Re: Apple Vendor support
Re: Apple Vendor support
- Subject: Re: Apple Vendor support
- From: email@hidden
- Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 18:45:02 -0400
t thomas wrote:
>
One thing I really appreciate from vendors is real support that
>
translates into revenue for the group.
>
[snip]
>
>
But thanks to generous vendors, we keep our members happy and don't go
>
broke in the effort.
>
>
By the way, Apple is conspicuous in their lack of this kind of support.
>
It's like pulling teeth to get even a free copy of an operating system
>
once in a while. I think it's a real shame Apple shows such lack of
>
appreciation to the very core of the people responsible for keeping the
>
company alive.
>
Tim,
I'm gonna jump in here with a totally different take than what I've offered
recently on the vendor situation. Apple has done a MARVELOUS job responding
to User Groups this year. Especially during the last sixth month's that Garr
Reynolds was the WorldWide User Group Rep. I'm sure that if one contacts
their regional liaison when needed, other options may be open to one.
During that time, the Apple Sales Box program was expanded further to include
user groups and their ambassadors. From that, some of our MUGs took advantage
of the June sales box mailing which included a full version of Jaguar disks
and the October mailing which included Mac OS X Server!!! There was also the
fight to relent and provide User Groups access to a free one year subscription
to dot-Mac. It was a bona fide bonanza for MUGs from Apple.
The problem...things weren't as easy as they could have been. Many hoops and
twists were necessary to have your group access these options. But... they
were there.
The second problematic part of that is that I'm sure many user groups did not,
and still don't have, any idea these things were made available for them
(ditto on the help out there one can contact--regional liaisons, UG manager,
Apple Sales Web). The bad part is that the offers are not available after the
fact, which then make us all more vigilant I suppose.
Because of this, it makes it more important that user group leaders should be
sharing information amongst themselves. While there is a very useful vendor
offers program available to us, many still ask for just a listing of a User
group company representatives, their email or other contact information that
could be shared to get some of the goodies, like evaluation software,
hardware, books, etc. Once in a while someone relents and helps out like
offered recently. Or we have reps like Bonnie Mitchell who make sure to get
out there and publicize themselves and how to contact them. These types of
support is so invaluable, priceless even!
Unfortunately, many leaders see having this type of information as their
group's "ace in the hole" and are often unwilling to share the information
with other local groups. I'm sure the thinking there is that if "I share what
I know, your group may be better than mine!" It all comes back to what each
one perceives...is the glass half full or is it half empty? Maybe we should
realize that working together we can join glasses and make it a full cup that
runneth over!
Macbeth
NCMUG of Ohio
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