XplanaZine

As a technology trainer, I am often presented with the age-old question “I need a new computer… what should I get?” Most educators expect the traditional answers of Dell, Gateway, HP, etc. But not being one for the obvious, I always reply “Mac!” Of course, this is followed by a rather long period of uncomfortable silence. So, I ask the individual to take a little walk down to my office (so they can see my Mac).
As soon as the unsuspecting convert sees my Mac, they are attracted to the design. They soon realize that this is not the average black or beige box. Although Apple has stunning designs, looks alone are note enough to make a user switch.
Knowing that people have a fear of the unknown, I always start the conversation by asking what the individual might know about the Mac. Most reply by saying that they know Macs exist, but that is all. So, we then will spend a few minutes talking about their concerns. The two most commonly presented uncertainties are the learning curve and compatibility.
While learning curve depends on the individual’s skills, one brief use of the Mac is usually enough to show that the curve is small. I start by showing the user the operating system and common tasks. The clean look and clear icons of the desktop and file manager are impressive. But, that is only the start.
I open up the “Documents” folder to show the similarity to the “My Documents” folder that they are used to seeing in Windows. I create a new Microsoft Word document and type a few lines. When I have finished, I send the file to the printer and then quickly email it to myself. From there, we open Internet Explorer and take a quick tour of the Web so they can see that Web pages appear exactly as they do on their PC. Just for kicks, I sometimes find an image and drag it to my desktop to show them how quickly and easily a Mac user can download an image. I then end the tour by presenting Apple’s piece de resistance, iLife. I briefly open iPhoto and show more than two-dozen albums of photographs from my digital camera, all captured automatically. I finish by showing iTunes and the iTunes Music Store. The use can see how my music collection is arranged, and how quickly and easily anyone can purchase music from the Music Store.
Amazement settles in as tasks are completed quickly and easily. But, I have to tell the user that this was just a small tour, and that we have only scratched the surface. Nevertheless, this mini-demonstration gives the user a feel for the fact that the Mac can do everything the PC can do. They see that it does it all easier, better and, in most cases, faster!
Once the user sees how intuitive and instinctive Apple’s operating system is, they immediately raise questions of interoperability and compatibility. They know, as well as we all do, that this is a PC world, and our institution, like most, is heavily dominated by the presence of PC’s. They need reassurance that when they walk into a PC-based classroom, their Mac-created Power Point presentation will automatically work.

For most educators, just showing that my Mac peacefully coexists on a PC-based network is not enough. I transfer files to a file server, and I bring files down. I quickly jump to my (ahem) PC, and open my email to find Microsoft Word file we created earlier. Once they see the document, just as I had formatted it, they are more often than not convinced that compatibility is not an issue. It never hurts to explain that macros, complex formatting and styles usually come across without a problem. If you are extremely well prepared, a Mac-created Power Point never hurts.
After just a few minutes of showing-off, the individual begins to get a sense that Apple puts three things at the forefront of their products: the user, technology and design. The ease of use and intuitive operating system are reason enough to switch. But it is the entire package that wins most over. As is the case with many institutions, educators have a choice of a PC or a Mac. If they do not, then they definitely have the choice at home. Make sure your educators choose wisely!