Amid the backdrop of creative industries, a sophisticated, well-educated populace, and European aesthetics, Buenos Aires seems like an ideal place for Apple® to expand its global reach. Unfortunately, Apple maintains only a small presence in Argentina, closing its only official subsidiary in 2001 following the country's economic turmoil. Ana Beatriz Silva, a financial analyst and part-time graphic designer in Buenos Aires attributes this to Apple's myopic expansion strategy. "I don't think Apple cares too much about markets outside the United States and Japan," she says. According to Silva, Apple keeps a very low profile in Argentina, noting a conspicuous absence of support from the company. "Apple lacks a local office to support customers with technical questions," notes Silva. "In addition, Apple provides mediocre support for Spanish language programs and operating systems."

Apple concentrates most of its advertising and support in its two most popular marketsÑthe United States and Japan. But it seems strange that Apple would abandon the Argentine market. Buenos Aires is a hub of cultural productivity, and many of the creative professionals there are the archetypical consumer that Apple markets its products to in the United States. Ricardo Montiel, a self-employed graphic designer in Buenos Aires, attributes Apple's disinterest in the Argentine market to the size of the country's user base, which is less than one percent of the total computing market. "Last I heard, there were no more than 40,000 Apple computers in use in Argentina, mostly in the publishing and graphic design industries," notes Montiel.

While Apple may not be expending maximum effort on expanding its presence in Argentina, Apple cannot be blamed completely for the company's lackluster showing. With the Argentine economy in dire straits, businesses and consumers alike are primarily motivated by price when considering computer purchases. "On the low end alone, an Apple costs fifty percent more than a PC," remarks Montiel. Further, Apples are far more expensive in Argentina than they are in the United States. While an iMac® may cost a little over a $1,000 in America, the price is nearly doubled in Argentina, with a low-end iMac clocking in at nearly $2,000.

Alejandro Cutini, the director of Aldeamac, Argentina's largest Macintosh User Group (MUG) agrees. "With only $600 it is possible to purchase a top of the line PC clone. However, with the same money, I can only buy a used basic model iMac from 1998." Argentine economic troubles further compound Apple's problems, with many small Argentine businesses going bankrupt and flooding the market with cheap, used PCs.

With so many Argentines currently price conscious, Apple faces an uphill battle to gain market share.

But, Apple at times is its own worst enemy in Argentina. Many of Argentina's Apple faithful complain of feeling isolated and abandoned. Silva notes ruefully that Apple's help services are non-existent in Argentina. "All of the information on Apple's Spanish web site is useless," says Silva. "The site directs users to Apple's English web site. Also, Apple lacks any substantial service representative in Argentina. When I phone Apple Argentina with a problem, I am told to call the United States." Montiel has experienced similar problems. "While I may speak English, a majority of Argentines do not," he laments. "Apple lacks any convincing support for Spanish language in OS X. Someone needs to let Apple know that writing Ôuser's manual' in Spanish on the iMac user's guide without any further Spanish instruction does not constitute adequate Spanish support."

In fact, Apple's greatest Argentine salesmen are its customers. While Apple fails to install a viable sales and support infrastructure, the country's MUGs serve as both sword and shield for Apple, proselytizing to the PC heathen and supporting fellow Mac users who may need technical support. A prime example of Apple's lackluster presence is the fact that the country's MUGs are the primary interlocutors for Apple documentation. Cutini and his fellow Mac supporters at Aldeamac translate many of Apple's instructional manuals for mass consumption, and also provide in-depth guidance on the nuances of OS X to group members. Patricio Delfino, an engineering student in Buenos Aires, frames the issue in these terms: "Why doesn't Apple use Argentine talent to help develop new products and services for Mac users in the region?"