Show them, let them play around on it a little, then let them decide on their own.

1.) Let them use the machine for 20-minutes.

2.) Start them slow on the iApps and then build up from there.

3.) Ask them what they "think" they cannot do on a Mac (There is Microsoft Office for the Mac?) and show them otherwise, making sure along the way to preface how easy everything is.

4.) There is no Step #4.

Let them decide from there.

Okay, you're going to need some nylon rope, a whip, and a chair.

http://www.sarc.com

The biggest thing is convince them that they won't be missing anything on the Mac that they have on the PC.

If you're brother plays a lot of games... don't bother. You'll never convince him.

...and you shouldn't.

Granted, you can play games on a Mac...but PC's are better in that area.

Personally, I think gaming is retarded. It's fun, but it only makes me depressed after I come to the realization that I've spent hours moving a little man around a virtual map...

Whether or not the game is on the computer, that is trivial. I'm not much for 1st person shooters, so i could agree with you on that. But RPG's are addictive. You should try Civilization 3. As for the switchers, I real couldn't care what brand they'd use, if it was for just the basics, like word processing, internet, email, AIM... etc. The iApps though, are the hook, line, and sinker.

No pop-ups when you browse porns with Safari.

Agreed that if your main interest is gaming you should get a PC. Still, there's plenty of good games on the mac. More than I have time for anyway.

Basically I haven't even tried to get people to switch... but I have. One person is considering it and another is actually going to go out and do it. Basically I would use my PowerBook in a lounge type area and maybe occasionally help them out with something, like letting them check their e-mail if their mail's down, or perhaps showing some posters I did. And the occasional question answering. In the end after simply seeing me work he ended up wanting to order a PowerBook for himself. With no coaxing from myself.

So if you want suggestions, maybe figure out some way that he might get a chance to try out your tower. "Oh you're trying to burn that on DVD? Just send that over to me over the network and you can burn it". Or something to that effect. I dunno, it seems to work

Security is a great angle, as is the fact that OS X has BSD under the hood and offers a lot of the benefits of a unix/linux box along with a great UI....these are better arguements to make when he's thinking about a whole new system, not just a PC upgrade since a cost comparison with considerations for software replacement is going to weigh heavily against the mac. Plus, depending on what the box is used for/planned to be used for, he might be better off sticking with the OS that he has.

Yes, security is an issue naturally. I just sold my old PowerBook to a friend of mine. I can't say he "switched", because he has never owned a computer before. He used his parent's PC and my mac when we were younger though. He asked me what Virus Program he should get, and just laughed after it dawned on him the implications of what I replied: "There is no viruses for mac".

I find that waving the gun around does the trick [/Leary]

a) tell them it runs "office"

b) tell them, although there is no version of kazaa light, there are many other p2p programs for the mac where you can download your "free music" and "free software".

c) show them the ipod (and itunes).

that's how i switched most people. no joke.

"It's easy children, you just have to find the clitoris."

That quote should go on an iPod...