Just read John Gruber’s article entitled Good Times which has a section about how most people buy computers based on what their “closest nerd friend” recommends. He’s on to something. Granted, I still think that the number one reason why people choose a computer system is based on the applications it has. But when your “application needs” consist of web/email/letters, just about any computer will do.

Once upon a time, i had a hard time recommending anything … I was into Linux, and its desktop and lack of apps surely didn’t lend itself to setting my Grandmother up on the ‘net. Now things have changed …

First, I too, have made the switch and bought a Mac, and I can’t recommend them more to friends and family. Granted, both the desktop and the apps have improved for Linux over the years, but are still years behind the Mac.

But Gruber posed a question that has got me thinking:

And so the question isn’t why don’t more people choose Macs, but rather, why don’t more computer nerds choose them?

While I’m sure that Jobs didn’t plan on it, making the Mac appeal to hard-core geeks would actually sell more of their computers. I know half-dozen people who have bought a Mac partly because of my recommendation … and I’m just getting started.

Linux took hold of corporate IT purely because it appealed to the geeks that wanted to use it. Granted, it doesn’t have nearly the share of the pie as another OS, but it is pretty amazing that IBM would invest billions of dollars towards a free OS. So, maybe I don’t agree with all of Gruber’s comments about the situation with IT, but perhaps he is on to something in regards to using proper motivation.