Mac Users May Be Smarter

micah_lanier writes "Thought I would point out an interesting story from news.com. It seems a NetRatings Study concluded that those owning Macs tend to be more experienced with the internet, as well as educated better in general. However, this simply illustrates the fact that Macs are generally bought by those with little trouble paying higher prices, and therefore those who can more easily gain access to higher education (and so on)." Then how do we explain all the people with less education buying premium computers from Compaq and Dell? I think it's just that people with bigger brains like better computers!

Comments

Simplified Theory

[HappyPhunBall]

It all comes down to mouse buttons! In my reasonably scientific explanation, the intelligence of computer users can be assumed as the follows:
From lowest to highest intelligence:

1. One Mouse Button: example: your standard fare lowly Mac user.
2. Two Mouse Buttons: example: tragically 90 % of the population, exemplified by Windows users.
3. Three + Mouse Buttons: example: the uber elite of computing, most scientists, and your typical Unix user.

the homepage glut explained

[MadFarmAnimalz]

And the Mac faithful are 58 percent more likely than the overall online population to build their own Web page

So that's where all the "Hi-my-name-is-Jenny-and-I-like-cats" homepages are coming from.

Re:the homepage glut explained

[Large Green Mallard]

Google's first match for a jenny who likes cats...

here

and on the 4th line..

<meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0">

I get your point tho ;)

Think Difrent!

[Quazion]

And so it seems, its not the people who think difrent, but the computer makes you think difrent, wow..

Where can i buy a mac around here ?

Re:Think Difrent!

[P-Nuts]

Mac users will never be smarter until they embrace the adverb.

It's "Think Differently".

Re:The dumbest report ever

[Anonymous Coward]

"far more smarter"? Hmm. My guess is you're probably a windows user.

While I'm Mac bashing....

[DeepDarkSky]

Look at Apple's Why Switch? campaign. One of the funnier things I've seen in a while:

Why switch to a Mac?
You can do things on a Mac that PC users only dream about, and do them more easily, without giving up any of the compatibility with the PC world that you need.

Questions about switching
How do I check email? Will my digital camera work? Can I get business or games software? Can I use my printer? What about using a Mac in my office network?

"You can do things on a Mac that PC users only dream about?" So if the PC user can't do it, then how can you, as a Mac user, "do them more easily?"

An what's with the questions on switching? If you can do things on a Mac that PC users can only dream about, then why are all the questions about things that PC users can already do on their PCs? Maybe these things that PC users can only dream about aren't so important?

I know it's not as simple as I've presented, but it still seems very funny to me.

Re:The dumbest report ever

[The_Final_Word]

Mac users are smarter, but what about Linux users. They are far more smarter than an average Mac user of course.

Sure, and *BSD users are smarter than Linux users, but don't forget that FreeBSD users are smarter than OpenBSD users who are smarter than NetBSD users. Oh wait, what about RedHat vs Slackware vs Mandrake vs SuSE vs Debian...

That statement is as dumb as the article.

I need two walls and a gun.

[dangermouse]

Every Mac user who pointed to that article and said "See? I told you we're smarter", please line up against the wall to my left.

Everyone else who pointed to that article and said "See? I told you Mac users were all elitist assholes", please line up against the wall to my right.

And someone get me that gun.

Huh?

[autopr0n]

Then how do we explain all the people with less education buying premium computers from Compaq and Dell?

Why should they have to explain something you just made up?

duuh

[Griim]

It seems a NetRatings Study concluded that those owning Macs tend to be more experienced with the internet, as well as educated better in general.

Some of thems guys, they reads real good too.

Re:Then why is Apple targeting newbies?

[mtec]

'cause in the seeds of every newbie is an Apple tree with a fine *nix root, you just have to cultivate it as a seedling. Alas it grows into a weed-dows plant similar to kudzu

Re:try a little logic will you?

[Turing Machine]

you are confusing motivation with intelligence.

Yep, he is. Of course, the original article is confusing education with intelligence.

I think most of us who are in academia would be the first to admit that having a degree (even an advanced degree) is no guarantee that the holder doesn't have his head several feet up his ass.

Re:Prestige, Cost, Market: Three explanations

[Lemmy Caution]

Geek irony: buying computers for the prestige value and clothes just for utility value.

Re:Prestige, Cost, Market: Three explanations

[DavidRavenMoon]

It conveys an artsy, "I like what computers can do but I don't like computers" image.

OK, I'm a Mac user, and also an graphic artist by trade, and a musician too. So that would make me "artsy."

I do like computers though, and I know about how they work.

A better analogy might be:

Mac users: "I like driving my car, but I don't care to know how to rebuild a carburetor."

Linux users: "I like driving my car, AND rebuilding the carburetor."

Windows users: "My CD player in my car never plays track 5 on any of my CDs. But that's OK because I never liked track 5 anyway."