I'm no fan of the propaganda that IS Apple advertising. I don't think Macs are the best computer for the money. I DO think Apple products are stylish and simple to use. Where are the counter commercials for these Apple ads? You know, the ones where the guy sitting at the Mac frowns as he watches the Windows guy play incredible 3D games on his computer, only to return to his Mac and cry about the limited software support? Or the one where the Mac breaks down, and his repair bill for a tech to fix it feels like taking a legless 15-year old Cocker Spaniel to the vet (while the Windows dude asks his youth group how to fix his PC)? Sarcasm aside, I have to admit that my wife owns an iPod.

*gasp*

"Paul, don't you have an MCSE*?!?", you ask. "Won't they...come GET you?"

No, they will not. Because they are too busy trying to find out why people buy iPods instead of PC-able mp3/wma media players. Microsoft recently teamed up with music television to bring a competitor to the iTunes market: Urge. Creating a nifty interface and joining up with MTV, VH1, and others will not bring Apple to its knees, however. iPods account for over 70%** of the music player market right now. You know how to compete, Microsoft? It isn't by just relaunching a music store that you already had, albeit with some more zing. Here is the secret:

Support the devices that hold the music.

Don't just make Windows compatible with them. Make stuff for them. Honestly! Have you SEEN what is out there for an iPod? Name another media player that has a partnership with Nike like this! People can take an iPod, go to just about any electronics store in town, and find an accessory area with all sorts of gadgets for your gadget. The plethora (yes, I'd say a plethora.) of items has even trickled into WalMart, Target, and Hastings. I bought my wife an iPod because she can pick up stuff for it just about anywhere. No hunting, no fuss, just cool parts. This is important since I am married to a woman who once asked me to go the video store and rent a playstation game "that uses THIS many buttons", holding up two fingers and lining me up between them with her eye in order to make the suggestion^ more powerful.

She's enjoying the iPod, and it has made me realize that if you want something to be adopted by the masses, you have to support it. You can't just plan it. You can't just advertise it. You can't just lay out some fliers about it. You can't just blog it. You can't just make silly commercials about it. You have to find something tactile to accessorize with. People have to see that carrying your patent with them will bring easy-to-find joy just about anywhere they go.

Yup. I can see that I need to take this theory to other areas of my life.

* Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, a painful certification from Microsoft
** I read it on the net. So it is true.
^ I rented Crash Bandicoot.