“Conservatives are so PC. Not PC as in ‘politically correct,’ though they certainly have more than their share of those who patrol the language for any nuance that gives off hints of liberalism. PC as in PC,” Devilstower writes for Daily Kos.
“No one has any doubt that PCs running some flavor of Microsoft Windows dominate the computer landscape as much as dinosaurs did the Jurassic plains. Little Unix systems pop up here and there, as do many less well known systems, holding down small niches in the computer ecosystem,” Devilstower writes.
Devilstower writes, “And then there is Apple.”
“The scampering mammals of the IT landscape, Macs have sometimes come close to extinction and even now hold down just less than 5% of computer sales. Hardware wise, that 5% is not so bad, considering that the PC world is divided up amongst Dell, HP, Gateway, Sony, whoever owns IBM’s name this week, and a thousand others. Apple is solidly among the top brands,” Devilstower writes.
Devilstower writes, “But on the software side, the share of the market held by Apple’s OS X operating system looks tiny beside Microsoft’s behemoth. It’s even smaller on conservative web sites. When it comes to visitors to Instapundit, OS X visitors make up only 2-3%, suggesting that conservatives are less likely to go for the Apple brand than the general public. On the other hand, Daily Kos statistics show that between 15% and 25% of visitors to this site are using Macs — an astounding 5x times the general population of these computers. If you were at YearlyKos last time around, you could spot more Macs at breakfast than you’d find in an Apple store.”
Devilstower asks, “So here’s a question: why? Why do liberals like Macs, while conservatives shun them?”
In the full article, Devilstower explores four theories:
• The Fiscal Conservative Theory
• Conformists vs Individuals Theory
• The Hip vs Tragically Unhip Theory
• The Artists vs. Sausage Makers Theory
Full article, with, oh, about 700 reader comments, here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Gandalf” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: Devilstower might be surprised at just how many “conservative” Mac users actually exist. Especially “fiscally conservative” Mac users. It really depends to the definitions you’re using for “liberal” and “conservative.” But, certainly in the opinion of most, Mac users are generally considered to be at least a tad more left of center than Windows PC sufferers. Forget about Apple’s usual quarterly guidance, the last time we looked, Al Gore was sitting in Apple’s boardroom, but we couldn’t find hide nor hair of Newt Gingrich. What do you think? How do you label yourself, if you do?
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Red vs. Blue: Companies ranked by political donations: Apple among bluest, Dell among reddest – October 26, 2006
RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser out $9.8 million as ‘Air America’ goes bankrupt – October 14, 2006
What’s on Hilary Clinton’s Apple iPod? – May 22, 2006
Rush Limbaugh and Apple Computer to intro new podcast service via iTunes – March 08, 2006
President Bush shows off his Apple iPod (link to video) – December 16, 2005
Rush Limbaugh announces video podcasts for Apple iPod starting December 12th – November 30, 2005
President Bush’s weekly radio address podcasts available via Apple’s iTunes Music Store – August 11, 2005
Rush Limbaugh: ‘I am the hottest thing in podcasting’ – June 09, 2005
Rush Limbaugh and Apple Computer working to bring podcasts of radio show to iTunes Music Store – May 17, 2005
Rush Limbaugh says ‘Mac OS X Tiger Rocks,’ posts link to free Rush advertisement for Mac – April 30, 2005
President Bush’s use of iPod a lucky or bad break for Apple Computer? – April 18, 2005
President Bush’s Apple iPod features eclectic list of downloaded tunes – April 11, 2005
Die Welt: U.S President George Bush is ‘the Steve Jobs of World Politics’ – February 25, 2005
What’s on U.S. President Bush’s Apple iPod? – February 23, 2005
The Hill: Put Rush Limbaugh on Apple’s board of directors; he could sell tons of Macs – January 26, 2005
U.S. President George Bush a confirmed Apple iPod user (images included) – December 22, 2004
Rush Limbaugh calls for Apple iCal to Sidekick solution – November 12, 2004
Apple CEO Steve Jobs: ‘I’m going to just stay away from all that political stuff’ – August 25, 2004
President Bush, candidate Kerry both use Apple PowerBooks – July 14, 2004
Baltimore Sun: Vice President Dick Cheney a confirmed Apple iPod user – April 01, 2004
Rush Limbaugh: Why does Apple put politics first? – June 27, 2003
Rush Limbaugh comments on Gored Apple – March 21, 2003
The Mac is Bush to Windows’ Clinton (opinion) – October 25, 2002
Conservative Mac users miffed at Apple’s Jimmy Carter page – October 14, 2002
I don’t call George Bush or RUSH a liberal and they are huge MAC Fans.
Last time you posted something like this, the place filled up with Nazis claiming to be Mac users. Keepin’ my fingers crossed this time, eh?
far from liberal
Regardless of label, I think that smart people use Macs. Or at least people who are more informed on the merits and detriments of both Macs and Windows.
Mac users, whether “liberal” or “conservative” have generally made a conscious decision to use Mac over Windows.
Most of the Windows PC users that I know use that platform because that’s all they know and they certainly don’t know what they’re missing.
