Professional, Consumer, Prosumer, or Transitive?

Professional User

A Professional user is one whose career or hobby is centered around power, speed, and productivity. Professional users are often Photographers, Graphic Artists, Film Makers, Video Editors, Musicians, Software Developers, IT Professionals, Engineers, Scientists, Universities, Fortune 500 comapanies, and Governments. As a result, these users require powerful and customizable systems and are willing to pay top dollar to ensure performance and productivity. Many enterprises and companies purchase from Apple's Professional line of Mac hardware to run their businesses.  Purchase a Mac Pro if you require powerful desktop performance or a MacBook Pro if you require powerful mobile performance.

Apple offers the following products under their Professional line:

Xserve systems function as servers and come with Mac OS X Server.  Professional Users require Professional level software. Apple’s professional software includes the following:

Apple has available Universal Binary versions of all its professional level software.

OS X's industrial-strength, UNIX-based operating system provides the computing power that professionals demand. The inherient Apple hardware and software integration gives professional users the performance and ease of use they need to be productive.

Many software vendors have professional software for the Macintosh platform such as Adobe, Macromedia, and Wolfram Research. Professional users will also use many of the applications and software listed in the Consumer user section below. A great resource to check out Apple's professional line of products and customers is at Apple's Pro site.

Consumer User

A Consumer user is one who's computing experience is centered around functionality, ease of everyday use, and value. Consumer users are often those who use their systems to email, browse the web, instant message, word process, and have a digital lifestyle to share digital content and stay connected with friends and family.

A Consumer user will most often answer yes to several of the following questions:

Apple computers (Macs) and OS X come bundled with a suite of applications that most computer users can leverage out-of-the-box. Apple’s iLife suite is a collection of software for music, photography, movies and DVD creation. iLife is made up of the following titles:

Mac OS X comes with several other applications and software that the consumer and all users will find useful:

Apple offers the following hardware for the Consumer user:

Prosumer User

A Prosumer (PROfessional conSUMER) user doesn’t quite fit into either the Professional or Consumer categories because these users they are generally a hybrid of the Professional and Consumer user types. The Prosumer user is one who demands more from their system than the Consumer user but doesn't need to spend top dollar on a Mac. Prosumers are generally consumers that are closer to the professional user type than the consumer user type.  These users tend to do professional level work but don't really need the cutting edge systems that a professional demands.  Most often, these are  more than casual photographers, video editors, or hobbyists. In most cases, Prosumer users decide to purchase a Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, or the top of the line iMac.

Transitive User

As the name implies, a Transitive user is one who is making the transition to a Mac.  These users are utilizing Apple's Boot Camp software to dual boot their Mac into Mac OS X and Windows.  This type of user is rapidly on the rise as more and more people are purchasing and becoming first time Mac owners.  These users are ones who are beginning to use OS X but still require Windows as they are undertaking the transition or still need to use Windows for programs only available on Windows. A Transitive user, can mirror their primary class from PC to a Mac.  In many cases, a Transitive user could also be one who is interested in test driving a Mac.  As a result, he or she often purchases a Mac mini because it's the lowest priced Mac and he or she can utilize an existing PC monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

Switch To A Mac Guides
Be sure to visit the Switch To A Mac Guides for overviews, descriptions, and features of the Mac models.  It's also a great resource for learning how to use a Mac and Mac OS X.

Updates:

• Added MacBook Pro and removed G5 from PowerMac

• Removed iBook and added MacBook

• Removed PowerBook

• Removed emac
• Content revision and modifications
  

August 12, 2006

• Removed PowerMac and added Mac Pro
• Content revision and modifications

September 8, 2006

• Content revision and modification
  

• Added link to Switch To A Mac Guides