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Why So Many Mac Fanatics?
daeley writes "NewsFactor has published an article, Cult of the Mac - Why So Many Mac Fanatics? -- looking for answers to '...what is it about the Mac that commands such loyalty? An even better question might be, what is Apple doing right?'"
Very little.
They have a stellar product, but a marketing team that couldn't sell shit to a toilet. Their product is purchased by a select crop of people who are repeat customers. They're doing nothing to expand -- at least nothing that works. Mhz myth? Deal with it. People want mhz, and the mhz myth line hasn't worked since 1994 with the introduction of the PPC 601.
They used to be what, 8% of the market, but the market grew and they didn't. I don't call a niche market 'doing something right.' I could count on one hand the number of fields that are MacOS centric. I'd need all the hands in Canada to count the number of fields PC centric. I like the OS, especially OSX, but let's give credit where credit is due.
No sig is worth reading.
When a key is pressed on an Apple keyboard, chemicals are released which make the user more open to suggestion.
Subliminal messages hidden throughout the GUI assert that Mac OS is superior.
What I've never understood is why people can get so emotionally attached to companies that make CPUs or graphics cards 5% faster than the ones they made the year before. Or to the companies that make first person shooters that push 5% more pixels through that hardware.
Enthusiasm about a company that tries to make computers qualitatively better -- that I don't have trouble understanding.
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
I say that Apple has consistently provided a really great product that is easy to use, has enough power and speed for most any task I've thrown at it, has great reliability and customer service for when something goes wrong, and continues to innovate in several ways, including hardware aesthetics, software utility and aesthetics, and hardware speed.
And, for me, I get more work done faster and with fewer headaches using my PowerBook when compared to any other machine I've used.
That's why I use a Mac. How about you?
PCs are not appliances. Macs are. Its as simple as that.
Is it just me or is this (especially on Macs that aren't running OS X) more a function of the fact that few Mac viruses are written because the potential damage is so minimal relative to a Windows virus?
Apple Computers must be run by idiots. i mean, here's my dilemma: i love Macs. But Macs are gonna die. i'm pretty damn sure of it.
Macs are the computers that really made a difference. i mean, look at Windows--it's a sad imitation of the Mac. And Windows XP? It's supposed to be a better imitation of the Mac (especially now that Apple has lost it's "look and feel" lawsuit against Microsoft).
Macs are gonna die though, because as i mentioned before, Apple is run by idiots. Ok, so look, the Mac wouldn't have come about if the two Steve's weren't a little crazy. Building a computer in their garage? Building a computer that starts up with a smiling computer icon? Cute icons? A mouse, for goodness sake?
No, we needed some NON-IBM type of people to create the Mac. But damnit now we need some VERY IBM (well, old-school IBM--the people that put IBM typewriters on every secretary's desk, and IBM mainframes in every data processing center) type of people to sell the damn thing.
Scratch that...we need very Microsoft-type people to sell the Mac.
Apple is STUPID. Ok, so it was good to say that 1984 won't be like 1984, and to have the runner with the Apple logo on her tanktop throw the hammer into the Big Face of Big Blue. Macs are different. Fine.
But hello! Guess what allows you to stay in business? Yeah, that's right, money. And guess what makes money? Selling computers. And who buys a lot of computers? Suits. Yes, people that you hate. People that AREN'T artistes or creative or cool. Yes, boring people with white collars and striped ties and gray suits need to buy your computers, otherwise your company will DIE.
Die die die.
i'm sorry, maybe you didn't hear me. You will DIE if you don't sell to more corporate-types. And you don't sell to corporate-types if they think your computer is a toy.
Whew.
Anyways, like i said though...i love Macs. And people that love Macs know that they don't love Macs just because they're cute, cool, and for creative-types. They know that Macs let you get work done.
Bottom line for me whenever i'm trying to recommend hardware/software/whatever to a friend/client/relative. What do you need to do? And will this item allow you to do it? Can you get work done?
Macs let you get work done. Macs don't require you to learn about IRQ's memory addresses, jumper switches, CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT, SYSTEM.INI, or WIN.INI.
Macs don't make you delete something in the Program Manager, then delete it in the File Manager too. Macs don't make you use DOS. Macs aren't a shell written on top of DOS.
