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Once you go Mac, you never go back
Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 10:30 AM EST

By SteveJack

Fun with Google:

• "I'll never go back to Windows" - 865 results

• "I'll never go back to Mac" - 3 results

• "Once you go Mac, you never go back" - 54,800 results

• "Once you go Windows, you never go back" - 3 results

I also checked these, just in case:

• "Once you go Mac, you'll never go back" - 1,760 results

• "Once you go Windows, you'll never go back" - 0 results

SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer and a regular contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.

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Oct 02, 08 - 09:37 am Comment from: MikeK

Hmmm, Interesting results. Although I obviously am a Mac user and avid supporter, I believe the lack of results for switching to Windows is because 90% of the world already uses Windows.

Try a search like "Sticking with Windows." 4,420,000 results

Oct 02, 08 - 09:38 am Comment from: JES42

Those 3 must have been Balmer's kids filling in the survey while they were still at home and him watching. When they went to their uncle's house they joined the (MW) club!

Oct 02, 08 - 09:42 am Comment from: MikeK

Maybe this one is better to avoid the home Window repair results.

"Im sticking with Windows OS"

Oct 02, 08 - 09:45 am Comment from: MacMan

"I'm sticking with Windows XP" = 2,640,000

HA!

Oct 02, 08 - 09:46 am Comment from: bon

@MikeK

When I google "sticking with windows," I get 69,300. You've got to remember the quotation marks, buddy.

Also, "not switching to mac" comes up with 163 results.

Oct 02, 08 - 09:48 am Comment from: bon

@macman

Again, search with the quotation marks.

Oct 02, 08 - 09:49 am Comment from: ron

My windows are stuck. Let me out - I need air.

Oct 02, 08 - 09:50 am Comment from: MikeK

@Bon

Yes, thanks, that helps weed out the results.. The point is still the same. Steve Jack's results are not an accurate measure of anything considering 90% of the world already uses Windows and always has.

Oct 02, 08 - 09:51 am Comment from: TMAN

Search 'Suffering with Windows'.

7,410,000 results.......

Oct 02, 08 - 09:54 am Comment from: Spark

Google "hate MDN" and get 29 results

Oct 02, 08 - 09:59 am Comment from: Anonymous Coward

Windoze = 1,250,000 hits

Macintrash = 23,500 hits

Blue Screen of Death = 1,550,000 hits

Oct 02, 08 - 10:02 am Comment from: Spike

"Stuck with Windows" == 82,300 hits

MW "again", as in "We could play this game again and again with the same results".

Oct 02, 08 - 10:05 am Comment from: Cubert

@MacMan
"I'm sticking with Windows XP" = 2,640,000

Curiously, Googling "I'm a masochist" also returns 2,640,000 hits.

Oct 02, 08 - 10:11 am Comment from: anthon007

Results 1 - 10 of about 299,000 for "windows crashes"
Results 1 - 10 of about 6,400 for "os x crashes"
Results 1 - 10 of about 13,900 for "mac crashes"

Oct 02, 08 - 10:12 am Comment from: AlanAudio

Let's see if these results suddenly change when Microsoft's Astro-turfers get to work.

Oct 02, 08 - 10:23 am Comment from: alansky

Anyone who goes back to Windows after using a Mac deserves Windows. What's the problem?

Oct 02, 08 - 10:24 am Comment from: Famous Grouse

"Sticking with Windows" probably implies sticking with XP over Vista. Stockholm syndrome.

Oct 02, 08 - 10:32 am Comment from: Monk VanDu

"I Love Vista" - 42,700

"I love Mac" - 189,000

Oct 02, 08 - 10:35 am Comment from: Gavin

The real question we need to ask is how many of these search results link back to comments that originated on MDN.

Oct 02, 08 - 10:37 am Comment from: hot chick

It could be the "sticking with Windows" might have something to do with all of those tacky (ha ha! a pun!) stickers touting Made For Windows or Made For Vista or Intel Inside or some other such blather.

Someone should investigate.

Oct 02, 08 - 10:40 am Comment from: HMCIV

It's a bad sign that the fourth result for "I'll never go back to mac" came from MDN.

