[Superchicken]

Hey wow, this is some quite good stuff. Have you thought of actually getting a domain? I dono but if this is going to be a big project I'd say get your own domain cause you could get the word out and have people pointing to it, you're quite an impressive writer. I'm almost tempted to show this to a friend who's thinking of switching.
You might want to say have top reasons to switch on the main page with blurbs about each, and then have links to the full pages, and then have read more on the more technical stuff. So say have on stability. OS X is built on Unix, blah blah blah, then have to the right a list of links, learn more about the development of Unix, learn more about Open Source, learn more about the building of OS X. That way the user can read as deep as they want.

But yah, this is a great idea. Great luck with it.

[macintologist]

Originally posted by MPMoriarty:
Ok, I just finished another page of my website: Reason #2 to switch to Mac OS X...

http://homepage.mac.com/mpmoriarty/w.../02_reason.htm

Awesome!

Let us know when it's all done. Instead of telling people to go to Apple's switch site, I'll tell them to go to your site.

You should make one central page that compresses all the reasons. "Why to Switch in a Nutshell" or something. It would be good for starting off, then if people want more details them go into those pages on the right side.

[MPMoriarty]

To answer your guy's questions...

1) Yes, I am planning on getting a domain and even a different website hosting company. I am still tinkering around with the domain name but will get one when the site is near completion. As for the web hosting, I want to have one place for the actual real website to be and another such as my .Mac account for testing purposes and backup.

2) Yes, I will have a central 10 Reasons to Switch page with blurbs (most likely the first paragraph from each page) about what each section is about.

If you look at the navigation bar at the top, one of the buttons is "Why switch". Not only will there be the "Top 10 Reasons to Switch to Mac OS X", but I am also thinking of adding some other sections that go deeper into lower level stuff of Mac OS X that could interest potential switchers such as:

- Darwin and its Mach core
- Core Audio, Image, Video
- Quartz and Quartz Extreme

You know, the stuff that the average switcher doesn't really care about but advanced computer users do.

I am also thinking of creating a section for switchers to post their "switcher stories". Sorta like how Apple does it, but better by letting them go into more detail and getting more specific. What do you think?

Here's another question. Do you think that I maybe went overboard with the graphics on Reason #2? I tried to cut back as much as I could, but I still think the page might take too long for some to view.

I think graphics are great for making information easier to process, but not at the expense of speed.

Mike

[macintologist]

For the switcher stories, just post in the Lounge and ask switchers on this site to either post their stories or email you their stories.

To tell you the truth I am pretty sick of Apple's switch site. It's quite lame. Yours so far is a breath of fresh air and once complete I will send people to your site to see why the Mac is better.

Make sure to add some cool videos and stuff.

Also, I noticed you got some ideas from www.xvsxp.com That's good, it's a great resource.

[Macanoid]

I own switchtomac.net and even started a site for it. As you can see, I don't have much (if any) time to update. Should you be interested. let me know. You can have that domain if you want to! It's a cheap hosting account too, $40 a year

[MPMoriarty]

Yes, I am a frequent visitor and message board member of xvsxp.com . It will be one of the websites I include in my "Mac OS Resources" area for those wanting to visit other great resources.

Yes, you are right about posting a call for switcher stories in the lounge. I hadn't thought of that.

You see, one of the things that I am trying to do with my website is create a comumunity of some sort. I believe having some form of a human factor mixed in with any website is a good thing. Getting others to get involved in a website keeps them coming back.

Also, my website is only the first stage of my grand plan. Like I have said earlier, I am in the very early stages of writing a "Switching to Mac OS X" e-book that I plan on offering on my website. In fact, you can kinda see a spot on all my pages where I have reserved a spot for it.

I want to thank you all for your wonderful feedback and nice comments. It can be a very daunting task trying to create a website and not fully knowing if what you are creating will be liked. But you keep me determined and focused by helping me see that I am going in the right direction.

Mike

[MPMoriarty]

Originally posted by Macanoid:
I own switchtomac.net and even started a site for it. As you can see, I don't have much (if any) time to update. Should you be interested. let me know. You can have that domain if you want to! It's a cheap hosting account too, $40 a year

When the time comes, I may take you up on that offer. Thanks. Like I said, I am still playing around with names right now.

Mike

[MPMoriarty]

Originally posted by macintologist:
Make sure to add some cool videos and stuff.

Ok. You got it.

[MPMoriarty]

Alright, I have been thinking about the page I just finished recently

http://homepage.mac.com/mpmoriarty/w.../02_reason.htm

I don't know if I should even bother mentioning System Preferences at the bottom as most current operating systems all have a central place for their system settings.

Maybe I should talk about some other feature of Mac OS X such as...

- The menu bar at the top of the screen
- System-wide font and color dialogs that developers can connect to from their applications

Or is mentioning System Preferences needed?

What do you think?

Mike

[juanvaldes]

I'd leave it. Maybe talk a bit about how they are grouped by category.

[MPMoriarty]

Ok, I updated the page and included a little more about the System Preferences application.

[MPMoriarty]

Hey everybody. Just giving an update on my website...

