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Are Mac Users Smarter than PC Users?
arminw writes "Maybe not smarter, but according to MacNewsWorld they are better at expressing themselves than the average Slashdotter and certainly are better at handling the king's English than the average PC operator." Also, michael is better than CowboyNeal. Mathematical expressions of written style don't lie!
You already posted a Mac users are smarter story two years ago. Is this "We're Smarter" thing by Mac users necessary to make yourselves feel better about spending so much for your hardware AND your software?
Anyway, we all know that the really smart users run Gentoo, highly optimized for whatever hardware they're using!
That would be the Queen's english. Perhaps it's merely a matter of temporal distortion.
"Academicians are more likely to share each other's toothbrush than each other's nomenclature."
Cohen
Okay first off lets understand something. Using a Mac or Linux isn't what makes you smart, or even arrogant. Using a PC doesn't make you dumb. This argument has been posed ad nauseum for decades as if to say one group just is smarter than the other.
One group may be smarter than the other, but it has NOTHING to do with actually using the type of computer!
It has everything to do with the life choices that we make and how we go about making decisions. It also has to do with how one has to come about making the choice of Mac or Linux over PC.
First of all, the easiest answer to the question "which operating system should I use?" is going to be a windows PC for at least one or two more decades. Since this is the easiest answer, its the answer most often taken. Lazy people, uninformed people, and people just can't possibly understand how a computer works will take the easy answer.
However, with Macs and Linux, the users arrived at that information differently. They've worked on many machines, perform various functions, and do more than email and surf the web. They are deeper into their computer experience because getting into that experience is important and they learn more. These same people tend to be mroe logical and research their decisions more because that's the nature of everything they do.
Second, the two above statements are not absolutes, they are tendencies. Apple and linux users tend to look more into their computer experience because they want more out of it, but that's not to say there are no PC users who do the same thing. However, due to the tendency that more PC users are simply looking for that "simple answer" this then skews the overall social makeup of the PC user base towards the less analytical and creative of the general american populace.
Third, its all about perception. The easy answer is perceived as easy. You can argue its not so easy, what with bugs and viruses and spyware, and that you will pay for it later. However, that's not what the general populace thinks. In my opinion they are misinformed, but they are definitely underinformed about their choices. Linux and Macs require a larger investment than most people are willing to put in, but if you make that investment it tends to be returned pretty quickly in one form or another. It's just like the way investment bankers work. They know you have to invest to get something back. Most people look at their PC as a TV or Microwave oven. To them it's just an appliance that needs regular updates. A similar investment can be made in a PC, you just go about it differently.
The phrase "Mac/Linux users are smarter/more creative/better than PC users" serves no purpose other than to get people riled up. There are tons of better ways to explain it but they take several paragraphs, like this post does.
"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"
"Mac is best for desktop publishing"
I've heard more PC users say this than Mac users. It's indicative of the lack of general education about computers, and how little Apple spends to combat FUD. Apple has changed a lot in the last 10 years, but it seems that the general 'mindshare' is stuck back in '93. Still, I'd rather do DP on a mac than a PC anyday. Considering that's what I do for a living....
"Mac is best for video editing"
The TV show Scrubs is made with FCP - hardly 'prosumer'. There is the 'Sky Captain' movie that was done mostly with Macs. Renderfarms may be PC, sure. But the cutting and editing are done on a Mac in most cases.
Most PC users I know use a PC because they don't buy into all that Mac FUD.
heh. Most PC users I know have a PC because they have the appearance of being cheaper. At first. They also don't bother to educate themselves. Add up all the time/$$$ spent battling viruses alone, and you got yourself a Mac.
I know that what takes several hours on a PC (reinstall WinXP, apps, and drivers) takes less than an hour on my mac. I'll sit out on my deck having a beer or get some work done while you guys dick with Windows.
That's primarily because the original poster spelled it wrong. It's Sesquipedalianism, not Sesequepedalianism.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
The earlier post was a slightly modified version of the output of the Postmodern Essay Generator.