Life as I Know It; Family; Lifestyle; and Healthy Living!

I can’t understand it. Why is Macintosh so disliked by so many? I used to use the Mac a couple of years ago at one of my jobs. The boss liked Macs and only bought Macintosh. As a PC user at the time and having never used the Mac, I didn’t really feel intimidated by it.

It took me a couple of days to get the hang of it and I actually liked it! There was no big deal to it. After having used it for over three years (my time at that position) I actually loved it!

At my next position it was back to PCs again. Once again, it was no problem to get back with the flow of using it.

I came across some comments recently on a blog site and I can’t believe how much the each person either really hated or really loved Macintosh. I mean the things those people wrote, they got personal!

Is it really that serious? Can’t there just be some people who really, really love the Mac and some really, really love the PC? You know what? I blame that commercial that’s on right now. It’s their fault there’s all this ‘be hating’ around now. That or it just picked at a boil that was always under the surface and have opened up a really ripe wound!

These are some of the comments I read on the NY Times. It was an article that wasn’t even so much about PCs or Macs it was a totally different topic. I won’t post the article itself since it had nothing to do with what I’m talking about here, although it (the article) was interesting, that is for another blog at another time.


__________________-

“Mac users always fail to realize how few they are. It is a pain and expensive to create a parallel system for so few people. Don’t believe the product placement in movies, only 6% of our website’s visitors for example come from mac users (almost 3% use lineux for comaprison).
It would be like demanding MTV translate its site into spanish NOW, but at least there are a lot of people who speak Spanish.
You wanted an expensive white computer, and now you have it. Just don’t expect the rest of the world to jump.
Andrew
www.boomchicago.nl
— Posted by Andrew Moskos”





“macs suck
— Posted by Dom”




“Macs have an influential presence online which makes that 4% feels like 75%.
lonelygirl15 sounds like a show already.
— Posted by Ajit”


“# 1: Trying to mock Mac users by pointing out how few of them there are doesn’t work. In fact, that’s the key to Apple’s cult-like appeal. If everyone really started buying Macs, hardcore Mac users would be emotionally devastated. And if there are so few of them, why waste your breath baiting them, anyway?
— Posted by ted”



“Ted,
As a Mac user, I have to admit you’re right. If everyone’s computers ran an operating system as intuitive, beautiful, and straightforward as OS X, I’d be seriously upset at having lost my elite status.
Now if only we can get Microsoft to redesign the iPod, maybe I’ll switch back.
— Posted by Nick vdK”

“Mac users are very influential, much bigger than whatg they represent online. Only a single digit porcentage of people using Macs (4%) does not mean they are not important or influential. As an example, 45% of Wired Magazine users, a magazine read by influential people interested on advances in technology, life and culture, are Mac users (by the way, Jews are 0.5% of the world population but they account for more than 20% of Noble prizes).
— Posted by Max
“Andrew Moskos” is only partly right: Mac users are numerically a minority, but like “Ajit” notes, we have a disproportionate influence on the culture. We cluster into info. and other related media jobs, which control the mental world of all you PC hacks. Kind of like gay people. Oh, yes, I remember, the word is “elites”: few but strong!
— Posted by Tdawwg”



“August 3rd,
2006
4:36 pm
Mac Users may only be 6% on your site, but we are also better educated, make and spend more money and dominate the artistic and media-driven world. Once you go Mac you never go back.
— Posted by Mark Flora”

Comments (Page 2)
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on Aug 04, 2006
I got introduced to macs in high school and then had to use them several years later at work. And to this day, I am still a user. As far as I'm concerned, I prefer them basically because I'm so used to them. I am not very comfortable with PCs and they honestly intimidate me a bit.

I wouldn't rule out ever buying a pc, but I would prefer to keep buying macs (the macbook sounds pretty good...I'd get one if I could afford it).

