I had no intention of writing a piece about the Apple Roadshow, other than the report that you see on elsewhere. But having taken a days leave from work to travel down to Wellington and having had the opportunity to meet a lot of great people that knew about the site, the two questions I seem to have been asked the most have been "What did you think?" and "Was the trip worth it?". So here goes...

A show of hands near the beginning of the Wellington presentation revealed that there were very few people in the audience who weren't using Macs. While it was great to see those few hands go up (and I welcome PC and other users to the presentations) it meant that in many respects, it was a case of preaching to the converted. In that respect, I'd suggest the presentations need a bit of tweaking.

So what can be done? Well, there's two approaches, which I guess again look at what and who Apple are trying to cater for. I think their response to that would be that they are trying to cater for everyone. In many respects, PC users weren't there because although I saw an ad for the Roadshow in the Dominion the day before (did it appear any other time?) the ad didn't really do enough to let PC users into what they might see and why we wanted them there. And did the presentation really provide enough encouragement for them to Switch? I'm not sure. It certainly touched on some areas (the number of apps available under OSX, the fact that you can connect via SMB to a PC) but was that enough?

Apple NZ faces a dilemma with a Roadshow like this. If you're going to convert people, you need to really target these people and go for the jugular. Perhaps more could have been shown of how many files and functions can be converted over; that Windows media files work on a Mac; that Real Player is available; that Quicktime is the most awesome multimedia cross-platform technology and the grounding technology behind MPEG-4? Maya could have been shown to say "Hey, do 3D on a Mac", scientific programs couldn't just be talked about, they could be shown being put through their paces. Even a PC convert that has made a substantial commitment could have been brought on stage and allowed to give a personal presentation of how they have made the Switch. A personal presentation like this...even honest ones where the person says "But I can't use my Access database on my Mac" and describes workarounds like using Virtual PC or whatever approach they have taken, adds a bit of personal flavour to the situation and makes it more real for the people watching. And the Mac users present would have loved it too...their heads swarming with "Huh, we could have told you that!" thoughts galore.

But what of the all the Mac people watching? A second approach (or perhaps just and add-on to the first) would see the bells and whistles needing to be rolled out. I love Mac applications, but in many respects, I don't need to see them all. I'm happily playing with Safari, iCal has been out for some time. I would have liked to have seen more depth in the new applications. iLife was touched on, but not enough I think. The iLife 'bundle' and the way they inter-connect is a brilliant yet simple achievement for Apple. Final Cut Express...yeah!...show a bit more to everyone, not just those that hang around for a second session. And I know sitting around me were a number of OSX Server administrators, but this side of Mac use was barely touched on. Why not Switch server admin people to an OSX server!? I guess in some respects I'm saying don't be afraid to go a bit more in-depth and head towards a 'John-Holley-with-the-specifics' type presentation, rather than having it being too general. It's alright...you can talk geek stuff to us. Those that don't know will just smile and laugh anyway.

And for later in the afternoon? I'd actually like to see 'mini sessions' appear. Why not choose a venue that has perhaps 4 small rooms that after the major presentation we can move off to? In one, server issues and unix stuff; in another, getting started with OSX; in another, web authoring and design...and who knows for the fourth...a genius bar where people can just walk in and ask for help? These sessions could be run by Mac experts from around New Zealand. Make sure they are good presenters, then get them to promote specific and superb Mac use.

Don't get me wrong Apple NZ, I love the Roadshows and try not to miss them. The 2 hour drive to Wellington and two hours back is well worth it just to see a group of Mac enthusiasts walking around looking at awesome Mac stuff and laughing at the same jokes that no-one else might understand. The presentations are supportive, encouraging, relaxed and enjoyable (except when the front rows won all the goodies! Am I bitter? Hell yes!), but a days leave costs a lot of money and Roadshows in the future need to be more than just more of the same...and they need to be promoted to their target audience more. If it can be done...one final suggestion....get the ads on TV in the weeks before hand...push them heaps...and then invite those PC users to come along. Who knows, we may just convert more people!

Oh...and resellers...geat to see so many of you there and (from every conversation I heard) seeming to be up with the play with regards Macs. That might seem strange to say, but I've had bad experiences in the past with people running the stalls who weren't as Mac friendly as they could have been. Thanks to all of the vendors. Please come to each and every Roadshow in the future....and of course, I speak on behalf of many when I say...we welcome freebies!! Hint, hint!

And on a final personal note - I'd just like to say thanks to all the people that I managed to get to meet, who I've chatted to via email and who continue to be nothing but supportive towards NZMac.com :-)