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Top 10 Reasons College Students Are Buying MacBooks (Not Dells)

Published on Friday March 16th , 2007

If you've been living in cave for the past 20 years, you are probably are not aware of the war that's been raging on in the world. No, we're not talking about the war in Iraq, the war on drugs, or the Cold War. We're talking about the war of the computers. Not to be confused with the "war of the machines" (that's the Terminator you're thinking of), the war of the computers is fought by two major forces: Apple, which made it big with the Macintosh so many years ago; and everybody else who makes computers, with the majority running the Windows operating system. Today's weapons are the new Apple MacBook, going against it's major competitor Dell in a battle for consumer laptop supremacy. Lately, as each company aligns new products to wage war on each other, Apple's piece of the pie has grown, and more and more Dell users are switching side and buying Macs. Why all the fuss? Let's take a look at some of the reasons MacBooks are winning the war.

 

 

10. It's the cool thing to do

Let's face it children; the MacBook has become the hottest laptop to buy, and it's not because it's the best. In a world where materialistic hipsters define themselves by the brand of shoes, clothes, and cars they possess, the Mac falls right into their laps by being the premier laptop to buy in the market. With it's stunning good looks, funny commercials, community support, and unique brand, it's no wonder that the MacBook has achieved its celebrity status. Other computer manufacturers should really take a look at Apple's marketing and branding campaign to better understand how to approach selling computers. People don't want things they don't understand. Apple's "everyone-is-doing-it" approach has made it one of the defining brands of the 21st century.

 

9. Design

One of the biggest selling points of the MacBook is its design. We're not talking about it's internal design or it's interface design. We're talking just it's case design alone! You have to admit, even if you're not an owner of one, that the design the MacBook showcases rivals that of a luxury automobile. Available in either standard Apple white or a newer black (maybe to entice new users?), the MacBook has a very sophisticated yet simple design. Sleek and elegant, you feel very comfortable and at ease when using a MacBook, very much like when driving an expensive car. You're not worried about something going wrong; each keystroke feels as though you're in computing heaven.

 

8. You can run Windows on it

One of the biggest selling points with the latest Mac product has been the inclusion of it's capability of running the Windows operating system on it. In the past, it has been very hard convincing existing Windows users to switch from PC to Mac because they were so attached to the Windows operating system (which for a very long time was not compatible with an Apple product.) Well, times have changed and now you can run both the Apple OS X operating system in addition to Windows XP; there's no argument that you can't run a Windows-specific program on a MacBook. This is just one more weapon that Apple now has in it's quest to lure old-school PC users out of their shell and into a Mac.

 

7. It doesn't get viruses

Okay, that might be a bit of an overstatement, but for the most part, it's kind of true. You see, most viruses, trojans, and mal ware only affect Windows-run PC's for a very simple reason: over 95% of the world uses these PC's, and programmers won't bother developing a virus that's only going to affect a small portion of the population. By purchasing a MacBook, users can feel a little safer about the level of security they have as the chances of getting a virus on their computer is greatly diminished. Plus, the Mac OS X is just plain hard to hack. However, this will only be true if Apple products stay a minority in the computer industry; as more and more MacBooks are sold, the more the chances of them getting malicious software installed increases significantly.

 

6. They love their Ipods

It really boggles this authors mind that no one has really stepped up to the plate to try and compete with the Ipod. Since it's release in 2001, the Ipod has gone on to sell millions worldwide and become the number one digital music player and basically own an entire industry. Sure, there are other players out there, and newer products (Zune) have started to force some competition, but the Ipod is far superior to anything on the market. Owners of Ipods love the functionality they get out of the product and because of that, many have turned to Apple when it comes time for their next laptop purchase. Many have purchased a MacBook simply based on their experience with their Ipod.

 

5. It's got Intel

That's right: it's got Intel Inside. For years, many Apple products, including it's PowerBook line of laptops, only came with the PowerPC line of microprocessor chips. PC users have never been impressed with these chips, and thus have never converted to buying a Mac. However, as news of Intel's Dual Core microprocessors become available last summer, so did the press release that all new Apple products, including the new MacBooks, would come equipped with the same processor. Now, PC users who in the past have been skeptical about the processing ability of a Mac had no argument as it now shares the same processors that every Windows-run laptop has. Score another great business move for Apple.

 

4. No one wants Vista

Well, that might not be the general consensus all across the board, but the ever influential tech blogosphere has been very vocal about their dislike for Windows new operating system, Vista. On the other hand, Microsoft has done a wonderful job at making sure that every other computer manufacturer bundles Vista with new computers; you can't hide from it. Add the additional threat of open source operating systems such as Linux to the mix and you have a war on your hands. The answer to many educated (or half-educated) consumers is a MacBook. They figure, the Vista is getting bad reviews, They don't understand Linux just yet, so the only other alternative is Apple, and everybody seems to love that product. Let's buy it. It's like an answer from the heavens for Steve Jobs.

 

3. Those neat commercials

For the past half year Apple has done a huge television ad campaign that has proven to be very successful, further demonstrating the power old-school commercials can have. However, the same campaign that started on TV did eventually spill over to the Internet has has since become a cultural phenomena. And where have the Microsoft commercials been? Exactly. While Microsoft has been spending it's budgets developing it's flailing online properties and prepping it's Vista operating platform, Apple has taken a traditional marketing and advertising platform (the TV commercial) and used its existing Internet fan base to create a powerful campaign, one that showcases the usability and versatility of the Mac versus the sometimes frustrating PC user experience.

 

2. It's got the goods.

Many in the PC market argue that the power and memory associated with entry level MacBooks is not up to par with PC laptops. This aspect of the comparison is true; however, Apple adds much more to the computing experience with an initial MacBook purchase. We've already know it has the new Intel chip. unlike normal PC laptops, the MacBook comes with some other additional tools and gadgets, like the built- in iSight camera, which immediately gives users the ability to get themselves in front of an audience via video, which is quickly becoming an important social tool online. In addition, software programs like iLife and FrontRow add an element to the Mac experience that, while PC's can replicate, is much more accessible to the user.

1. It's easy to use

The number one reason that MacBooks are picking up steam is their ease of their use. What many in the industry simply do no understand about selling computers is actually a very traditional marketing method, but in this case used in the design and functionality aspect of computers: the lowest common denominator. In marketing, campaigns are often orchestrated so that they can be understood by anyone of every social class and educational background. You never want to alienate anyone by not delivering a clear and concise message. MacBooks have been adopted by many simply because everyone who picks one up can immediately get things done faster and easier then those same processes can be done on a PC. Ignorance, they say, is bliss.

So has Apple won the war with their MacBook? Not quite, but their en route to continue taking chunk out of the PC market share. With so much going on in the tech industry right now, Apple has to keep continually improving their products and being at the forefront of innovation. With the continued success of products like the iPod and the upcoming release of Apple's iPhone (and supposed television device in the works), it seems Apple will continue to penetrate households with their products. As more and more consumers adapt to these new technologies, the ability for Apple's computer line to land in consumer laps greatly increases. Will the PC world make a move to keep Apple at bay? The war rages on...

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