Well as I broke down and bought my first apple computer ever, and have generally been very happy with it (only one lock up, everything works as advertised, no other real issues) Mac World is coming out with the news that in a survey conducted, many more people are planning on buying a Mac computer. The type of apple computer really does not matter, but looking at the raw economics of just my first purchase is interesting.

Here is what I bought, the cheapest entry level Mac Notebook that I could find, I spent near 30 minutes with the sales person going over how I use a computer, and the specific things I am going to do with the computer. I was fortunate on this one, I knew what I wanted to do, and the sales person spent the time with me, uninterrupted by the way, going through all the things I wanted to do with the computer. They showed me exactly how to do what I wanted to do. Try getting that somewhere else, you are lucky to get to the check out with a human being in tow.

I bought the computer, a wireless mouse, IWork, got the free IPod touch 8 gig, waved the free printer because I just do not need another printer, they didn’t complain that I didn’t want the service contract. They didn’t foist the service contract on me, just a few words, matter over with. No sales pressure. Life was good, in and out of the Apple store in about 45 minutes with no fuss, no muss and a reminder as I walked out the door that they are holding workshops if I am interested just sign up on line and have a great day.

The last time I bought a computer I was lucky if I was treated with contempt, much high pressure (many times saying no do not want) to purchase an extended service warranty, about 30 minutes at check out, and no one to really talk to about what I wanted the computer to do for me, plus the idea that the computer just didn’t end up doing what I wanted in the first place. Blue screens of death while plugging in a head site microphone, support pages on the manufacturers site saying go back to XP and make all these registry hacks.

The loss of the sale to the regular PC Manufacturer, the loss of the Vista OS, the loss of the Word program, the mouse sale that would have gone along with it is probably not much. But when you combine that with the many others that are going to follow and purchase their own Mac because they just want the *)()@$$!!! Computer to work, well that is priceless. While apple customers might be overly loyal, the fact that the Mac book does what I want it to do right off the bat, with near zero ramp up time, and up and running doing what I want to do in 20 minutes, that is priceless. Usually when I purchase a computer I’ll spend ½ of a day setting it up. The Mac notebook only took 20 minutes total to set up the way I wanted to use it. This includes loading Iwork and setting up the mouse as well.

Lessons to be learned here, and while I am not by any stretch of the imagination an Apple Fan boy, for the first time in years a computer has started off on the right foot, rather than on the wrong foot, with much swearing getting it set up. Ease of use, quick to get to work, works as advertised, does that I needed it to do, almost forgot what that was like, and that is the reason that I bought the computer. Something to think about for the next PC system that comes out with whatever new operating system that comes with it, both Linux and Microsoft can pull back lessons on this one.

tags: apple, macbook, microsoft, sales, up, market share, gains, interesting, experience