Apple needs to learn from Kim Komando

September 19, 2002

Microsoft bCentral: Kim Komando - Why Windows has the edge over the Mac

Whoever it was at Apple that sent Kim that loaner iMac needs to go back to school. How about this quote from Kim:

"The iMac comes with some highly touted multimedia software. That wasn't important to me I used the iMac as a business computer. There is a great deal of multimedia software available for Windows, too. I doubt that the iMac software is a great advantage."

I can practically see Phil Schiller sweating (or screaming) from here. Oh my. What a screwup.

Kim says that the Mac version of Windows Explorer is called "Macintosh HD". (!!!) OMG. She doesn't even realize that icon is her hard drive, which is called Macintosh HD. The equivalent of Windows Explorer is the entire desktop metaphor. The whole thing.

She found the iMac taking a couple seconds jumping between IE and Word. I'm guessing one of the two apps had been idle for a while and swapped itself into virtual memory. Maybe more putting more RAM in the machine would have helped -- I don't know enough about OSX's VM system to know for sure but my gut tells me it wouldn't have helped.

She called AppleWorks ClarisWorks.

Don't you think if they're going to give a loaner to someone that they should send someone along to give a 5 minute introduction to what the computer is about?

So what Apple needs to do is ship a DVD of QuickTime videos with EVERY Mac sold, not just the consumer models, that teach a Windows user how to use the computer, how to practically UN-learn Windows, or at least explain the Macintosh perspective on computing. Without that, there are going to be a lot more Windows users giving up on their iMacs and sending them back.