"Macintosh" is a style of life

More than three decades, the confrontation of the PC against the "Mac" lasts. And if with a personal computer, a descendant of IBM PC, had to deal with almost everyone, then work for "Mac" happened to a few. What is this rare bird - the computer "Macintosh"? And how does one not the most popular brand manage to keep the defense against many opponents for so long?

The origins of the business phenomenon

Let's turn to the history of computer technology, by the beginning of the eighties of the twentieth century. At that time, Apple was a small company founded by two enthusiasts - Jobs and Wozniak. They managed to bring to the market a couple of fairly popular models of computers for home users.

And around this time, in 1981, IBM giant marked the release of the first personal computer. Most small manufacturers have opted for the compatibility of their products with IBM PC, understanding who will be the flagship of the emerging market.

But not such a decision is made in Apple. In 1984, Jobs presents the computer "Macintosh" 128K - the founder of the family of Macs.

From the 80's to the present day

The highlight of the first model, which did not let the "baby" get lost among the products of larger companies, was the graphical interface. Although experiments in this direction were conducted by other developers, commercial computers of that time had to be managed from the command line.

The history of Apple products deserves a separate article. It is worth noting that in addition to the graphical interface on the "Macintosh" for the first time a computer mouse was used . But the lag behind the PC with the creation of a color monitor cost the company a significant market share.

Desktop computers "Macintosh" - this is, above all, monoblocks. It is worth remembering the famous "transparent" triangles iMac G3, the release of which marked the return of Jobs to Apple in 1997. Or the white hemisphere iMac G4 with a monitor on a thin stalk.

But we must not forget about Apple's success in the field of notebook manufacturing. The PowerBook 100 was phenomenally successful for its time (released in 1991). No wonder later, a decade and a half, the magazine Mobile PC called it "the best gadget of all time." And the MacBook Air versions that are being released so far are strikingly ultra-slim and elegant in design.

Design and PR

And yet, not technological innovations have allowed to live and develop the offspring of Jobs. The basis for Apple's success was the correct positioning of its products: "If we do not produce a mass computer, it's not because we can not, but because we do not want." The Macintosh is a computer for the select. "

"Think Different" ("Think differently") is a slogan for all time. To win the hearts of their consumers, Apple urged them that they are special. The idea may not be original, but it is flawless. And it still works, when the products of the company are confronted now on the mobile market of the horde of androids.

The trunk concept of "otherness" was subordinated to a bright, original, sometimes shocking design. Even those who did not plan to buy a Macintosh computer, photos of new products from Apple considered with interest.

Even technical developments were determined by the marketing strategy. An unfortunate example is the release of a keyboard without arrows for the first "Macintosh". This innovation was not met with understanding by users and developers, and two years later the hands were returned.

Unity of hardware and software

In the PC market, a tradition has developed that some companies make hardware, and others write software. But this is not the case with the Yabloko people: the Macintosh itself, the operating system and a significant part of its application programs are developed by Apple.

Special attention should be paid to the original OS "Mac" - OS X, as in addition to design and reputation of "selectivity" it attracts users most of all. They note the stylish design, ease of mastering and setting up the system, reliability in operation. Unfortunately, the named advantages to some users may seem disadvantages: in MacOS X it is difficult to customize both appearance and functionality.

"Macintosh" and OS X have always been inseparable, but in recent years, after the transition of Apple to Intel processors, the antagonism of "Macs" and IBM-conscience PCs has greatly diminished. Now you can install Windows on "Macintosh", MacOS operating system through special patches can also work on PC. Here only the performance of the operating system on the "foreign hardware" is significantly inferior to the traditional Mac-OS X.

Merit and non-delivery

For work in the office and for most home users, "Macintosh" can be a good choice. The only common drawback of Apple products is its price. The computer of another manufacturer with the same characteristics will be cheaper. Owners of the Macintosh usually object that their computers last longer, but this may be a result not so much of high quality as the conservatism of users of Macs who are not in a hurry to change their cars to more modern ones.

There are other drawbacks. Under OS X, application software is much less than under Windows or Linux, especially free and highly specialized. And if the favorite player or mail client can be replaced with a program from the standard set, then with a scientific or commercial software this number does not work. If the program necessary for the job does not have versions for OS X, then it is not worthwhile to spend money for the purchase of "Mac".

Many users who have switched from Windows, can feel the lack of favorite computer games. They are an order of magnitude smaller. So if you are an avid gamer, then "Macintosh" is not your choice.