Here's what Apple needs to make corporations understand:
Macs will save you money because you don't have to train people anywhere near as much as you have to with Windows. Basic operations are basic.
Macs will save you money because you don't have to hire people like ME to do things like installing network cards or printers, setting up file sharing, or showing people how to delete files.
There are other reasons, but i don't feel like discussing them.
--Metrollica
the ramblings of a new convert
For some reason, when the Yellow Dog machine gets an IP from the base station, it doesn't automatically "know" what the DNS servers are. This information is provided to the base station, and thus it's wireless clients know about the DNS servers as well. For some reason it doesn't work, and I can talk to numeric IPs but not named hosts.
Of course, when I did this under OS X, it worked on the first try, and has worked reliably for months. I never had to use to edit text files, read man pages, or get yelled at in IRC because I didn't know what "Pump" for DHCP was.
The funny thing is, not only does it not work the way it should, but that you are presumed to be stupid for not knowing why!
I've also never had to reboot my computer into command line mode because my "Xfree86 config file" went wrong.
I just want to USE my computer, not waste hours reading Usenet and trying command after command in order to make something work that should be taken care of automatically. That's why I like Macs.
convince people that its OK for your computer to lock up 5 times a day, because it has a smiley face and a translucent mouse.
btw
macs only appear to be a success because they sell products to the *same* people. the crappy new iMac will almost only be bought be existing iMac owners.
i suspect that the actual number of mac owners hasn't gone up that much.
the only reason PC are more successful is IMHO they're a hell of lot cheaper. it certainly isn't because of ease of use of the OS.
That man tried to kill mah Daddy
2. The OS and the machines are aestheticaly pleasing. PCs tend to look dull. Macs change. They remain exciting, or at least different.
3. More focus on programming "correctness." Apple periodically reinvents the OS interface to match current needs. Old functions are dropped when using the newer APIs. Choices are limited, or directed, depending on how you want to look at it. Programs end up being simpler and have fewer bugs as a result.
4. Apple has always marketed and spoken to the individual, not the company. (This is huge.)
5. Steve Jobs, brain-controlling presentation zombie.
And Mac OS X's UNIX base is just fucking cool. This is what's finally pulling me over. I picked up an old iBook for cheap to try it out, and I'm just floored. This OS is schweet!
Because the folks at apple make an attempt to think like their users, many of whom are like my mom and use their computers mostly for fun and partly for work, and generally couldn't give a rat's ass how it works. They want it to be as easy as possible to use, and attractive to boot. OS X gives my mom the functionality she needs from her computer. Linux doesn't.
Don't get me wrong, I have been running Linux for 4 years, but currently it's my mail/web/ssh/name server and it sits headless in my closet. It's not coming out on my desktop anytime soon, and it isn't coming anywhere near my mom's desktop.
And shock!, it's an iMac even. I got rid of Windows just a bit ago on my pc and installed BSD in it's stead. My other system runs Linux. My iMac is running OS X, with very little chance of running 9.x. The reason why is simple: I like a nice interface that opens up to a horrible ugly little unix box (sarcasm) when you want it to. It's absolutely great!
I bought this machine because, just like mechanics that work on American cars and drive Hondas, I don't want to put up with the BS when I get home. I like firing up a system that just works.
I've always been interested in macs, and I never had the bawlz to buy one until the iMac came out. They have a serious winner on their hands, now if only they would market the damn thing without being pretentious.
Lowmag.net
This time my employer will purchase a laptop for me -- I just have to choose which one. Since the low end Toshibas no longer come with the point-stick (*sigh*) I'm considering alternatives. Suffice it to say I am torn between an IBM A-series or an Apple Titanium.
I'm leaning toward the Titanium. And, it's funny, but I feel like I'm returning to a first love... I started with an Apple ][+ in 1979 (I was 12) and eventually had a Apple //e, Apple //c, and, later, a Mac Plus. In the meantime I was using UNIX and DOS. I always hated DOS. Then OS/2 -- it was Ok, but...well...stiff. Then I had the opportunity, as a salesman for Businessland/ComputerCraft, to experience the NeXT -- it was slick and satisfying but unaccessible 'cause of price. But I had to bow to Windows, since I had to support my clients who used a WinTel desktop to access our UNIX accounting package. Eventually I started writing business apps in VB, Access, Paradox...that was an unhappy period. Happily, I found Linux and felt better ('cause I like server-side programming).
