Why does such a small % of the population use Macs?

chemistry_geek

chemistry_geek

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I've been thinking about this for a while now, and now it's time to ask a question. What is it about people who use Macintoshes so steadfastly in the face of adversity? The only reasons that I can think of are personality traits arising from specific genotypes, social dynamics, and population dynamics (gene frequencies). There is something unique about a small group of people that begs the question "OK if they're different (no pun intended on Apple's ad campaign), why are they different?" Are there certain personality-determining genes that manifest themselves i.e. "leadership" genes, as opposed to being part of the population of drones in the other 95%. I cannot use the argument for intellect because artists and scientists use not only the Wintel platform, but also the Macintosh platform (and other platforms). I think that my question goes much deeper than personal preferences of the individiual, especially with the fact that Mac software is difficult to come by in the common market place, i.e. BestBuy, K-Mart, Target, etc... It seems that no matter what news is obtained about "advances" in the PC "Wintel" world, a small percentage will always use Macs. Why is this? As a side note, most people I've met who use Macs, seem very bright, are individualistic, are confident in the abilities, and "don't seem to follow the crowd".

Attached are some links for REAL/Professional Personality Inventory Testing. The Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory will classify your personality into one of 16 types. Some people can be on teh threshold of two or more types.

Myers-Briggs Personality Test Online:
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm

An excellent website to explain the Myers-Briggs Personality Typing:
http://typelogic.com/

Working out your Myers-Briggs type:
http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/tt/t-articl/mb-simpl.htm

Myers-Briggs Personality Typing FAQ:
http://www.ibiblio.org/personality/faq-mbti.html

Incidently, my personality type occures in about 1% of the population. There must be some component in our personalities to choose a product that the other 95% of the population claims they will not use. Why and what is it?

What ideas do you have about this subject? I don't want to hear "Macs are great, PC's suck" - no mud slinging and flambaiting. I'm sure a few others here reading this forum would like to know, including Apple Computer.
 
The answer is quite simple. Its the cost.

I believe that most people (especially families with budgets) look at the price before looking at the specs. Unfortunatly price does not seem to concern Steve Jobs.
 
Ive just taken the test it's quite good. I know a mac user, i can agree with you he goes against the grain and doesnt really care what people think of him.

You get what you see basically.
 
Hey dinkmeister - what did chemistry_geek say, hmmm???

I don't want to hear "Macs are great, PC's suck" - no mud slinging and flambaiting. I'm sure a few others here reading this forum would like to know, including Apple Computer.
Click to expand...
I'm a long time Mac (home) and PC (work) user. And I'm not rich, so no, cost is not the factor!

Oh yeah, eNJF... 2-3% of the population, "pedagogue" type.

But I ain't a teacher :D
 
Well I suppose I'll be the first to share my Myers-Briggs info. I fall in the INTJ/INTP/ISTJ spectrum. INTJ occurs in about 1% of the population and make excellent scientists, as one my college professors and a psychologist once told me.
 
INTP is apparently coming up more and more.
Perhaps Steve could use this demographic, and make Macs appeal to the other personality types as well. ;)
 
I think Mac users are mostly people who don't like Microsoft and its behavior on the software market. Its just that Apple, their Software and their Hardware, seem to b more friendlier and not as warlike as M$ is.
 
Initial cost may be a factor for some, there is also the chip speed. Mhz myth presentation aside, it's hard for resellers to sell a 600mhz machine when the PC next to it is a 1 GHZ. But I think the true answer is conformity. That everyone else uses wintel is what is on their minds. The fact that a Mac can work just as well or better in most environments is something they just don't know about.
 
I think that cost is a very poor argument because it was not really a factor after about 1995 (you could get a Mac for the same price as a mid range PC).

What is usually overlooked is peer pressure (both for PCs and for Macs) and personal investment. Because I work on most platforms (and want to keep my clients) I do not usually say that I think their purchase was either good or bad. No one wants to hear that they could have gotten something better for less, or that the expert that they are paying to fix their system doesn't use the same platform. Ever ask a new user "Why did you buy a PC?" The usual response is that everyone else they know uses one. Also people have been lead to believe that there is more software for PC (even though they may never own anything else beyond MS Office) and take that to mean that there is NO software for Macs. And lets not forget that every couple years the press predicts that Apple is going out of business soon (even though NO other computer industry company, other than Microsoft, has cash reserves greater than Apple).

Why do people start is a far more curious question. Almost everyother platform has had great advantages over Windows. Why has Apple succeeded where other fail? Again, peer pressure (most of my friends use Macs), work environments (I had Macs around me in school and work), and support for the underdog (without much personal risk on investment).

Why do people stay? Because people like our friend ManicDVLN have talked down Macs to such a degree to anyone that is within ear shot that when they actually use one, they can't help but be completely amazed at what you really can do on a computer.
 
