The "general" Mac User: My Opinion

[aloofman]

I know I am being harsh, and I speak to the group as a whole, not the individuals. I know there are good people out there. There were good people in Nazi Germany. This is more of a call to anybody who feels the same way that I do, not a way for me to hate on Mac users.

Comparing the Mac community to Nazi Germany isn't going to help your argument. Is that the kind of crazy propaganda that your Mac friends annoy you with? Do you see why others here would see it as hating on them?

PS. I consider my 14 close friends close because most of them are childhood friends that I have had for years, or are fraternity brothers in Kappa Kappa Psi. It may seem like alot, but I really consider these people close.

I guess I just don't see why you'd be friends with someone you consider irrational and annoying. Fortunately, it doesn't sound like they'll be pushed out of your schedule by new people you've met here.

Most of all, I'm not sure why you thought this thread would attract many allies. And if you did, surely you realize now that it created far more enemies. Believe it or not, yours is not a new perspective. There have been many such threads here, some of which promoted serious discussion (and good humor) instead of Nazi comparisons.

 

[WeeManFoo]

I'm a Mac user and I'm not offended. The OP is just trying to enter into a dialogue. As I've already said, if he was trying to troll he would have made a far shorter first post. Let's be reasonable.

Thanks for being mindful of my real intentions.

ALERT: GENERALIZATIONS MAY BE FOUND IN THIS POST. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

It is true that there are PC "fanboys" who bash the Apple without having ever even touched a Mac in their lives. I agree.

It is also true that there are Apple "fanboys" who bash the Windows PC's without having ever even touched one in their lives. I agree with that also.

However, I have to say, that during my short time as a member of these forums (macrumors), I have come to notice that certain mac-enthusiasts within these forums are perhaps a little too incisive with their comments regarding the supposed inferiority of 'alternative' computer and computer operating systems.

Obviously I cannot say that I have met every single PC user and every single Mac user, because I have not. Therefore, it is impossible for me to make a comprehensive appraisal of the actual state of affairs to which this discussion pertains, but I can speak from my own experience.

To summarise, it sometimes makes me raise my eyebrows when certain forum members make disparaging remarks about 'alternative' computer and computer operating systems. While PC users do make similarly-themed comments about computer and computer operating systems alternative to theirs, I have never come across such... incisiveness. It seems to me to be a tone of voice befitting the label of "snobbishness", whereas a PC user might simply be branded "coarse".

All of this is, of course, my own highly-biased opinion, based on my extremely limited experiences with members of both parties.

Nice analysis.

 

[Jak3]

Wow, this thread hit the wall real fast...

I think edesignuk, as a mod, should probably close this thread before it goes out of hand...

But let me say this first.

As representatives of each camp I think you guys should chill, rethink what you're going to say, as it will affect the others view of your camp and continue a nice thought-out conversation over whatever it is the OP wants to talk about.

Maybe you should talk about how Apple even got the elitist image in the first place.

 

[iShater]

If edesignuk closes it, I bet someone will say "look the mod closed it because of the topic". You can't please people these days.

While I know what the OP is trying to express, he fails to realize that ALL groups people with who consider themselves a niche will have some folks who think they are better than everybody else.

However, to say that Mac users are blah blah blah ... is the same type of behavior. I could call linux geeks names, BMW drivers, etc. But I would be falling into the same trap.

And I don't like to be called all the stuff he says either.

 

[Jak3]

even non-niche companies have fanboys who will say "Look at them spending all that extra money on X companies product that is insult-Y"

Since people can't afford to have everything, we feel a need to defend what we can afford.

Like I said earlier, I'd be happy to have an Xbox 360 and a Wii, but I can't afford to buy them on top of all the games I'd get for them on top of my PS3...it would be financial suicide!

If you could make a choice that you could only make once (assuming you have time to think it out and make the one you want to make), would you not defend it no matter what? I think that's where all this comes from.

 

[Tosser]

Yeah, and you are a moderator. You should keep the flames down, not add to the fire. Again, this is exactly what I am talking about.

Don't be surprised. I just got back from a temporary ban, from "making the mods work". I kid you not. The reason of course being, that the fanboys had clicked the exclamation mark because I didn't agree with them. Apparently you're not allowed to use real arguments. The "nerve of me" to even suggest the arguments used were logical fallacies!!

Another time, some idjit decided he would suddenly spew some creationist "logic" and claim that science wasn't anything, but a theory pulled from the scientists' respective rears, but I, on the other hand, wasn't allowed to counter that (got deleted each and every time). I guess there's at least one ID'ist working as a mod

Anyway, I have been a macuser for 18-20 years. But I have had with Apple as a company for the last few years. Haven't made the switch yet, as the last Apple product I got hold off finally worked (after having spent 18 months getting new laptops from Apple, getting them repaired, reinstalling and so on).
During that time, I made up my mind. I listened to Mac-zealots, who simply claimed I was lieing, as there couldn't be anything wrong with Apple's products. Apple could do no wrong. Never.
Then the iPhone came. And the Touch. Two crippled subpar products, and even then, people not only think, but seriously suggest we should be "grateful that Apple even comes out with these products" all the while they tie people more and more into iTunes (you can't even use the touch or iPhone as a UMS device), and the quality is hit'n'miss at best all over their product set-up.