Mac OS X is NeXT but backward Mac compatible and at a reasonable price. That's my take. Playing with the Titanium at Fry's has been enjoyable -- sometimes frustrating, honestly -- and the underlying UNIX is accessible and tempting. Hey - it beats Win4Lin for using Internet Explorer for client-side testing (and I like Win4Lin and won't run Linux without it).
So I guess I'm getting sucked into the Mac Cult. Blame it on early conditioning...
My weirdo co-worker is also going get the Titanium but will scrap OS X and install PPC Linux. Honestly, I have no idea why.
-- @rjamestaylor on Ello
As a long time PC user I find myself more an more tempted to get theh new iMac. I can't really justify it let alone afford it yet I can't help myself - it's so tempting now with OS X.
My best guess is that Apple computers are laced with crack....it's an addiction and it may cost me a fortune.
taking after other big vegetable/fruit processing/processor companies.
There are not that many of them, but of those users, there are certainly an abnormal number who are fanatics.
You are clearly an idiot ("little dick syndrome??"), but I feel like responding anyway.
About a month ago I was at a Starbucks in Mt. View, California, checking my email with my iBook. On his way out of the coffee shop, a completely anonymous nobody walked up to me and said, "Nice laptop." I said "thanks," and he walked away.
This sort of thing happens to me fairly regularly.
There may or may not be many Mac fanatics. But you don't have to look very hard to find a Mac admirer. And that's clearly a sign that Apple has done something right.
Is there any way for macslash.com and apple.slashdot.org to just get together? I think about 5% of the stories on these two sites are not redundant.
...is because most Mac users have a sense of style, creativity, and a love for that classic smiling face that greets you as you boot up into a Macintosh OS. Though I besides Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X on my Mac, I have Yellow Dog Linux installed as well. I think Apple is doing a fine job with staying ahead of its competition (i.e. Microsoft). If you don't like Macintosh OS's, I have news for you: "There ain't much more out there to pick from." Sure theres Linux or Unix but its not really made for the average 9 to 5 working Amercian.
The reality distortion field. It works: pick one up today!
I don't think that unsupported anecdote has a shred of truth to it either. It's another of those EvangeList rumors that I've heard repeated sans intelligence many times before. It's an appeal to that "me too" fear of not belonging that seems to afflict Mac owners more than anybody else. So while it's a flawed marketing tactic, it's also a dead-giveaway as to the source.
So what you're saying is that you like Macs because you get the attention that you crave? That's pathetic! If you buy products to feel better about yourself, it's not that there's anything right with the product, it's more like there's wrong with you.
"Little dick syndrome" is a lot closer to the mark than you'd like to admit.
Why do some Apple fanatics lie to themselves soo much, and argue you to the death.
How can someone possibly think that a 7XX MHz G3 running with slow SDRAM, and a slow IDE harddrive is soo much faster than a 14XX MHz Athlon running DDRAM, and a faster IDE harddrive or a faster scuzzy drive.
It is really like a religion or the Party in 1984, where this big lie is repeated over and over until it sinks in and you actually believe it.
1) I just don't get it.
2) Who cares. I know my Honda Civic is not nearly as fast Mustang, but I'd rather keep my Honda.
http://www.macosx.com
on this threadhttp://www.macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?s=c8 c8 65e96ca082c205232b1fed346cb2&threadid=11843
...an interesting read.because we took the aqua pill and drank it with Koolaid. Now we're waiting for the Hale-Bopp comet so we can board our space ships and be rescued by the almighty Steve Jobs.
As a Mac user, I'm aware of Apple's famous 1984 TV ad. George Orwell talks about citizens being over the top fanatics. Apple said they were against that future in their commercial. I am forced to wonder, sometimes.
Please Complete These Steps
There you go. Feel better? Not my fault if you find you are no longer motivated to become a hacker.