Oct 02, 08 - 10:40 am Comment from: untergeek

I noticed something about the "I'll never go back to windows" search. It seemed there was a large number of linux entries. I reformulated the search to exclude linux and found only 31 entries.

Before you flame me, know that I sit here typing this response on my MacBook Pro and I will never go back to windows.

Oct 02, 08 - 10:49 am Comment from: Jeff

Results 1 - 10 of about 509,000 for "Windows Virus". (0.19 seconds) I thought this would be a lot higher.

Results 1 - 10 of about 10,200 for "Macintosh Virus". (0.15 seconds) I actual thought this would be a lot lower.

Oct 02, 08 - 11:01 am Comment from: TheConfuzed1

This message has been brought to you by the office of redunancy office.

Oct 02, 08 - 11:02 am Comment from: TheConfuzed1

Nevermind... I see it now... "You," v.s. "You'll."

Oct 02, 08 - 11:10 am Comment from: Ottawa Mark

I think the other thing that's being ignored is that since Mac and back rhyme, it became an unofficial catchphrase. Putting the two words together is melodic; no obvious reason to use the "back" with "Windows" (other than the fact that Windows sucks)...

What would be more interesting would be to search

"Hate Mac" - 35,300

"Hate Macs" - 39,600

"Hate Windows" - 189,000

"Hate Apple" - 83,000

"Hate Microsoft" - 273,000

Hardly scientific, of course...only the last one is unambiguously targeted at only one possible thing...some people might really hate those glass things in the wall, or Red Delicious, or British raincoats...

Oct 02, 08 - 11:16 am Comment from: Nick Fury

"Ballmer is a monkey boy"

52,700 results. Half of them are from simians in heat.

Oct 02, 08 - 11:23 am Comment from: Mr. Reeee

"sarah palin is an idiot" = 53,800. That's LOW!
"george bush is an idiot" = 21,200. WTF?
"george w bush is an idiot" = 9,530. HUH?
"bush is an idiot" = 99,900. Ah... that's more like it, but amazingly low!
"mccain is an idiot" = 222,000. Holy Moley!
"obama is an idiot" = 179,000. Hmmmm. That's about the same spread as the polls.
"joe biden is an idiot" = 2,780. Well, well.

"I am an idiot" = 292,000. Wow, they know me so well!

ROFLMFAO!

Oct 02, 08 - 11:30 am Comment from: Scotty

@Mr. Reese

Who's Joe Biden?

Oct 02, 08 - 11:51 am Comment from: MacArch

"90% of the world already uses Windows and always has."

REALLY? I didn't know that windows has been around since the dawn of time. Though if you looked at the source code you might believe it.

Why don't you add to that - "No one ever got fired for buying IBM."

Times change... If you don't keep up, you get left behind.

Oct 02, 08 - 11:52 am Comment from: Sticking with Windows #'s

The Sticking with Windows #'s and the Sticking with Mac #'s likely include a lot of people who haven't actually used the other platform enough to properly judge the difference. As such, they mostly tell us about blind brand loyalty.

I would think the Never Go Back #'s have a lot more to tell us about the user experience on the two platforms.

Oct 02, 08 - 11:56 am Comment from: Mzeus

This discussion is a really dumb addition to the opinion archives.

Oct 02, 08 - 12:02 pm Comment from: AA Attendee

Has anyone tried "stuck with windows"?

Oct 02, 08 - 12:03 pm Comment from: auramac

Let me do my part:

McCain/Palin are both idiots.

And dangerous.

Oct 02, 08 - 12:03 pm Comment from: webfrog

Of course, all these results will be skewed once google's crawlers read this page smile

Oct 02, 08 - 12:05 pm Comment from: AA Attendee

Keep the politics outta here... oh and Palin is so dumb she managed to become a governor long before age 50... and you spend your days trolling computer news sites...

Oct 02, 08 - 12:13 pm Comment from: auramac

Oh, so you're a governor too? If so, why are you trolling?

I'll agree with one thing, actually- I come here for Mac news, not politics.

But she's still an idiot.

"Keep coming back- it works! it works!"

Oct 02, 08 - 12:32 pm Comment from: touche

"ballmer is a fucking idiot"

7 results.

