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From: merchant@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Peter Merchant)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Computer for the rest of us?
Message-ID: <10159@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 23 Sep 88 21:02:31 GMT
References: <430043@hpcea.CE.HP.COM>
Sender: news@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU
Reply-To: merchant@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Peter Merchant)
Organization: U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY
Lines: 58

In article <430043@hpcea.CE.HP.COM>, Teriann Wakeman writes:
>And the schism between the haves and have nots in this country keeps
>getting bigger.
>
>Once upon a time, there was a company called Apple Computer that was going 
>to bring the computer to the rest of us. Thousands of Macintoshes were 
>donated to schools. A group was formed inside Apple to come up with ways 
>to maximize Macintosh usability by handicaped people. Schools in poor 
>largely non-white areas were targeted for special help so that the kids 
>might someday find work on a more equal footing with their counterparts 
>from more financially advantaged areas. A group within Apple became 
>concerned by the lack of participation by girls in school computer 
>activities. 
>[...]
>But how many more people are there that now can not afford a Macintosh?
>{Do you really think that the Plus will be sold much longer?}
>
>What of all the work being done by groups within Apple exposing people to a
>dream that they will never be able to afford??
>
>Whatever happened to the dream of the computer for the rest of us? [...]
>When was the last time you saw a Mac being advertized as the computer
>for the rest of us? Who are the rest of us?

My word, Madison Avenue loves people like you.

"The Computer For The Rest Of Us" was a slogan.  Nothing more.  It's called
advertising and it's designed to make consumers like you and me think that we
are, somehow, better than our common man for buying a product.  We don't have
ring around the collar, unlike like those dolts who don't use Wisk, we don't
have underarm wetness, unlike those smelly people who don't use Sure.  We get
to partake of the future of computers, unlike those people who buy IBM
equipment.

I'm not sure how many Macintoshes were donated to elementary-type schools.  I
don't think too many.  I know they donate them to colleges.  What strikes me
as interesting as you figure that Apple does this to be help mankind.  Let me
give you an example of another donation, around here.  CADKEY, Inc., makes a
CAD program for MS-DOS machines.  They have a 100 unit site-license available
to any educational institute who wants it.  Free.  Why?  Because they were
interested in the future of mankind?  Wrong.  This way, college students use
it.  These are the same students who will come out of the school and be
working and, in a few years, possibly remember this program and have their
company buy copies.  The college gets free software, they're happy.  CADKEY
gets lots of users and is able to increase it's "market share" claim.  They're
happy.  Unfortunately, the software stinks.  I don't trust the alleged
altruism of corporations.  If they're being nice, there's always a reason.

Apple still does things to make their products usable by the handicapped, not
because it sees handicapped people as just as vital to the workforce as
non-handicapped, but because they are a market-niche and that means more
sales.

Let's get into reality mode, here.  Apple isn't going to lose money just to
benefit mankind, no matter what their adverts imply.
---
"Everyone's looking at you..."          Peter Merchant (merchant@eleazar.UUCP)
                                              (Peter.G.Merchant@dartmouth.edu)