing out PCs rather than try to get rid of spyware. I have the same idea, but can't bring myself to do it. One of the contributing factors has to be the high price of Windows. I think it would be a good idea to "pave" my laptop to get rid of the spyware. That is, re-install the operating system. Only one problem, my laptop was delivered with the OS pre-installed, and no CDs. So if I want to re-install, I guess I have to buy a copy of Windows. Seems that costs about $350. Almost the cost of a new computer. This just doesn't make sense. I'm a legal licensee of the OS. I think I should be able to get a copy to re-install for the cost of the media. Am I missing something?"
The average Mac user will, I expect, read such a piece, and respond that it's very obvious what you're missing, Dave.
Mac users, no matter which product they purchase, get an install and restore set of DVDs, and re-installing the OS couldn't be simpler. What is ironic of course is that the OS which needs far fewer re-installs gets the simpler and more time-efficient system, while the OS which requires more frequent re-installs gets the more cumbersome and time-consuming method. Go figure.
And one further example, this time from the Amazon.com reviewer files. Most who shop at Amazon will be familiar with reviews from purchasers. Some seem to make a hobby of it, specialising in reviewing books from their own fields of interest, and developing "street cred." for their opinions.
One frequent reviewer (from books to hardware to software) is Professor David Wright of Vancouver, BC.
Here is how he describes himself when commencing his September, 2004 review of Apple's iMac G5:
"As an engineer, consultant, businessman, and educator- pramatism (bang per buck) absolutely rules" (sic)
Assuming he means pragmatism, one might think he is going to praise utilitarian PCs.
But read on:
"No question- having suffered dozens of daily crashes with the latest PCs and Microsoft software, hundreds of OS updates, crippled unreliable Dell and IBM laptops (yet working in aerospace, space and formula one)- I am so P**sed off with the quality (lack thereof) in IT (17 years worth!)....Count the hours wasted and dollars spent on software...
To the new Apple- within 5 minutes it was connected to the Internet, talking with all the printers, scanners, faxes, gamespads, videocams without any hitch whatsoever (REAL WOW). OK so OSX looks scary- 30 minutes to get used to without even looking at the straightfoward manual. Appleworks free office suite reads all my papers and articles without a glitch even though they were written (and crashed) in MS Office. Some software updates- quick with a disk optimiser automatically (no fragmented disks..)"
And he concludes thus:
"Hard not to smile with this computer- no crashes, virtualPC for Win apps, no viruses- soon m$ free .."
I am guessing he is one of many giving themselves a chance to experience another way to employ computers in their lives.
But it is fair to ask of a cyberpsychologist (a playful neologism), "why the anger?"
Because of the loss of trust, especially when MS has touted itself as trustworthy and a public platform of trustworthiness. But it's one thing to claim to be trustworthy, and another to be considered trustworthy by users. It's not happened, and it continues to worsen. And the angriest are those who have placed the most faith in MS and who have come away more than disappointed - there's been a breach of trust. And how better to strike back in anger than to join the likes of Apple cultists? Of course, that Apple's products are actually very attractive and useful beyond the Dumpers' basic expectations accelerates the transition from angry unhappy Windows users to happy, content Mac users.
Those who write the most about trust come from either the organisational setting or the religious domain. An illustrative example by Ralph Blair:
Mike Yaconelli, senior editor of The Door, a sort of evangelical Mad magazine... says that "The more time I spent with the people I admired, the more flawed they became. Damn them!" He says that he "was angry -- outraged that yet another ‘extra-ordinary’ person who I’d looked up to turned out to be ‘ordinary.’ Another mentor was flawed ... a lot more flawed than I wanted him to be. Admiration turned to disappointment. Disappointment turned to anger." The anger at a person’s not living up to unreasonably perfectionistic expectations then turns to distrust. Believing that one could be safe only within the other person’s perfection, one suffers anxiety at the "loss" of such "safety." Yaconelli goes on: "How dare they disappoint me! They were supposed to be godly, spiritual, radiant, organized, patient, loving, humble, peaceful, sensitive, caring, pure, wise, kind, simple, secure saints. And many of them did possess those qualities. But at the same time, they were insecure, neurotic, demanding, insensitive, unstable, lonely, depressed, melancholy, dysfunctional, self-absorbed, inconsistent sinners. They were ambiguous! ... Damn them!" He realizes that "What bothered me about my knowledge of these people was that they were neither saint nor sinner. They were both, damn them! Both!" Of course.
I don't think I am interpolating too much to suggest the parallels to Microsoft and its growing numbers of angry, disappointed long-term adherents.
