MacPrices.net

Yes, finally, the infamous iPod factor. The "halo" effect that analysts have been speaking of this year and last. The reason that Apple is doing so well. Is it really true, and is this what Apple hoped to sell more of during the "halo"-days, uh, holidays?

Pearce's husband, who had now finished his window shopping and came out to join us in our conversation, said, "They said today was nuts! And they're selling lots of iPods."

iPods? Apple's "Black Friday" sale didn't have deep discounts on their mp3 players. The big discounts were on their consumer notebook and desktop, the MacBook and iMac respectively. Shouldn't shoppers be taking advantage of the big-ticket items on this one-day sale?

"Black Friday doesn't apply to them. Apple has a different customer base than major retailers," Pearce's husband said. Pearce herself commented, "Retailers go from red to black [on Black Friday]. Apple is always in the black."

Good. Then that means everyone who bought an iPod on that day are the real customer base who will come back in a few months and switch from the PC and want to buy a new Mac, right?

But then, what about current users of the Mac? How does that factor in to hardware sales, since we know Apple doesn't need the iPod to convince them to buy Mac hardware.

During our interview with Pearce and her husband, we found half of a family walk out of the store with a new hardware purchase. The other half, dad and daughter, had gone to get the family's car. We took the opportunity to find out if this family was making a new move to the Mac from previously being PC.

Turns out they were one of those current users of the Mac. The ones that don't make/create/help/add to that "halo effect."

Laura Post of Oakland, just at the Emeryville border, told us the reason for this purchase was because their current iMac--a G4 LCD model--was four years old and it was finally time for an upgrade. (They'll be giving the G4 one to their daughter. Lucky!).

"I've always been a Mac user. My first computer was an Apple II c from 1982. I still have it!" Post said. She mentioned that her husband is a PC user and that it was a challenge to get him over to the Mac.

Maybe they should've bought dad an iPod for Christmas a couple of years ago to help ease him in. Or to keep him comfortable with Windows, bought him Microsoft's branded mp3 player, the Zune... though the Zune didn't exist until this year.

So what about that Zune? On the competition, Naomi Pearce felt that the Zune wasn't doing too well. "It's not that impressive."

Maybe Microsoft is only adding to the iPod "halo effect" when buyers bypass the Zune, favoring the iPod instead? (Now, that would be interesting!).

Though, isn't Microsoft the reason for all of this in the first place? Because of the infavorable experience people are having with Windows on their PCs? PBCentral.com reader, B. Sears, sheds some light on that in an e-mail response to a comment we made from that previously talked about 10/20 opinion piece, "A Shift in Newton's Law."

Sears says, "The halo effect is that the Windows iPod user is attempting to use his or her computer. Windows seizes up for the 3rd time today. Said user looks at his or her iPod and says to self, 'I sure wish my computer were as easy and nice to use and reliable as this iPod. If only Apple Computer made computers. Wait - They do!' And another Mac is sold."

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