Forget about the processor. Forget about the great operating system and the manufacturer. Forget about the price tag and the advertising. Lay all those things aside for a moment, and take a good look at the iMac. It’s true power lies not in its chips, but in its appeal. It looks cool, with its Bondi blue casing and its built-in monitor. Against all those beige boxes in the computer store, it truly stands out. And that draws people to it.
I walked into my local CompUSA recently, just to have a look around. I went through the Windows computer section and there were a few people looking at the computers. Then I came to Apple section, where two kids were playing a demo version of Quake on one of the Power Macs, and a couple was looking at another one. But there were 5 people gathered around the iMac, waiting their turn to use it. There were more people gathered around that computer than around any other in that store. Don’t tell me it’s because of the G3 processor or the built-in modem and ethernet. Those people were there because the iMac stood out.
 
A few days later, I was at school on my way to Chemistry class, talking with a few of my friends. As I walked into the room, I saw 7 brand new iMacs lined up on one of the lab tables. All the students were looking at the new computers. One girl was looking through the translucent case, trying to catch a glimpse of the iMac’s insides. Another student walked up to me and said, “Those are the coolest computers I’ve ever seen.” Try getting that response with a beige Windows box. Only one person commented about the lack of the floppy drive. When I asked him when he last used his, he had a hard time remembering. No one seemed to care that these were Macs; there were die-hard Windows people there, refusing to even go near the things. In fact, Carolyn Schmid, a sophomore, even expressed her affection for the Macintosh. “I like Macs,” she said, “because they’re simple to use. It doesn’t give me an error everytime I click on something.” Those iMacs captured the attention of more than 30 students that day. Once again, it’s not because of the USB ports or the low price, it’s because they stood out. They caught the eyes of the students, something that I haven’t seen Windows boxes do in quite some time.
 
Now I’m not saying that the iMac isn’t attractive because of all of its cool features. However, the true appeal of the iMac lies in its ability to stand out. That, more than anything else, is what separates it from Windows machines, as well as other Macs. The sophisticated computer users out there can continue to debate the technical aspects of the machine. Your average computer user will be drawn to the iMac not because of its technical specifications, though, but because it stands out against everything that is beige in the world.