I consider myself to be “conservative” or at least “Republican” and, yes, I should have been confirmed to the Court.
although my bro in law who is even less liberal than I am is FARRRR from ever considering using a mac.. so I guess we ballance out
Here we go……………..
Again.
Heaven spare us.
I consider myself conservative, as we use that term in American politics, and the only type of computers I have ever owned are Macs.
The truth is pretty obvious. Conservatives tend to have jobs. And most companies use scores of PCs. Therefore when they visit they are probably on a company PC.
The liberals are visiting their sites on the mac they have in their homes (parent’s basement that is) in between anti-(fill in the blank) rallys, birkenstock sales, and Greatful Dead tribute concerts.
Voted for Reagan twice, Bush the elder twice, then for Dole, then for “W” Bush twice and would do so again if I could. I have used Macs since 1984. Do I win a prize?
Could it be because conservatives actually have jobs and have to access these sites at work where they have to use Windows??
I’m a conservative, and I love my Macs.
Quite conservative, though I don’t consider myself a Republican, and I only own Macs. My parents are also conservative, and have only ever owned Macs. Same with my brother, his family, and all of my cousins and their families. I think Devilstower’s ‘theory’ is a complete load of hogwash. There’s really no point in trying to say that All Liberals Prefer This while All Conservatives Prefer That. Generalities like this serve no purpose, are usually always false, and tend to cause more hell-hate-&-discontent than anything else.
Thanks to Judge Bork for providing a TRUE difference between Mac and PC users. This political theory about Mac users is crap. Conservatives do not shun Macs in any way.
FreeRepublic.com, a popular conservative website, has a large and active Mac community.
Many Democratic scandals were researched and exposed for the first time at FreeRepublic by Mac users, such as Bill Clinton’s rape of Juanita Broaddrick, Clinton’s selling of pardons in exchange for large contributions to his presidential library, and several others. It’s fair to say that Bill Clinton got impeached by a Mac.
I’m fairly conservative. My dad, my brother, my mother (the rest of my family. . not so much) We are the Mac users, and they are the PC users. So I dunno where all this is coming from. Goodnight.
Macs for me, a real right winger for 60 years, since I left home at 15.
I’m surprised to see so many conservative blockheads troll mac news sites.
Talk about a hit piece! Both the Mac/PC thing and the Liberal/Conservative thing too!
I would just direct these guys to MDN. After reading a few choice threads here, I think they’d change their tune. I’d say it’s pretty close to even.
and thats hilarious about the stereotypical “oh liberals are hippies and dont have jobs” part. continue choking slowly to death in yout ties conservatives while you read your infallible bibles.
you’re not going to “heaven” assholes, you’re consciousness is going to dissappear along with the rest of us.
Count me amonst the conservative boys who use a Mac.
I believe in the free market, choice, letting the consumer decide what they want, less regulation and all that schtuff..
Of course, Windows sucks, so I choose – freely – to use a Mac.
Of course if the EU has it’s socialistic/US Liberalistic ways, it will destroy iTunes, take it over and leave the platform in a wake of goverment controlled Keynesian-laiden rule.
Condi for Pres!
And no, Bush is an embarassement. He is no Regan and certainly no conservative. Thank goodness he still have the veto pen for the next two years, keeping capital gains taxes and income taxes where they are at.
One could say that liberals prefer Macs because they are more intelligent than conservatives;
but thankfully, the country is nowhere near 95% conservative (although sometimes it seems that way),
which means that many conservatives must be Mac owners, which I suppose also means that not all
conservatives are as dumb as they look.
Adoring Macs has nothing to do with politics, just good taste. Bleeding heart liberals do not have the corner on good taste. To the contrary, they have good taste in technology in spite of themselves. As a staunch conservative affiliated with any party, I believe strong moral values and limited government are congruent with sensibility and good taste in technology. Liberals whine for the government to buy the computers for them while conservatives tell them to get off their lazy asses and earn it! Nuff said.
re MDN’s take… There are fiscal conservatives around. But they are all Democrats.
Mac users are a diverse bunch, but creative types have been staunch supporters of the platform for a very long time and they tend (note I said tend) to be more left of center. Mac users also tend to be more educated than the PC user and, generally speaking, more educated people tend to be more moderate to liberal in many of their views. However, many conservatives appreciate a great computing experience and use a Mac. Me, I have used Apples (even pre-Mac) for a long time, drive a Subaru and watch The L-Word. Socially liberal and fiscally conservative with a big environmental streak. Call me a progressive libertarian- certainly no Neo-Con.
Here is a picture guaranteed to drive Devilstower crazy –
Im surprised this thread hasnt gone the way I had expected..
Conservatives and Libs alike are admitting to their preferences, and nary
a real bashing of one to the other — so far …
I wonder if the mood of the country has shifted ?
Certainly, if this topic had come up prior to the last election, there
might have been a more heated exchange here..
Or, is this just a coincidence ?
Another thought —
Have people finally wised up to the propaganda spewed by Fox News ?
(that should heat things up ! lol )