One reason why so much people use the Wintel platform (or so few people use the Mac platform), at least here in Europe, is that a lot of working people, also those not having white-collar jobs, get a pc from their boss (for free, or partly paid) in order to get experienced with it; so, that's the easy way out: free pc, free software. No need to think for yourself ...
if you read your /., you'd have read about many/several/lots (you choose which word you want to use) of people buying their first Mac just to use OS X. i suppose they are all lying?
idiot.
How can someone possibly think that a 7XX MHz G3 running with slow SDRAM, and a slow IDE harddrive is soo much faster than a 14XX MHz Athlon running DDRAM, and a faster IDE harddrive or a faster scuzzy drive.
They can because for a lot of tasks, processor speed is not the limiting factor. It's the user. And on a Mac, it often takes the user less time to accomplish a task due to the superior UI.
Apple's "there is no step three" ad campaign was much more relevant to real-world computer usage than the MHz-flaunting going on elsewhere.
So you are bragging that your personal accoutrements attract members of the same sex? Why don't you just hang out in the Starbucks bathroom wearing a tight pair of jeans?
supported statement!
That's just flawed logic, twisted to your own ends. I think the real point would be like what if you drove a really nice car, say a Jaguar.
Why did you buy that car? For the attention? Or because it's a very high quality auto, and you appreciate fine things?
Let us assume it was the latter, because clearly some people drive expensive cars to show off. You will from time to time have people admiring your car, but after all, you are not your car, but it is a reflection of your good taste, and of who you are in a way. We say "thank you" when someone complements our clothes for example. We (probably) didn't design and make those clothes, but we did choose them.
Or say you are a musician (like me), you know the difference between the $3,000 custom made Alembic bass, and the $150 Squire bass. You don't buy the expensive one to show off, you buy it because you know it's a better designed and built product, will be easier to play, and will probably need less maintenance ... and you appreciate its fine sense of aesthetics and detail. You like the way it sounds, and you like the style. You might even like that not that many people have one. All these are valid points. This is why I started building my own guitars, because I knew what I liked and didn't like, and also because I wanted something different than what everyone else has. Afterall this is why we customize things.
This is why I use a Mac. I like the way they look, I like using the OS, and I appreciate the quality that goes into them. And I dont mind paying a little more and I dont mind that not every one uses them. I don't care what other people use. I also use PCs, I think any flavor of Windows is just ugly. I like Linux, but find OS X more polished. Also in my line of work (desktop publishing/graphic design) this is what we use. Period.
No one needs to validate their choices. If you like something, buy it.
And yes, I was a former PC user.
-- if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic - Lewis Carrol
No "Little dick syndrome" is more akin to guys that drive big SUVs and Windoze users that say "but we have 95% of the market!!"
Big whoop!
I think the real point would be like what if you drove a really nice car, say a Jaguar.
Why did you buy that car? For the attention? Or because it's a very high quality auto, and you appreciate fine things?
If you think Jaguar makes high quality vehichles, "small brain syndrome" more accurately describes you.
So many ACs in this thread... I'm the AC that originally posted the "Troll" (though I actually feel it's more flamebait because Troll seems to imply intent, of which there wasn't any).
The "you" that you are describing isn't a fanatic. In fact, it describes the vast majority of Windows users. You use the tool you like to do the job you need to do. There are many other Mac fanatics who are not like you. They represent such a large percentage of the total number of Mac users that it begs the question of why there are so many Mac weirdos in the first place.
My "small dick syndrome" is hardly anything more involved than Freud's Penis Envy theory in which you compensate for some lack by overdoing some other aspect of yourself, in this case that would be shouting down Mac (or Linux) doubters.
Now this is not to say that there aren't those same type of people in the Windows world, because they certainly exist (and they love getting into arguments with Mac users). The thing is that they represent a tiny portion of the total number of Windows users.
Why, then, do so many of these 'small dicked' users find their way over to Mac and Linux? I think it has less to do with the quality of the OS than insecurity about the OS choice they made. To make up for their insecurity, they loudly proclaim that Jobs is a god (heard in actual conversation with Mac fanatic), hardware is better (fact is that certain parts are below industry median in quality or cutting edge-ness), or the OS is better designed (which is purely a subjective matter). Perhaps its the high price of buy-in that Mac users face, quite like basic training in the Marines where the trials of the first several weeks of training form a cohesive bond between the recruit and his identity as a Marine. The analog in Linux would be the difficulty of mastery that goes into learning the system.