So to all the Dumpers, the potential "Howard Beales" who are as mad as hell, your very public "in from the cold" movement to a warmer friendlier computing environment is welcomed.
I say this not just because I want to see the Apple platform grow or Steve Jobs get any richer (I foolishly didn't buy Apple shares when they were USD19 even though I told friends to buy buy buy), nor because more Mac useage necessarily will see more software choices, but more because I can't abide the time and money wastage I see due to issues Microsoft has had plenty of time and resources to clean up.
If MS's shortcomings were restricted only to itself and its users, I wouldn't care too much, although I might sympathise somewhat (whilst revelling in Schadenfreude and years of collecting "I told you so's).
But MS's monopoly position means we all pay for its shortcomings whether we are computer users or not. Why? Because we all pay for the extra overheads due to the monopoly platform when we shop, do banking, pay bills, etc etc.
That's not to say that there have not been cost-savings due to the introduction of ICT in various industries. But when I see schools dumping their Macs (having not updated them for years) because Mum and Dad use Windows-based PCs at home - and the logic is that somehow their children's education will benefit as a result - I cry "Enough with this deception".
Expect to read more public dumpings now that the cat is popping leaping out of the bag with brio.
UPDATE - July 21, 2005: Journalist/blogger Paul Theroux writes for the WindowsITPro site today about his anecdotal observations of increasing numbers of switchers, based on factual data recently published in financial statements by Apple attesting to growth in sales of Macintoshes. He explores the reasons this occurred citing Pew research into Spyware fears and consequent behaviours ("don't repair, buy a new PC" as cited by Dave Winer, above).
When you go to his article, scroll down and read the interesting reader comments. This one about trust caught my eye, and is a good fit for the Dumper entry you've been reading:
"I recently traveled to Spain and stayed with friends. The husband had a desktop PC running Windows XP, the wife a iBook running OS X. I wanted to check my bank account and after sitting down at the Windows PC I realized how nervous I was about logging on to my account... he assured me he checks for viruses and has the latest updates... I said, can I use the Mac? It may have been perfectly safe to use his PC but in that moment I trusted the Mac and not Windows..."
And another anonymous comment, with a somewhat different take on the trust issue:
"I switched to Macs in 10/2004 and haven't regretted the decision. I know enough about Windows to build my own systems and routinely fix my friends' and family's Windows computers.
When you can't trust the end user to do the right thing (or to know better), you can't really blame the end user - the OS should be taking into consideration the "wild, wild west" behavior of the current Internet landscape along with the behavior of the average computer consumer. Windows fails to protect the end user (against the environment and against themselves) in its out-of-box state. You need to know how to setup a restricted user.
By comparison, OS X's out-of-box state is much more locked-down, asking for admin credentials to install software or make system configuration changes. And if you setup a "child" account under Tiger, you'll see just how deep these restrictions can go. I can create a login that only has access to the calculator and Apple.com's web site and nothing else if I like! In XP, while this *is* possible, it's not common knowledge and can't be done without manually editing/creating registry entries.
Throw in Tiger, the iLife suite, squeeze it into the style of the new iMac (I own one of these two-inch-thick wonders) and add the fact that this marvel runs at one-tenth the noise level of my previous Windows PC and I find myself in a place where Microsoft's Longhorn had better blow me away or I'm gonna keep following the Apple tangent farther and farther away, never looking back."
Over on Neils Hansen's "Thoughtblog" he describes his wife's expected dumping of Windows for many of the reasons cited above. This follows his own switching a few years back, and I expect is merely representative of the feelings of a growing cohort of Windows users:
"My wife has pretty much given up on her Windows machine because of all the spyware, spam and all the weekly patches she has to do on her computer. With all those patches its only made the preformance of her computer go from bad to worse. I said I will reformat it and rebuild it, so that we could at least get it back to where it was when we first bought it. She told me, “BS! Go buy me a Mac Mini. I am sick of Windows and all the problems it has!” So once we ‘re in our new house, I plan on getting her a new Mac and then taking that P4 and turning it into a Linux box. Enough of the headaches!"
And over on Sven's blog, semmlerconsulting.com, you have the following conclusions after a few days of Mac use:
So the baseline is: Sure, there is nothing that you could not do with a PC running Windows or Linux or BeOS or whatever. But if you are a Mac user it just works. As a techie you sometimes wonder how …. But then again, now you are a Mac user. Stop worrying, configuring, installing, maintaining and start living.
I just feel like driving a Mercedes S class the first time after years with a VW Polo. |
|
|
|
