Now that the Windows 95 hoopla is over with, you would think things would return normal? God knows, if I hear Start It Up by the Rolling Stones one more time....I’ll....I’ll....turn off the TV. As much as I hate to admit it, Windows 95 looks like it’s wild success. So far the Dark Side (my term for Microsoft) has sold some 10 million copies of Win95. But despite the unprecedented media blitz, the Windows 95 operating system has been adopted by only six percent of computer households, according to a new study. And recently Dataquest, a marketing research company, lowered shipping estimates of Windows 95 because businesses are not jumping ship to Windows 95 as fast as Microsoft would have liked.
But I’m not here to bash Microsoft, or Windows 95. Surprise, huh? Well, Windows 95 speaks for itself. It a fine operating system but it still lacks the ease of use and stability of the MacOS. After trying out Windows 95 on my IBM-compatible, I deleted it because it wouldn’t run one of my favorite games, NHL 96. Which reminds me, I forgot the cancel my Microsoft Network account before I deleted Windows 95! Damn, that means I’ll have to re-install Windows 95 (an hour long process).
As I mentioned before, I’m not here to bash Windows 95 (but God knows I love to). Nope, my real beef is with all the writers, media analysts, and so-called experts who have written off the Macintosh because of Windows 95. Shortly before and after the release Windows 95, the print and TV media had so-called experts on their shows claiming the Mac was dead, finished, outta-here. Then why did Apple nab the top spot for personal computer shipments in the United States during the third quarter? The company shipped 788,000 Macs over the past three months, good for 13.1 percent of the domestic market, according to Dataquest Inc.
Let’s face it, the Mac is here to stay. PC developers are eager to pump products and money into the Mac market because they know they can make money in the Mac market. And as long as this is true, then we should expect more PC developers to develop more products for the Mac.
That’s not to say that the picture is all rosy. Windows 95 is a big threat and it’s up to Apple to keep the pressure on. By developing exciting new technologies like QuickDraw 3D, a Game SDK, QuickTime VR, etc., Apple can maintain the clout it enjoys in the industry as an innovator of computer software and hardware.
If there’s one thing I dread, is the thought of one day giving up my Mac and using a Windows-based machine for the rest of my life. Apple (and the buying public) willing, this won’t happen. The Mac is something special, and Mac users are a special bunch. As long as loyalty remains true, the Mac should be with us for a long time.