Whatever it is, Mac and Linux users have an abnormally high percentage of OS freaks. My contention is not that it has anything to do with the quality of the operating systems themselves, but with deep psychological underpinnings rooted in insecurity of the user's chosen OS.
How dare you say? OK, I was annoyed by the Windows GUI but let's face it, the Mac OS was still running what was basically 1985 Andy Hertzfeld "Switcher" technology. While there were OS hacks to permit apps to be kind to CPU cycles (co-operative multitasking) and allocating memory from the system space instead of requiring fixed memory size per app, it was still just kludge upon kludge.
But now I'm heading back. OS X is what I've been wanting for years. The stability and usefulness of UNIX with the user interface that only Apple can do right. I've got my order in for a new iMac to get my toes wet again and if I love it as much as I expect to, I'll be dishing out for a dual G4 in the not too distant future for my main powerbox (It's currently a 2GHZ Intel box running XP Pro).
I've used them all, so when I get to the point where I will say again that Macs are the best computers out there, it will be an informed opinion!
(Note to Apple, please bump my iMac order up in the queue... :-)
The word "fanatic" comes up an awful lot in talking about Mac users. I've actually never known anyone who would qualify as a fanatic with regard to their choice of computer, but I've certainly known some fans.
As a long-time fan of Apple products, I own a G4/450, a 2001 iBook, a Power Mac 8500, and an iPod. At work I use a G4 to do web development. All my Macs run Mac OS X (Including my trusty old 8500, which I bought in 1995 for nearly $4K, and have subsequently upgraded to a 400MHz G3.)
I've been a programmer now since 1978, when at the tender age of 11 I first discovered that computers were k3w7 and that I could make them do what I wanted. What I wanted to do back then was to make games, and I wrote a lot of them on my Atari 400, and a couple on my Amiga 1000. So as you might imagine, when the Mac first came out in 1984 I wouldn't go near it. It had no color support, it was expensive, and it had a tiny screen. So I stuck with my Amiga, which at the time had a better OS, better sound hardware, better graphics hardware....
When in 1995 I decided to rejoin the geek universe I took a look around at what was available and found that the Mac OS had stayed true to its principles of elegance and simplicity, while Windows had only grown more convoluted and directionless. The scattering of DLLs all over the place combined with a central overwrought registry, plus the lack of true plug and play were a foreshadowing of what I could expect to contend with if I decided to focus my programming efforts on the Windows platform.
But what really swayed me even more was my experience with the Motorola processor architecture. When I was an Atari geek I learned to program in 6502 Assembly, a very simple and direct little chip. My first exposure to x86 Assembly Language made me wretch and cringe, but I was able to dive right into the 680x0 architecture and program the metal with ease. The 680x0 was simply a more modern and well-planned processor. The instruction set was elegant and - well - beautiful. If I was going to get my hands dirty programming in Assembly language I didn't want to have to work around the limitations of the x86 instruction set, registers, and paged memory architecture.
In my last programming job I was given a PC running Windows 2000 to use. "Fine," thought I, "This is going to be much easier. Microsoft has made a stable OS that's slightly neater than Win95 and it'll be a breeze to get used to." My god, was I wrong. I've used all manner of GUI in the last 25 years, so I can adapt very easily to any environment, easily learn where things are and how they work. But my experience with Windows was constantly frustrating. The tools I used for writing embedded perl, text editors, web dev suites, shareware FTP clients, you name it... Every tool I used was full of bugs, or it took over the screen, or its editing shortcuts were inconsistent, or its menu layout was inconsistent. There seemed to be very few "standards" that developers could adhere to.
I wanted to have fun with the system, so I downloaded shareware, which I've always found fun on the Mac side. Wouldn't you know it, there are dozens of any type of shareware program. Many of them were half-assed, half-finished, or just posted to get me onto a SPAM list. Trying to find a decent shareware application for any purpose took much too long and led me to several crappy pieces of software. This is an example of why "there's more software" is a meaningless selling point for Wintel boxes.
Eventually I brought my own Mac into work and used the PC as its stand.
So obviously I'm a Mac fan.