I recently scored some refurbished imacs for my classroom (through a grant proposal), and I'm very excited to use them this school year.
on Aug 04, 2006
A 'Mac' is a 'PC' with ideas above its station...
on Aug 04, 2006
Arrogance is always a turn-off, IMHO.

We have both an official "Apple" store, and a "Mac" store here in Seattle.

I can say through experience that walking into the "Apple" store, one is greeted politely and people are quite helpful. The employees are organized as "specialists" in either the software or hardware aspects of Mac products. No feeling of "Arrogance" at this store.

On the other hand, when one walks into the "Mac" store, the employees are outfitted in "Doctors" coats (the long white type) and one expects to see a stethoscope around their necks. Many of these employees seem to have a bit of a "haughty" attitude, as if one just stepped into a "special" place that requires a "rite of passage" to be respected on their level. This could certainly exemplify the source of friction that is being seen as "hating the Mac".

For a PC user, the issues of purchasing a Mac seem to be:

1 - A bit higher price tag
2 - Mac platform software purchases will be required
3 - User hardware upgrades are limited in many of the models

If one adds the attitude being issued by some of the Mac users and employees, one seems to have a significant list of cons, with the Mac zealot's attitude becoming the biggest "con".

As has been said by others, the computer is a tool. As a tool, the Mac can easily be considered a good one. On the other hand, so is the PC, and why would one change to a tool that may come with a history of attitude?

For my part, I like both machines. The main issue for me, is spending an additional $2000+ dollars on professional productivity software when I can purchase the parts to build a screaming PC and use my current PC platform software.
on Aug 04, 2006
I will try the OSX OS again after my next computer is built, should be sometime late fall / early winter. I am going for the Dual Core Processor (AMD or Intel) combined with the Dual 512mb Video Cards (ATI or nVidia) and copious amounts of RAM. Also, probably slap in enough Raptor drives to go with a Raid 5 instead of a Raid 0. Of course, I know the bulk of computer users don't really know how to work their OS or what is in their computer other than it was $399 or something akin to that.


Good grief Xiozan...you know a lot! and um, that last part would be me!!


A superb idea.


Hehe, with enough votes, we might just see that happen!


also like them because for students a 12" ibook was cheaper, smaller and far lighter than the comparable PC last year.


Oh yeah! and I agree that they look so good too!


I like bothmac for most things, windows for games.That wont be for long, because there is this thing called cider that translated windows games to mac, including directX


That's it, some people use both. I didn't know about that. But then, I don't follow too closely on stuff like that!



For some reason Mac always makes me think of hamburgers not computers...


! funny!



I got introduced to macs in high school


Most schools uses the Mac. Especially in NY, all the public schools used Macs.


recently scored some refurbished imacs for my classroom (through a grant proposal), and I'm very excited to use them this school year.


Way to go Rose! Congrats!


A 'Mac' is a 'PC' with ideas above its station...


Nice Jafo, really cute!


We have both an official "Apple" store, and a "Mac" store here in Seattle.


Seriously?!


On the other hand, when one walks into the "Mac" store, the employees are outfitted in "Doctors" coats (the long white type) and one expects to see a stethoscope around their necks. Many of these employees seem to have a bit of a "haughty" attitude, as if one just stepped into a "special" place that requires a "rite of passage" to be respected on their level. This could certainly exemplify the source of friction that is being seen as "hating the Mac".


Good grief, this sound like you've stepped into the 'twilight zone' ! I guess they're going for a certain look and they found it! What do we call them, Doc Macs?


The main issue for me, is spending an additional $2000+ dollars on professional productivity software when I can purchase the parts to build a screaming PC and use my current PC platform software.


I guess this says it for most people!
on Aug 04, 2006
Seriously?!


Yes, indeed!

If I drive about 10 miles to the other side of Lake Washington, I run into the Microsoft campus/business center. A veritable buffet of computer technology. In fact I used to live about 1 mile from the very first Microsoft business building in Bellevue, Washington back in the 1980's.