Expected way more.

Oct 02, 08 - 12:37 pm Comment from: stack.stackPointer := newNode

"she managed to become a governor long before age 50... "

Your logic is faulty.

Eliot Spitzer was 39 when he became Governor and he was allegedly intelligent. Many politicians young and old fall into scandal usually from their own greed and ego. Palin is no exception and she's not above the law any more than Spitzer, Bill Clinton, Spiro Agnew, Albert Fall, Larry Craig, Mark Foley and many, many others.

Oct 02, 08 - 12:42 pm Comment from: JohnLee

There will always be clueless people.

As has been pointed out many times, people who have experience with both invariably choose Mac, and most Mac users have had experience with Windows. I use a Windows Vista laptop and MacBook Pro side by side everyday. (I can't run AutoCAD in Windows on my Mac due to authorization problems with Autodesk.) There is no contest. I do everything I can on my Mac.

One Windows fan wrote, "What's up with the one button mouse?" Like many Windows users, he doesn't understand that you can use any mouse you want on a Mac. I use the same type of Logitech multi-button, scroll wheel track ball on both my PC and Mac. Just plug in your mouse or track ball of choice and your Mac will recognize it and make use of all its functionality.

Oct 02, 08 - 12:51 pm Comment from: Modbus

"What's up with the one button mouse?"

Explain to him also that telephones no longer have dials and TVs use a really nifty remote controller.

Oct 02, 08 - 12:52 pm Comment from: JohnLee

Why do politics keep cropping up? Go to the appropriate political blogs and have ball. It doesn't belong here.

Oct 02, 08 - 02:04 pm Comment from: john

what's this about my rabbit ears no longer functioning past february 09? can our new president fix my rabbit ears please?

Oct 02, 08 - 02:19 pm Comment from: Nick Fury

"what's this about my rabbit ears no longer functioning past february 09?"

It might just be ear mites.
A good veterinarian can help you clear that right up.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/62619/treating_ear_mites_in_rabbits.html

Oct 02, 08 - 03:32 pm Comment from: BC Kelly

Unless Google has a LOT of pages cached

We should challenge these results

Because

Number of hits on anything "Windows" is likely skewed

Since we can expect to find those pages on Windows Sites

And their servers are probably down




BC

Oct 02, 08 - 03:37 pm Comment from: BC Kelly

Rut Row .... in my post above

I just skewed it in Windows favor by +2

Oh, sorry, now make that 3

B

Oct 02, 08 - 04:09 pm Comment from: Philip

This is a bit obvious, but for what it's worth, the phrase "once you go Mac, you('ll) never go back" *rhymes*, skewing the results somewhat.

Oct 02, 08 - 05:41 pm Comment from: DanielM

Love Ballmer: 450
Love Steve Jobs: 22,000
Love Jobs AND Apple:

Hate Ballmer: 225
Hate Steve Jobs: 3,640

Jobs is an idiot: 11,300
Ballmer is an idiot: 1,190
Gates is an idiot: 5,700

Apple AND idiot: 6,300,000
Microsoft AND idiot: 4,290,000

Hate pc: 681,000
"hate mac" OR "hate macs": 76,900
"hate pc" OR "hate pcs": 27,000
"hate pc" OR "hate pcs" OR "hate Vista": 133,000

"hate mac" OR "hate macs" OR "hate OS X": 77,100
hate OS X: 2,970,000

"hate Vista": 106,000
"great OS" AND Vista: 41,000
"great OS" AND X: 63,800

great osx: 5,340,000

Keep in mind: As researchers and astute wives know:

1. If you don't want to hear the answer, don't ask the question!
2. There are more negative opinions posted on the web than positive ones.

Oct 02, 08 - 05:50 pm Comment from: British Mac Head

"Windows Rules" 14,900
"Mac Rules" 41,900

Oct 03, 08 - 12:09 pm Comment from: iLuvMyMacs

leopard sucks = 2,320
vista sucks = 187,000

Oct 04, 08 - 10:44 pm Comment from: Gis

Results 1 - 10 of about 14,700 for "Once you go Mac, you'll never go back". (0.29 seconds)

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