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Are you a fanboy?
- Thread starter Samtb
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I'm a F.A.N.B.O.Y.S. fanboy; I've never failed to remember some of the coordinating conjunctions available to me as an English speaker thanks to that wonderful acronym. 
I'm a F.A.N.B.O.Y.S. fanboy; I've never failed to remember some of the coordinating conjunctions available to me as an English speaker thanks to that wonderful acronym.
Wonderful reply. I'm impressed that you made it (and envious that I didn't). Well said.
Two - actually - three, thoughts occur, at this stage:
The first is that the name of the site would seem to suggest that many who have joined might have an interest in, or, perhaps, a seemly or an unseemly enthusiasm for, all (or some) things Apple.
My second thought is that the question, perhaps, presupposes an excessive enthusiasm. You do know the etymology of the word 'fan' in this context, don't you? (Hint: It is derived from the noun 'fanatic' not the noun 'fan' which calls to mind oriental climates, and languid fans spinning slowly suspended from ceilings to a backdrop of a chorus of crickets such as one might find in the setting of a Somerset Maugham short story).
And random thought three, which is as follows: Does the word 'fanboy' include the gender that might be described in this context as 'fangirl? I ask, not merely as an exercise in rhetorical interrogation, but you do read so much these days about the myriad difficulties of the geek community and the tech environment in attempting to deal with those of us who managed to be born with two 'x' chromosomes.
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1 - yes, agree. 2- what is excessive enthusiasm? 3 - you could say fangirl to be more inclusive.
Okay that is a fair answer, and well done for rising to the challenge.
One and three have been addressed, so back to number two.
Excessive enthusiasm? We'll look at that in a minute.
This is because whenever you ask the general question 'are you a fanboy (or fangirl) of Apple?' we may have to consider how to refine that question a bit further. The first refinement is that which distinguishes between the company (and its iconic and charismatic founder), and the products Apple has designed.
The second brings us right back to the word 'fan' and its etymology, specifically the link between the word 'fan' its root of 'fanatic'.
For my part, I like and admire a great many of the products that Apple have made. I loved the iPod - and the 'halo' effect of the product (along with excellent customer service when two iPod classics in succession, both still under warranty, suffered a HDD failure and were replaced instantly and without seeking refuge in contractual small print) meant that I switched to Apple computers shortly before I joined this site.
Re the products, I love that fusion of form and function that you can find among the best examples of industrial design, and a great many of Apple's products meet and match that definition, meaning that they both look great and do what they are supposed to do very well.
However, I dislike the practice of encouraging its buyers to believe that their purchase of Apple products entitles them to belong to an esoteric priesthood that Apple cultivated in its advertising.
Moreover, I detest the unquestioning idolisation of the late Mr Jobs (every time I read a post which asks 'what would Steve have thought/I wonder would Steve have liked it'? I grit my teeth). This is because I distrust adulation, seeing it as a state which encourages the deliberate suspension of critical, objective and thinking faculties. Above all, adulation of a human - even a charismatic and gifted human such as the late Mr Jobs - makes me very uneasy. It reminds me too much of the cultivated mindlessness of a cult.
Moreover, in recent years, I will confess that I am not thrilled by much of the direction Apple has taken - and some of this happened prior to the demise of the late Mr Jobs.
I dislike the rentier model of music and mourn the decision to murder the iPod, though I recognise the commercial imperatives driving it. And, I regret that Apple are moving more in the direction of devices such as the Apple Watch (which will be an enormous success) at the expense of putting more serious R&D into areas such as computing, and computers. The MBA - which is what I am typing this reply on - is one of the most revolutionary and stunning computers ever designed.
So, in conclusion, I suppose that this makes me an admirer of sorts, but a qualified and very conditional enthusiast for Apple the company, a genuine admirer of some of their products, a 'fan' in that I do like some of what they have produced quite a bit, but not a fanboy (or fangirl), and most certainly not a 'fanatic'.
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I'm going to read that as 'I'm impressed that you made it' rather than 'I'm impressed that you made it' until told otherwise.
Thanks.We're more into discriminating based on a potential geek's specific SRY gene. Some of us guys might be male and possess XX chromosomes without knowing it, for sex is fantastically arbitrary.
An Apple fanboy? Never really thought about it
I'm going to read that as 'I'm impressed that you made it' rather than 'I'm impressed that you made it' until told otherwise.
Well, count me impressed (and I would have thought that my openly admitted and expressed envy would have served to stress this further…..) with the emphasis on the verb 'impressed', rather than on the pronoun 'you'……an excellent post, and one which I would have loved to have come up with myself. (And, when I wrote that on student essays it was the highest form of compliment I could pay them)…..
Isn't it, just? Agreed, anyway.
An Apple fanboy? Never really thought about it
No, it is clear that your interests lie elsewhere……..
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Your thoughtful post, as is often the case, prompted me to investigate further. To quote a 2010 story on gawker.com:
"The word as currently used traces to the 1973 zine Fanboy (pictured), distributed in very small numbers at a Chicago comics convention. Fanboy co-creator Jay Lynch took the word "Funboy" from the 1960s humor magazine Charlatan, to which he contributed, and combined it with "fan," as used to describe regular readers of particular comic books."
Over the years, the term has acquired an increasingly pejorative meaning, especially when deliberately misspelled as "fanboi." As you note, "fan" connotes excessive, misplaced enthusiasm that is unsupported.
Regarding the OP's original question, I have a strong affinity for Apple products and have bought many since the early 80s. However, I like to think that those purchases were based on careful assessments of my needs and what was available in the marketplace, and I've not been shy about criticizing Apple when I felt it was warranted.
I'm by no means a fangirl as that would imply that those responsible for my existence neglected to equip me with a brain. I am, however, very enthusiastic about many of Apple's products, software and hardware alike.
I don't consider myself a fanboy, and my enthusiasm has gone down in the last couple of years. But I am still dedicated to Apple because the competition's products all left a "sour taste in my mouth" so to speak.
It's like you anticipated the OP's question. Very considerate, I must say.
No. Fanboyism is stupid. And my recent experiences with Apple Music are making me dislike Apple even more.
I still regularly use the word fan in a positive context: "I'm a [big] fan of <product/event/activity/etc>"
I'll even say it right here, I am a big fan of Apple products - but it's not blind enthusiasm; I've been in the tech sector for 25+ years, and I say it based on what I'd consider a reasonably decent understanding of the product pros/cons and alternatives, and the largely positive experience has certainly created some good will (another angle some people inappropriately use to labels others as "fanboys")
I'll even say it right here, I am a big fan of Apple products - but it's not blind enthusiasm; I've been in the tech sector for 25+ years, and I say it based on what I'd consider a reasonably decent understanding of the product pros/cons and alternatives, and the largely positive experience has certainly created some good will (another angle some people inappropriately use to labels others as "fanboys")
I'm a fanboy of maximizing the quality of my experiences. As a result, I'm not a fanboy of much.
I like Apple because of the experience, Honda/Acura because of the reliability, Nike because of how comfortable they are, Dyson because it can handle my dog's hair. All of those things can change based on circumstances.
Example: I disliked the Apple Watch greatly. If Apple continues to develop devices similar to the Watch, I may never by one.
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OMG!!A boy named Jessica
No OP I'm not an Apple Fanboy
No linux, android or linux peeps allowed.
It's a joke everyone.
I like the non-gender specific term "fankid" myself (maybe ageist) since most unreasonable fans and haters act like kids.