I guess I fall into the less than 1% of the population mark.

Cost is not a factor when choosing Macs. I think you have 2 aspects of what make up Mac users...

1) Using what their industry uses. For many graphic designers, they prefer the mac becuase the graphic industry prefers the Mac. They have a reason to "belong" to the Mac Users ranks because of their interest. These people may not be #2.

2) Using what they like personally over what everyone else is doing. These people tend to be different from the norm in many different ways. If everyone buys a Eurka vacuum, they might by a Hoover because of its great ability to suck over other vacuums. If all their friends purchase BMW's or spend money on an expensive car for image, this type of person may by a nice car, but go with something like a Oldsmobile Intrigue for the purpose of leg room. They tend to be matter of fact and have an opinion and not afraid to show it. These same people, would also use Macs if 95% of the popular used Macs. It is not based on being in the minority, but using what is best in their opinion, majority or not.

Admin
 
You will never see an entire population wearing Gucci and Prada. It's the same thing. It's a matter taste and priorities. I rather buy a Powerbook G4 that I will propably use for at least 3 or 4 years and always feel confident and proud of having than buying a new ugly PC every six month. Apple will probably never have a marketshare larger than 10%, because the other 90% of the population is probably to busy listenening to shitty music, eating junk food, watching Ricky Lake and shopping at Wal-Mart to even care. (They don't even drive european cars)
 
Whoa whoa whoa .. way too deep. I'll give you the real reason people buy PC's instead of Macs. In fact, I'll give you a few:
  • Cost. Macs are generally a bit more expensive than PCs. And a lot of people are cheap.
  • Compatability (myth). Over 95% of all PC (who have never used a Mac) do not know that you can trade files between the two computers. IE, a Word doc on a Mac will work with a Word doc on a Windows machine.
  • They don't know. People just do not know that Macintosh computers are just as powerful and can do just as much as PCs. They think that Macs are completely incompatable with the real business world and they are mostly used as learning tools or for graphics. That's it.
  • Patience. Even if people do realize a lot about Macs, they don't want to take the time to either learn a new OS, or put up with the differences between Windows and Mac. Lots of software is made only for windows and therefore they see Windows as the standard. Why pay more for a computer that essentially does less?
That is what I have observed from the many college students I'm around. And actually, college students are more open than adults, they generally want something 'different.' Thats why I got a Mac .. actually I was fed up with Windows crashing and worrying about getting a virus. But people are just undeducated at how much potential Macs have and how compatable they REALLY are in today's 'Windows' world of business.
 
i'm a INTJ.

some reasons why i prefer the mac platform:
• i prefer quality over quantity.
• i don't mind paying more for quality.
• i always pull for the underdog.
 
hey this is what I am :p
Your Type is
ESTJ
Extroverted Sensing Thinking Judging
Strength of the preferences %
44 33 44 22
ESTJ type description by D.Keirsey
ESTJ type description by J. Butt
Qualitative analysis of your type formula
 You are:

* moderately expressed extrovert
* moderately expressed sensing personality
* moderately expressed thinking personality
* slightly expressed judging personality


--- now on why people dont use macs ---
simple, take a look at the market. When someone goes out to buy a Personal Computer, the go to sears, they go to best buy, they go to circuit city. There is a smug culture in these places and you are not going to see macs there, or if you do see macs people are ill equiped to explain the details to you if need be.

On the other hand, the dells, compaqs, gateways, etc have more of a "following" in such stores so people go and buy wintels because the sales man will thrust them onto that platform, they get used to it, they fall into the "trap" and become part of the PC using culture "fearing" macs because they are different.

Some of these places are so pathetic they dont even know what BSD and linux are, or what is the best distro and THEY HAVE IT ON THEIR SHELVES!


that my friends is WHY people dont buy macs.
 
now who would have ever guessed admiral was extroverted:D

but i think his reasons are very sound ones. i can say that i know of several friends and family that entered the world of computing in exactly that way without ever so much as asking me anything.

i will post my myers-briggs when i can find it. not going to retake it. too long. i will just say that it is considered a very reliable and valid personality inventory. keep in mind that the results are not static. you are likely to change over the years. hold onto your scores and try to retake it about every 5 yrs. you might find it interesting.:)
 
any others like me ? ESTJ ? he he :)
Waiting for responces :p


On an aside note, well -- more to the point -- there is a gross misconception that there is a lack of software on teh macside, perpetuated by th same guys who dont sell macs and are least qualified to give out mac information to perspective newbie buyers. -- the only place to get the most accurate info on macs is an apple store, but the problem is that most people are into the "pc appliance notion" they go to sears to get a dryer, see a computer, get all fired up about it, and they dont do any window shopping -- the -- what happens ? commishion selling at it's best :p (at the mac's expense, both image and financial wise)
 
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