If it ain't broke, don't fix it-- and use it every chance you get. That's the attitude that Apple's taking when it comes to the wildly successful Apple Demo Days program. For quite a while now, Apple's been taking volunteers from the Mac community and setting them up in CompUSA stores (and, more recently, Best Buy outlets as well) on special occasions like the debut of the iMac or Mac OS 8.5. The idea is to have someone in the store who knows a lot about Macs who will be able to demonstrate the product and answer questions better than the average store employee could. (Not that that's a particularly difficult task, based on our own observations...) If tapping your fiercely loyal user base for volunteers to help make your company money isn't thinking differently, we don't know what is.

So Apple Demo Days work, and Apple's turning up the volume for this holiday season. No longer content to reserve Demo Days just for product introductions, they're now planning Demo Days every single weekend from now until the end of the year, in an obvious attempt to push as many iMacs under the Christmas tree as possible. And according to MacCentral, in an effort to improve the effect of the promotion, Apple's going for consistency when choosing its volunteers; they'd prefer to sign on "individuals willing to work all 13 events," though of course they'll take other volunteers as well. If you're over 21, know the Mac like the back of your hand, and can spin a mean demo, you might want to check with your local users' group to see how you can sign up. Apparently there's even some money involved.

It's no secret that the consumer sales numbers this holiday season are extremely important to Apple, and not just financially. Sure, the profits on every iMac sold will add some welcome cash to Apple's quarterly results, but the real issue here is one of credibility. Recent reports in the media played up the fact that iMac sales slowed in September (at least when compared to August-- no surprise there) and the iMac's popularity this holiday season is what may cement its place on the "must-have" list in the media's eyes. This is also the season when Apple might be able to show that market share growth is still possible. So what's Santa got under the tree for Apple this year?