The "fanatic" element is something that comes up in the Mac community for a couple of reasons. Mac users have always been in the minority, using a far better designed platform, have had to watch everyone in the world blindly scooping up Windows licenses, oblivious to the fact that Windows is far more complicated than any OS needs to be. I've personally never tried to convince a PC owner to dump their machine and get a Mac. However, in many cases PC users have seen me work with my Mac, flying through various tasks with ease, and have been impressed enough to make the switch.
Perhaps what makes Mac users seem "fanatical" is their unflinching devotion to a platform that the other 95% don't use. It's as if 95% of the people in the world think the sky is green, because that's what they've been told, while only 5% have raised their eyes to see that it's blue. The 95% take their view for granted, and label the other 5% as fanatics.
-- thinkyhead software and media
Look, it isn't possible to explain this. Many metaphors have been tried, but here's another:
The Budweiser people who don't understand why some people like to drink Abbott ale never will, because in their minds,
The homebrew people are a bit more flexible. They might like Abbott Ale, or they might not, but if they don't like it, it's either because they don't like it on its merits or they would rather change the recipe.
(I should also point out that Be OS is like Old Peculier poured from an elevated oak cask.)
I don't like to see Wal-Mart crush a little store or person. I like to see the smaller guy win sometimes. The same holds for Apple.
I think most people feel the same way. However, most people still shop at Wal-Mart becuase it's convienent. Same is true for Microsoft. Since it's on every street corner...
You know who I think is crazy? All my ex-girlfriends!
For my entire life, I've been an advocate of PCs. Aside from my first machine, a commodore64(if you can call that a computer), I've owned PCs exclusively.
Last summer, I got a job doing various media creation, and had to use Macs exclusively. "Oh no, the horror! I hate the Macs!" is essentially what ran through my mind. They were strange, alien little beasts that I've heard the masses whine about over the years.
Within a week, I wanted to throw my PC out the window. MacOS 9 is just MacOS, but it's simple, straightforward, and easy to maintain. MacOS X, on the other hand, made me weep in its beauty. Sure, the initial release was pretty slow, but having a terminal(!!!!) pop up when I logged in was a wonderful thing. It's the simplicity of a Mac and the power of a GOOD OS.
I spent the rest of the summer saving my nickles and pennies for a G4. The release of the dual gigahertz beast was the straw that broke the bank.
Macs are more expensive, true. They're a bit more proprietary than PCs, true. But, the fact that I have an original, functional Macintosh(a recent gift from someone who didn't want to move it!) gives me plenty of faith that my new Mac will last.
Oh yeah, and Final Cut Pro beats any other video editing software with the biggest beating stick ever.
-agent oranje.
> For instance, when I plug my iBook into
> the LAN at work, I pull down one menu item
If you set "Location" to automatic and
drag the interfaces into the desired
direction you don't have to change settings
at all.
Or did I miss something in your configuration?
k2r
Thought for a minute I recognized your name. Saw your bio, and you weren't who I thought you were, but we did graduate from the same school. (2000).
Secession is the right of all sentient beings.
UTA? What was your major?
-- @rjamestaylor on Ello
CSE, graduated 2000. Currently working on a masters.
Secession is the right of all sentient beings.
I spend a lot of time trying to get applications to allow me to select just what I want instead of what it wants. And, that's just one little time killer out of many.
Oh Jesus, this is my *number one* pet peeve *ever* about Windows. The amount of time I have wasted in my life trying to get the @#$%&* OS to select what *I* want rather than what some MS programmer *thinks* I want. I've never wanted to put my fist through a monitor more than when dealing with this.
Another way is that people are looking for the simple solution. Sort of the same reason why Fast Food joints do so well, because they provide a simple service and a simple product. Granted your average Fast Food buyer doesn't know how to grill a hamburger or make their own meal or maybe is too busy to do so, still if they can get something easier, then it is worth it to them to let someone else cook for dinner. The same with Macs, why fudget about the system, when the mac is easier to use and set up?
Another is the cult status, Apple has those fancy models with translucent plastic. Apple has OSX now, hey look it is based on Unix and MacOS! Now you can get an iPod!
Also, they got a lockdown on the education market. If your school uses Macs, chances are you will want to buy one.
