PC users who dislike MAC users

[Juil]

What I hear most from PC users is that Mac's are for people who don't understand how PC's work. Le's get real here. Why do people use computers in the first place? To get things done and for entertainment. And most people just use the essentials, like internet, word processing, chat, movies etc.

Now to give an illustration, let's say i need to get my clothes washed, and there comes along two different vendors.
Vendor A offering a washing machine that requires me to read a 200 page manual to learn how his machine works and different troubleshooting techniques, because the machine has lots of glitches as he claims.
And Vendor B who gives me a machine that will do pretty much the same thing as the vendor A’s machine (very few glitches) with an instruction page that tells me exactly what i need to do. I think any person in the right mind will choose vendor B’s machine. He gets his clothes washed and he goes on with his life. (Maybe not the best illustration, but you get my point)

I would say PC users who think Mac users are dumb are like people from a country who were only introduced to Vendor A's machine. They obviously know everything there is to know to make their glitchy machine to work. And they think their machines are what ‘real’ washing machines should be like. So when one day, they find out about Vendor B’s machine, they think “That’s not a real washing machine. A baby can use it!”
Really? Why make clothes washing complicating when it doesn’t need to be?

One journalist from guardian.co.uk said “Macs are glorified Fisher-Price activity centres for adults”. Give me a break. This statement implies few, if not several things. First it says that “I’m full of myself, because I’m smart enough to use a REAL computer,’ which leads to the second implication that says Mac’s are not what real computers should be like, because it’s too simple. I tend to disagree. Simplicity is the best way. By analogy, in both software and electronics, the implication is that simplicity increases robustness and that the right way to build reliable systems is to put all your eggs in one basket, after making sure that you've built a really *good* basket. As Albert Einstein said “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.”

Any thoughts?

[Twey]

And generally Macs (I presume you mean ones running Mac OS) are 'simpler'. Excess simplicity leads to both a lack of control over the system and also complacency and thereby insecurity. Homogenuity in hardware, too, is far from desirable, since it means that Apple have an effective monopoly on Mac hardware.

This essay has some interesting points on 'simplicity' vs. power.

[Snookerman]

I think the problem is mac users thinking all pc users are fat and dorky, mostly because of those mac ads. I've always wanted a mac (only because of the design), but they are just too expensive.

For me, your example would be like this: A offers the same type of machine that does the same job in the same amount of time and is just as easy to use as the one B offers (I've never had to read any 200 page manual). The difference is that B's machine has rounded corners and less controls so therefore it costs twice as much as A's machine.

Now even though I'd love those rounded corners, I don't think they're worth that much money. Does that make me fat and dorky?

Now, all I'm saying is that macs are cool but too expensive compared to the pc equivalents.

[Twey]

Oh yes: the hardware itself, of course, can be had (well, functional equivalents can be had) for much lower prices from other vendors than Apple. The only reason to stick with Apple's absurdly-priced hardware is if you're obsessed with the aesthetics of it, in which case you have a lot more money than I. I suspect the people who dislike Mac users are usually complaining about the somewhat fanboyish attitude and the fact that they generally are, or would like to pretend to be, art fags*.

* 'art fag' is a technical term, and has nothing to do with either homosexuality or cigarettes, although I must say that I rather depict a stereotypical female of the species smoking a cigarette with the aid of a long, slender, '60s-style cigarette holder.

[Schmoopy]

This is a great topic, as my brother has recently purchased a Mac for close to £1200, the iMac I think (the one with the computer inside the monitor). I was astounded to find out that although his computer was going to be more than double the price of mine and 1 1/2 years newer, the hardware was close in comparison to mine, with the processor only being slightly faster than mine. When I asked him why he didn't just buy a PC for 1/2 the price he said, "Macs just work, you don't understand". Trying to make out that there is something indescribable about Macs that you have to use them to realise their power or something.

It all seems a bit weird to me, I'm happy that I can stick with the PC that I've got, and then upgrade when I need to as time goes on, whereas Mac users are stuck with the same Mac they bought, they're very hard to upgrade, at least the one my brother has, all he can change as far as I know is the RAM, I really don't get it.

Sure Vista wasn't the greatest OS ever, but it doesn't mean you have to be overcharged for a Mac because they seem to be the only alternative, apart from Linux but I doubt many people will want to go there.

[BLiZZaRD]

Of course Apple did invent the mouse. Leave it to IBM (PC) to invent the right button though. LOL

These topics never go anywhere. There isn't one better, no user hates another user because of his computer. I see your posts, I don't know what you are running. You don't know what I have and its all about personal preference. I happen to run only PCs ( many with Linux installed instead of Windows) because I like to upgrade my hardware. Although, the computer is about running applications, and they all do that the same. I can open a PDF just like you can, I can run a money program just like you can, I can draw a picture, just like you can.

From what I understand, if you want business type applications, wider variety of games, more inexpensive cost and ease of upgrading components, you get a PC, if you want to be artistic, do more than just GIMP/PhotoShop type stuff, then you get a Mac. (not a MAC, as that is something else all together).

And if you want it all... You go Linux. (and yes Fedora is still better than Ubuntu! Always will be.)

[allahverdi]

Ha, i'm a Mac and PC user, it means i need to dislike myself?

There is another topic like this one: Mac vs PC

Mac has it's own advantages and disadvantages and PC has it's own advantages and disadvantages, so we can't say it's better or that's better.

P.S. I don't dislike myself :P

[BLiZZaRD]

P.S. I don't dislike myself :P

You should. Most definitely should.

[Juil]

I'd have to agree that Mac's AD's kind of label PC users as fat and dorky. I have mixed feelings about this. Although I wish Apple don't use such a marketing tactics I can understand why they used it.

If you know anything about marketing, one of the best, and probably the best marketing tactics is to appeal to people's emotions. Most of us probably know this. Although logic and sensibility plays a part, most people are emotional buyers to a large extent. Not many consumers will buy into an ad that gives you a logical explanation of why Mac is more stable and simple than PC's. They want people to associate Mac's with being sophisticated, creative, fun, cool. And who doesn't want to feel that way? Most people in general don't care enough about acquiring technical skills. They just want their computer to do what they want.

Might I also add Apple's image has totally appealed to women? More women than men are not as technically inclined. They'd prefer something easier. Most if not all women want to feel chic. Mac's have met these two important factors. On top of these factors add the fact that Mac's do actually work very well.

In the end, it's just marketing. When comes down to real life, Mac's are stable systems that are easy to use. Period.

[songchai]

I loved MAc designed but rther use PC to work more easily