What do we call them, Doc Macs?


I guess so. I forgot to look for the "Phd." after the names.   

I can say that the "Apple" store, which is by the University of Washington campus, is a great place to go in and tryout a Mac computer. They have everything from the mini-Mac to iMac to the monster G5 tower running the 30" monitors.

Kind of like going to the play ground for an hour.   
on Aug 05, 2006
Sorry, the Jew argument does not work, it is only a religious distinction. Most Jews are Caucasian and more and more are becoming secular and getting assimilated into the whole Caucasian community, thus get excluded from being Jewish. If you can exclude that religious definition, there are many many people who are descended from Jews.

Personally, I like the Macs because they are beautifully designed. The OSX interface is also gorgeous. But performance wise I can't tell any difference. However, I dislike Steve Jobs' constantly hyping OSX but greedily won't release it for other computer manufacturers. And then turn around and whine about how no one is willing to go for the OSX ride. Sorry, the world does not revolve around Steve Jobs, it revolves around Benjamin Franklin's.
on Aug 05, 2006
To much to read, so I'll toss in my two cents.

Like you said, those commercials don't help at all. They portay PCs as boring hunks of plastic with a screen (and pie charts). Then portay Macs as the "fun" machine. I personally have more "fun" with a PC than a mac. Those round mice were just stupid. The eye bleeding colors of the machines weren't all that great.

I do however very much like the way they operate. With all the special effects and especially how smooth everything looks. PCs are all squared (visually... like windows and such), and when attempted round, looks kinda crappy.

Just merge the companies into Macrosoft to get rid of the hate .

But right now, those commericals just make mac users look like pricks (which isn't true... I've got good friends who live by their macs ), and I never would have used a Mac over a PC anyway (to much software I use thats PC only ).
on Aug 05, 2006
Not me! I hate those dang Pepsi people! Now those suckers have got to go!   

Personally I think the Mac/Pc feud is just plain silly!   
on Aug 05, 2006
I used to drive a Dodge. Now I drive a Honda. Do I feel the need to trash Dodges? Nope. It's just a another car to drive to get me where I'm going.

I used to drive a Mac. Now I drive a PC. Do I feel the need to trash Macs? Nope. It's just another OS to "drive" to get me where I'm going.
on Aug 05, 2006
I don't hate macs, just snotty mac users. (but only the snotty ones).
on Aug 05, 2006
I don't like macs because they are far too expensive for the work I do on a computer, and because I can't "build" a mac. I like the fact that PC's can be cusomized more easily.

But for someone who wants a mac, more power to ya!
on Aug 05, 2006
theres twits on both sides thinking that the OS on their PC's some how makes them superior(and yes unless you have a main frame in your place you are using a P.C. or personal computer). its like the chevy vs ford argument, its all about a few zealots needing to feel "included and superior" in a sub culture. Driving a ford or chevy, just like having XP or OS X dosent make you superior to those who use the latter.

To the zealots it's all about "feeling" superior.

And yes i have used both MAC and MS based Personal Computers. both have their good and bad points but I see no "Be all end all" to either that would make me want to worship one or the other ...

Just my 2 cents:
on Aug 05, 2006
To the zealots it's all about "feeling" superior.


(mutters something about winning the Special Olympics and still being a retard).

Sorry, folks, can't help it. "Smarmy Gid" is at the helm today!
on Aug 05, 2006
Driving a ford or chevy, just like having XP or OS X dosent make you superior to those who use the latter.


Yikes, I drive an Audi. What does that make me in this metaphor?
on Aug 05, 2006
A company is telling me that first a PC is Windows only and that I can't do neat things on it because it’s not a Mac. Hogwash!!


Reminds me of a comment I made on another blog. I stated that I was expecting home automation since the PC (not windows) became ubiquitos. The author corrected me and said they run their stuff on Linux, not PCs.

Oops!
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