Macintosh does not apply solely to the operating system; it is also the hardware. If you purchase a PowerMac(intosh) system and run Linux on it, you own a Macintosh.
> And what if I take all the guts out of the case and replace it with and intel motherboard, CPU, etc. Does that still make me a Mac user?
No, because you are no longer using Macintosh hardware (with the exception of the case).
> Maybe this will clear it up, if I buy an Intel based machine, wipe Windows off it, and install Linux. Am I still using Windows?
Your analogy is faulty. It should be asked, "If I buy a Dell, wipe Windows off it, and install Linux, am I still using a Dell?" The answer would be yes.
I'm not quite sure where you got the impression that the Macintosh is _just_ the operating system, but such a belief is far from the truth.
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Macintosh does not apply solely to the operating system; it is also the hardware. If you purchase a PowerMac(intosh) system and run Linux on it, you own a Macintosh.
> And what if I take all the guts out of the case and replace it with and intel motherboard, CPU, etc. Does that still make me a Mac user?
No, because you are no longer using Macintosh hardware (with the exception of the case).
> Maybe this will clear it up, if I buy an Intel based machine, wipe Windows off it, and install Linux. Am I still using Windows?
Your analogy is faulty. It should be asked, "If I buy a Dell, wipe Windows off it, and install Linux, am I still using a Dell?" The answer would be yes.
I'm not quite sure where you got the impression that the Macintosh is _just_ the operating system, but such a belief is far from the truth.