- Finished "Reason #3"
http://homepage.mac.com/mpmoriarty/w.../03_reason.htm

- I've also updated "Reason #2"
http://homepage.mac.com/mpmoriarty/w.../02_reason.htm


I appreciate any comments or suggestions.

Mike

[GaelDesign]

Looks great! I think a site like this would make a lot of folks think twice about continuing their usual PC upgrade ritual. You could even put in a bit about Apple being the "iPod" company and how their computers are as cool and useful as the iPod.

I'm excited to see how the rest of the site turns out. Good luck.

Jared

[MPMoriarty]

Thanks. I've been working very hard on it. And this is just beginning. I have a lot more surprises I plan on introducing.

Mike

[MPMoriarty]

Here's a few questions...

I have been getting feedback from other forums I post at. A lot of the feedback in one forum seems to suggest that my website is more like a rephrasing of what Apple's website says. Others also suggest that I am not really comparing Mac OS X to XP good enough to make a good case as to why someone should switch to using Mac OS X.

Do these people have a point?

Am I not really addressing my core audience well enough?

Is my content more marketing hype than helpful and informative?

Mike

[LightWaver-67]

Well... truth-be-told... it is very marketing-heavy.

The information is presented in a way that makes it feel like your "selling" the Mac platform... not providing a means to access information to actually migrate your data and workflow from a WinPC to a Mac and understand the nuts & bolts.

I'm not saying it's bad... but it's definitely more evangelistic than a site tohelp guide you through the process.

If your goal is to entice current Windows users into "considering" the Mac platform: "Success" � your site is evolving into a vehicle for reiterating the "switch" information, but with your own spin.

If your goal is to help WinPC users actually MAKE the migration or to help them navigate the tricky waters of a new UI and system layout... then you're headed the wrong direction.

Stylistically, it DOES look like a spin-off of an Apple page... as if it were sanctioned by Apple.

Personally, I think your doing a good job, but in order to make it "feel" more like a non-evangelistic thing and more of a "Hey, I am a computer user and you should see these reasons why I think the Mac is better" feeling... I'd say try re-branding the look & feel to something more "you" based. Come-up with a name and a logo that are NOT derivative of Mac and Apple and choose colors and styles that are not DIRECT decendants of any Mac or Apple look & feel... and THEN present your content in a way that makes our WintelPC counterparts feel like they are getting solid information... not a dog & pony show with regurgitated marketing.

Plus... be honest and open... talk about what is NOT as good on Mac... talk about what IS better on the Windows platform... discuss the pros and cons... SURE... tout your reasons for liking the Mac... but if it feels like: Everything Mac is good - Everything Windows is BAD � then credibility may be questioned.

Again... I think you've done a great job with it and i do not mean to criticize your efforts. I guess I am curious as t what your intent is. I have not read this whole thread... and if you say that you've already outlined your intent... then I can go-back and find it myself.

OH! How about that on your "home page"...? Talk about the "Intent" of what your site is trying to do...? I dunno... just brain-dumping based on my quick scan of your site.

[MPMoriarty]

Well, I do have an intent for this website. But I don't think it is what you think. My overall plan consists of two parts.

1) My website

My website's job is to introduce people to Mac OS X, show off its features and benefits, and get people interested in switching. Once they have switched, they will need information on how to use Mac OS X.

This leads me to the second part of my plan

2) My Book

I am writing a book specifically for those who have decided to make the leap to Mac OS X. My book is for new switchers. It will:

- Show people how to use the Mac UI
- How to migrate their data
- Use the apps that it is bundled with
- Tips and tricks to help them get the most out of it
- Show them how to setup their Mac to work with their PCs

This will be an interactive e-book that readers on both Mac and PC can read and learn about Mac OS X.

Of course I will be selling this e-book for a small price (have to make a living some how )
-----------

So my intention isn't to create a hobby website that gives away a lot of free information. My website is mostly to sell people on Mac OS X, get them to switch, and then eventually purchase my e-book to help them use Mac OS X.

Mike

[m a d r a]

Originally posted by MPMoriarty:
Here's a few questions...

I have been getting feedback from other forums I post at. A lot of the feedback in one forum seems to suggest that my website is more like a rephrasing of what Apple's website says. Others also suggest that I am not really comparing Mac OS X to XP good enough to make a good case as to why someone should switch to using Mac OS X.

Do these people have a point?

Am I not really addressing my core audience well enough?

Is my content more marketing hype than helpful and informative?

Mike

exactly the point i was going to make. your stuff just reads to me like re-hashed apple marketing blurb and, with all due respect, if i want to read apple's marketing blurb, i'd rather get it from the horse's mouth than somebody's 'fan site'.

i think visitors to the site would have more respect for your opinions if they perceived them as being unbiased and coming from more of an "i've been through this and here are 'the good, the bad and the ugly' of switching from windoze to OSX' point of view.

