Can the Apple church save you?
I will say at the outset that I have as many gripes about Microsoft as the next fellow. When I bought a Vista-64 system, several of my old favorite applications no longer ran because the new OS didn't support 16-bit apps. Millions of people have to spend billions of dollars to replace software they should not have needed to replace. For me, that's just criminal.
Yet it makes me smile that many Apple fans feel that they rebel against Microsoft when they buy Apple. I recall that in 1996 or 1997, when Apple was in big trouble, Microsoft bought a large chunk of the company. If Microsoft still holds that stake, if you buy Apple you are buying Microsoft.
Besides, for all the talk of the Microsoft Empire, Apple also has a long and nasty habit of tying you to its products. You don't just buy the Apple operating system, you also buy the box, peripherals and software. Compared with this, the PC is a pretty open platform where everything goes: yes, nasties like viruses, but also a wild treasure trove of third-party software.
In praise of the holy mac
Apple's products are simply the best-suited to many computer users. People have different styles, right? One likes an SUV, another likes a racer, a third prefers a tiny parker. And for many people the mac is just the perfect computer! I am thrilled that the Macintosh exists because I know a lot of people (including friends and family) who would never use a computer if Macs weren't around. And that's fantastic for me because with email and Skype, we can stay in touch.Freedom of computing religion
But some people turn their fruity operating system into a religion. I wonder if anyone else ever tires of listening to their sermons of Mac love and PC hate. I recall reading an Indian guru who said something like "Those who preach the most are those who most need to convince themselves". With notable exceptions, the Mac fundamentalists I've come across don't tend to be the most computer-savy people around. When you're comfortable in your relationship to an object or a person, do you just enjoy the relationship, or do you beat people on the head about it?I've worked on Macs and PCs, I've programmed all kinds of machines since 1980, and by now I think I'm entitled to know what I like to use in my own home. I know, I know, I am an idiot for using a PC, but to you Apple ministers out there, would you please, please not remind me of it all the time? It hurts, you know.
Smiles,
Andy
ps: If you have enjoyed this page, I would be immensely grateful if you would link to it, bookmark it or share it. You can also comment using the form below.