[heresyforme]

MS is missing a huge opportunity. While Apple may be reaching the tech savvy and elite, MS needs to market to the "everyday average normal guy". Look at the Chevy "Like a friggin' rock" commercials. Is that guy going to buy some namby-pamby macbook if there's a real man's alternative somewhere?

Instead of two nerds making passive-aggressive beta-male comments to each other in the "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" commercials; imagine replacing the nerd with a Brett Farve type of guy. Not only is he an alpha male, but he's intelligent enough to be successful.

[gaius]

everyday average normal guy

Said guy's too busy listening to his iPod ;-)

Seriously, tho', Apple has simply chosen not to compete in many of the markets MS sells into. There's no Mac for gamers, for example, Apple simply aren't interested. They aren't interested in selling into corporate desktops either. There's no technical reason Apple couldn't flog 20,000 desktops to Boeing to use as Unix workstations, for example.

That's the secret, really. You don't have to be tech savvy or elite to use a Mac. You just have to be in a sector that Apple is interested in. A non-technical entry-level graphic designer is going to be using a Mac 'cos it's the right tool for the job, as is a hardcore geek who wants a decent Unix laptop.

[iuybuyvvyu]

Pretty much for the same reason BMW don't sell pickups.

It's not like BMW's engineers couldn't master the technology of the solid rear axle.

[absconditus]

What is a veteran graphic designer going to be using?

[gaius]

My point was that eliteness is nothing to do with Mac usage.

[halostatue]

Apple may have already stepped up to that with the "Call me when you're ready to compromise" ad starring Patrick Warburton.

[heresyforme]

Agreed. Patrick Warburton, though manly looking, isn't quite the alpha male that a football star type represents. Heck, Warburton was the Tick; a live action comedy character based on a cartoon character for children and Puddy on Seinfeld. Not exactly the guy known for playing an alpha male.

Apple is for betas, plain and simple. MS is missing an opportunity to reach the alphas.

[thwarted]

Brock Sampson, voiced by Patrick Warburton, stabbed Hilter to death in the season opener of The Venture Bros. If that's not alpha male, I don't know what is. But you're, ahem, probably right, I bet he is totally over compensating by voicing that role.

[gaius]

Microsoft quite happily sell X-boxes by the tonne to football-playing beer-chugging mouth-breathing fratboys, if that's your definition of "alpha male".