But, unlike the OP, I don't think I don't "fit" as such. I like a good argument, I like to debate - if for nothing else, then as a study in human behaviour. And as such this a great place for such a "study": How people are willing to take anything up their rear, as long as they can make belief everything is fine. The fanboys are so brand loyal around here, they're utterly blind when something is amiss. No matter how much it's staring them in the face.

The psychology behind this sort of flock behaviour reminds me of something that happened in Europe around 70 years ago.

Will I leave? Nope. The reason being, that there are people here I like. Besides, I like getting my hands dirty.

 

[davidjearly]

Insert long argumentative, mildly insulting rambling here

Yeah, and if you continue to make sweeping generalisations in your future posts, it likely won't be long until you are banned again, perhaps permanently.

 

[MrSmith]

You can be banned for making sweeping generalisations? Has the Fourth Reich arrived already?

 

[Tosser]

Yeah, and if you continue to make sweeping generalisations in your future posts, it likely won't be long until you are banned again, perhaps permanently.

Hmm, first of all, a rant is not necessarily rambling. Secondly, I don't make many "sweeping generalisations" when I say "the fanboys around here" – if you notice, I do not say that everyone around here are fanboys. Looks like you're the one with the generalisations, even in such a short post as yours.

Thirdly, are you claiming that if it were up to you, then "sweeping generalisations" would cause permanent banning? Because, if so, then all the fanboys around here would have been banned a long time ago.

Oh, that's right: Double standards as usual.

 

[WeeManFoo]

Please stop the arguing...my post is not worth the time for an argument. This is why I think it would be easier if we just used carrier pidgins and typewriters

 

[chaosbunny]

Hmm, first of all, a rant is not necessarily rambling. Secondly, I don't make many "sweeping generalisations" when I say "the fanboys around here" – if you notice, I do not say that everyone around here are fanboys. Looks like you're the one with the generalisations, even in such a short post as yours.

Thirdly, are you claiming that if it were up to you, then "sweeping generalisations" would cause permanent banning? Because, if so, then all the fanboys around here would have been banned a long time ago.

Oh, that's right: Double standards as usual.

My guess it's like just because YOUR laptop did misbehave it doesn't mean EVERY mac laptop does misbehave. And just because YOU don't like the iPhone and Touch doesn't mean they are "crippled subpar products", there might actually be other people who like theirs.

Your behavior is just the same as mac people claiming "back in the day my pc crashed all the time, windows sucks so much".

 

[Tosser]

My guess it's like just because YOUR laptop did misbehave it doesn't mean EVERY mac laptop does misbehave.

Nope. But the dealing with Apple and their fanboys in my ordeal, where they claimed nothing Apple ever did (or not do) was always right and correct says a whole deal about fanboys. Especially I like that no matter what was wrong with a given product, they all went "Well, there are problems with every company, so your problems aren't real". Yes, that quote is almost verbatim, that's how flawed their logic was, and how flawed fanboys think.

And just because YOU don't like the iPhone and Touch doesn't mean they are "crippled subpar products", there might actually be other people who like theirs.

Yes, and there might be people who like McDonald's food, it doesn't mean it isn't subpar, nor that it isn't crippled.

Your behavior is just the same as mac people claiming "back in the day my pc crashed all the time, windows sucks so much".

Nope. Far from it. I think you ought to read my posts again, because so far you're playing straight into my description of fanboys who think that any- and everything Apple does (or don't do) is pure manna from heaven.

 

[twoodcc]

i'm not going to read all of this thread, but to the OP based on the first post: you don't have a leg to stand on in this argument. (if that's what you're trying to do, which it sure does look like it)

first, and really most critical, you are basing your judgement on 14 people. 14! the argument might as well stop now.

and second, why do you care what other people think about what computer you use?

also, some of the things that you list as premises that help your argument, really help the other side. most of the things your friends pointed out about macs, were showing you that Mac OS X can do things windows can't. this is true. Also, when you see a mac in a movie, mac users point it out - if you saw your PC rig on the big screen, you'd say "hey, i have that same PC"

there's no need to go any further here

 

[chaosbunny]

...Nope. Far from it. I think you ought to read my posts again, because so far you're playing straight into my description of fanboys who think that any- and everything Apple does (or don't do) is pure manna from heaven.

That is so plain wrong, I guess you didn't even bother reading my first post in this thread.

For the record, I don't have an iPhone or a Touch, because they are not device that I need or want. You could say that I don't like them and I don't like McDonalds food either. And McDonalds food is crap, but serves a purpose if you are in a hurry. So do other products, thank good nobody is the worlds dictator and everyone has to believe what he believes.

So far you are the one in this thread who makes the most generalizations.

I understand that you had your share of stupid answers from certain fanboys, but you blindly accusing anyone who doesn't agree with you 100% is not better.

 

[Blue Velvet]

This is a complete and utter waste of time. Thread closed.