The coolest computer category is a new feature of this year\u2019s Generation Next survey, and youngsters declared the Apple Mac as their favourite.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not difficult to see why. Macs are easy to use, they are legendary in the design department and cost more than their PC counterparts, which makes them aspirational for young people.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to determine what sets the Mac apart from PCs because, essentially, they do the same things. When Macs and PCs were launched more than two decades ago, Apple kept the design of the hardware in-house. In other words, only Apple could build Macs whereas IBM allowed its PC technology to be used by other manufacturers.<\/p>\n
While that limited sales of the Mac, the company retained control over design and quality. PCs outsell Macs by a significant margin and are popular with kids \u2014 particularly gamers \u2014 because they can be tweaked and components are cheaper and widely available.<\/p>\n
RJ van Spaandonk, executive director at the Core Group, which represents Apple in South Africa, says Macs are popular because the design is beautiful and they work straight out of the box.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the old days, people grew up having to have some knowledge of how to set up PCs to get them to do what they wanted them to do \u2014 a lot of configuration was required.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou almost had to be a technician and get under the hood with a PC. The Mac was different. One reason they\u2019re so popular is that they require no technical knowledge. Most youngsters don\u2019t care what\u2019s inside or what the specifications are. They just want the computer to work and look good,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Apple\u2019s designs are iconic. Smooth lines, colours that are easy on the eye and lots of pre-loaded software are big selling points. Open one up and the insides are like pristine hospital corridors rather than the more chaotic insides of many PCs.<\/p>\n
Says Van Spaandonk: \u201cKids ask themselves \u2018what can my Mac do for me, how will it make me look and will it work at all times\u2019? The younger generation communicates via many channels \u2014 instant messaging, e-mail and social networking websites, for example. They also want to create and manage music files and manipulate pictures and video images. The Mac, with its iLife multimedia software applications, does all of this straight out of the box.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liesl Loubser, CEO of HDI Youth Marketeers, explains why Samsung was number two in the coolest computer category. \u201cSamsung was number one in the coolest cellphone category and kids figured if they made great cellphones, they must make great computers. It was a case of brand identity knock-on effect .\u201d<\/p>\n
Craig Lindsay, 18, from Cape Town, is a dedicated gamer and Mac fan, although he owns a PC.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Mac looks great and some of my friends have them. But I like to build my own machines so I can add to my existing PCs,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re pretty limited by laptops so most of my friends have desktops which we can add high-performance parts to. I\u2019d like a Mac but I can\u2019t afford one \u2014 yet.\u201d<\/p>\n