OSX is by no means perfect [trawl through the complaints and whinges in these forums and you'll soon find that out!] but it has got *enough* good things going for it to be our platform of choice. i think you should draw on your previous experience as a windoze user and make more in the way of comparisons and showing people how the windoze way of doing things compares to the OSX way - and don't be afraid to criticise along the way.

i do the odd bit of part time lecturing and a lot of the time i get people coming through my classes who're familiar with windoze, but have never touched a mac before. i have to 'break them in' to the mac way of doing things before i can get on with ramming dreamweaver or photoshop or whatever into their thick skulls and [off the top of my head] there are a load 'newbie switcher' confusions that crop up time and time again....

single menubar across top of screen used by all apps.... closing last window of an app does not quit the app.... finder view options[list, column, icon].... finder is an app which runs all the time and is the equivalent of the windows desktop, etc.... copying files/moving files [ie. drag to move - option drag to copy].... how to insert or eject CDs [you'd be surprised how often i get asked this one!]..... what the close/minimise into dock/maximise buttons do [comparison with windows].... standard mac keyboard shortcuts; apple-N, apple-C apple-V apple-Z etc [fact that keyboard shortcuts are standardised across apps].... and of course the legendary horrified panic when they're in photoshop or whatever and accidentally click on the desktop, thus switching to the finder and scream "aaargghhh! - all my work's just disappeared!" .... blah... blah... etc etc.

strangely enough most windoze users seem to 'get' the dock straight away. maybe it reminds them of windoze taskbar?

i presume apple aren't paying you for this, so don't just become a 'volunteer' arm of their marketing division. we really don't need another site which worships unquestioningly at the 'altar of steve'

[MPMoriarty]

Ok, I have been hard at work restructuring my site. I have moved a lot of my"Why Switch" content into a new section called "Mac Myths".

Here's a link where you can check everything out...
http://homepage.mac.com/mpmoriarty/macmyths/myth01.htm

I would appreciate any feedback and comments.

Note: The old "Why Switch section is being redesigned. I have new content that needs to go here. While the pages are still available, they are outdated and are don't fit in with the way my site is now going.

Mike

[jamil5454]

Cool. After checking out your site I noticed a few bugs in the myths section.

On pages myth01 and myth02, the links at the bottom to get to the next myth work fine. However, on pages myth03 and myth04, the links at the bottom of the pages say the right thing but link to myth03 again. I had to use the navigation bar at the right to get to myth04 and myth05. There were also a few small grammatical errors and a few words left out.

For example, on page myth01:

"To put it into perspective, a user doesn't interact directly with the hardware. They use the operating system to get things done.

A user doesn't interact directly with the hardware, they go through the operating system to get things done."

This seems a little redundant. I'm sure you would have caught the problem eventually, but I just thought I'd say it anyway.

Anywho, good luck with your ideas. Maybe one day I'll be motivated enough to do something like this.

[TheIceMan]

Mike: Wow, great website and awesome content, especially for the lay person. Apple should use your stuff for its "switch" campaign.

I found a typo. Under "Myth #2: Macs are too Expensive", section "Don't Have to Upgrade as Often", the sentence "But with Apple's developement of Mac OS X..."

It should be development.

[TheIceMan]

You might want to offer a PDF version or printer friendly version. I, for one, would love to have this packaged up into a few pages and sending it to my friend. Unfortunately, as hard as I tried, she went with a PC laptop. And my fear is that she will regret it based on what she told me she wanted to use the PC laptop for. Sorry, I digressed.

[MPMoriarty]

A PDF version is a good idea. I may do that.

Also, my website is just the first step. I plan on writing and selling e-books for switchers coming over from a PC to Mac OS X.

[TheIceMan]

Originally posted by MPMoriarty:
...I plan on writing and selling e-books for switchers coming over from a PC to Mac OS X.

Good luck with that. Sounds like a great idea.

[MPMoriarty]

Well it looks like Myth #2 is coming down or is going to be totally rewritten. I have posted similar posts like these on other forums asking for feedback for my website and I have gotten a lot of grief about the "PCs aren't really cheaper than Macs" argument.

I have been bombarded by link after link of cheaper PC's from Dell, eMachines, etc.

And from what I see, maybe a PC is actually cheaper.

So maybe my argument isn't exactly proper. People who are switching to Mac for the first time aren't really doing it because of price. They are doing it because they like Mac OS X and are tired of their PC experience.

If anyone has reason for me to keep Myth #2, please give me your insight because apparently a lot of people think my argument is very flawed.

[TheIceMan]

Check out Why Macs are Better than PCs and Mac vs. PC Price Shootout.

[MPMoriarty]

I have completely rewritten Myth #2 on my website. I have also tweaked my overall design and code so that it renders better in other browsers.

[Geobunny]

Originally posted by MPMoriarty:
I have completely rewritten Myth #2 on my website. I have also tweaked my overall design and code so that it renders better in other browsers.

I'd love to look at your website, but dot Mac is saying your page can't be found - I'm getting a 404 error on every link you've posted here

[MPMoriarty]

I'm sorry. I recently moved all of my files around to make room for other website projects that I have going on concurrently.

Here's the new link...

http://homepage.mac.com/mpmoriarty/s...ths/myth02.htm

[macintologist]

Bump

Where's the site?

[mpancha]

yea.... im getting page not displayed/can not be found

[SMacTech]

Originally Posted by macintologist

Bump

Where's the site?

Steve,

It's dead!