Slashdot Mirror
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!
Ahem? Won't run 99% of programs out there?
With an ability to run Mac and Windows software under Virtual PC, I'd have to argue that Mac's are capable of running more software (even if using an emulated OS) than any other platform. Hell, on my Mac I rountinely run Win2K on one monitor, and OS X on the other... simultaneously.
They paid more to get less. Simple economics escaped them, I'd not count on them getting simple language down either. But at least they now have computers that look like high school modern art projects gone horribly awry without all of those challenging buttons to trip them up on their mice.
Go ahead and toss me a "Troll" mod. This whole fucking thread was a troll, so the only point posting in it would be to share in the trolling since it was so transparent. Especially to those of us who have worked in the tech support trenches with users of both Macintosh and IBM compatible computers and have felt that unique sinking feeling when a haughty person calls up and five minutes into the call after several attempts to get basic info about the problem from them, they finally mention that they use a Mac as if you should have known right from the start.
Nothing like realizing that you're about to spend two hours teaching and reteaching basic computer concepts to someone who is going to continously claim that they know what they are doing and that their Mac is simply divine, even as they manage to somehow completely delete the Chooser in their quest to find that pesky icon labelled Hard Drive, with a couple dozen reboots for random bomb icons popping up along the way. They could have at least designed those damned errors so that they would always contain information regarding the issue before the computer freezes up. Fun stuff seeing a Mac lock up so hard that it didn't even have time to finish rendering the Reboot button, at least for the first couple times in one day, then its just irritating.
I read that "Switch" page too.. and, well, I figure I'll get bitchslapped as a troll for saying it, but here, somewhat akin to your post, are MY observations about Macs and Mac users (mind you I mean average people, not geeks who have *real* reasons for choosing a given platform):
Regardless of their finances, Mac users are typically very poor at comparison shopping, and are readily attracted by glitz (such as the Fruit look). I've been amazed by the number of Mac users I've met who consider a trip to WalMart the equivalent of a day at the circus. (And doesn't that "Switch" page remind you of some of WalMart's TV ad campaigns??) I'd really like to know what some of those things I'm "dreaming" about doing on my PC *are*, and whether I could do them on a Mac.
Mac users often have some sort of reading disability (we all know that is no gauge of intelligence, but it can affect your ability to collect data) so are naturally attracted to a more picture-based interface.
Mac users are more likely to be afraid of doing anything with the computer that some Authority didn't tell them to do, sorta like how granny won't touch the blinking VCR because she's afraid she might break it.
Mac users tend to be more easily-snowed by bogus terminology and hype (such as the language used on that "Switch" page!) Here's my favourite real example: Mac user says to me, "We don't have to deal with all those nasty device drivers and TSRs. Extensions and inits are much easier." Er... what do you think extensions and inits ARE??
Mac users tend to organise data (and physical objects) by the "I remember where I dropped it" method, rather than by actually putting it away in a dedicated location.
Mac users are more likely to be blindly biased toward the Mac platform, especially if they have never used a PC. They "LOVE" their Mac and "HATE" PCs, even tho they have no basis for comparison.
Now, as to the alleged technical reasons to prefer a Mac.. the internal construction of a PowerPC reminds me of nothing so much as a Tandy1000. And I've had opportunity to use a Mac and a DOS/Win PC side by side, where both machines were well-tuned and as close to identical as possible (same CPU rating, same amount and speed of of system and video RAM, same generation HDs, concurrent OSs, etc.) The PC ran at about 3x the speed of the Mac, gracefully handled data files up to 10x the size that crashed the Mac, and under the same load... well, the PC didn't crash once. The Mac did. Repeatedly.
~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?