Plus a lot of Macs are used for creative content, mostly web pages and web graphics, so more Mac people are on the Internet percentage-wise than PC users.
It costs more than a PC, but the Mac Fan feels he/she will pay more to get the better and easier to use product.
To sum it all up, they drank the Kool-Aid. :)
This factoid brought to you by The ADC / SFJ Club
Heeeeheeeeeee! (snort) Heeeeheeeee!
Check it out! Freud is alive! Hey, Sigmund, what's your secret? And your Mac/Linux user bashing has...what was it...."deep psychological underpinnings" in what exactly?
Let's go through this one point at a time, OK?
1.IE/Mac v. IE/Windows: well, since most web sites made by non-programmers cater to IE/Win, it's no wonder. Call it taste. Me, I personally like Netscape 6 on Mac the best, but I've got other perversions as well.
2. Calling something a "tool" isn't saying much. Apple's constant success (as a leading PC hardware manufacture) has been making tools that get the job done without as much pain. It's like comparing a deluxe Leatherman to a generic Swiss army knife.
3. Your example is with, to put it mildly, one of the funkiest computers Apple ever built. The Performa 5200 was built to be a low-end consumer device, and its lack of upgradeable features as well as its nonstandard architecture was a headache for a lot of people. I have one of these things, and it's currently serving double duty as kid's PC and bedroom TV.
The hardware Apple makes nowadays suffers less from this. In fact, developers complain more that Apple is TOO restrictive in their hardware support, abandoning legacy computers like the pre-G3 Macs. Still. developers have the freedom to choose between Carbon, Cocoa and Java.
And as to your other comment, the transition to Mac OS X from OpenStep/Rhapsody wasn't cheap at all, or intended to win over the geeks. It was a concentrated effort involving tons of work/money. Add to that Steve Jobs' imfamous desire not to compete for market share, but for coolness, and you can see how Apple is cool again after the dark days of Spindler and Amelio.
As fom my take, this whole "cult" thingy is a leftover from Guy Kawasaki's Mac EvangeList days, where Mr. Kawasaki decided to take a marketing trick from television evangelists. It was good at keeping Apple alive during the dark days, but was abandoned when Steve Jobs took over. Nowadays, people stick with Apple because they're comfortable with it, just like Audi drivers prefer their cars over anything GM has to offer.
Simple analysis and hand waving.
Your reaction to my post is interesting. Tell me about your mother.
But what happens if you like Guiness?
___________________________
I'm not a geek, but I play one on TV.
When I started using a PC, a friend of mine owned a Mac. Most PCs at the time did not have 1) sound, 2) networking, 3) hard-drives, 4) 800 k drives. His had all the above and the graphics (albeit black and white) were great.
Except during the lean years in the 90's Apple was a step ahead of the Intel/Microsoft world. It was able to address megs of memory when I could only do 640k and beyond that required special hardware and extensions. Everything from scanners to graphics tablets were a snap on the Mac. I can't tell you how many hours I spent fidgeting with PC cards.
The Mac experience is focused on the user. The windows experience is focused on cost/performance and infrastructure. I always felt, even when I had PCs because I couldn't afford a Mac, a PC was about running programs like wordperfect. A Mac was about writing, publishing, communication, fun, science, or whatever you needed it to do. It's like a Ford Taurus is about trasportation - but a Mercedes is about comfort, elegance, ease, and safety.
Apple's ability to incorporate new technologies is about this experience. A DVD burner should just work so you can make DVD movies. The reason for buying a DVD burner isn't so you can spend hours trying to flash new BIOS into your PC to have it recognize the new device. Apple slips these technologies in to enhance that user-centered experience.
It's not a cult - it's a family.
Leave the gun, take the cannoli -- Clemenza, The Godfather
How in the hell did that one get modded up at all? There must have been something better out there...Oh never mind.
OS X is Unix, so I'm quite comfortable setting up my terminal environment and will install a local copy of my work environment later today.
The only problem: I bought it from Fry's and got an Airport Card with it but no one told me I'd need a special screwdriver to remove the back of the Ti to install it. So, I'm using the built-in ethernet port. C'est le vie.
"Hi, My name is Robert Taylor and I am a Mac OS X Convert."
Coming soon: my-ti.com.
-- @rjamestaylor on Ello