Paul Murphy writes for LinuxInsider, “What differentiates a Mac user from a PC user, assuming the usage decision is uncoerced by an employer? My wife, a reformed PC user (always the most merciless of evangelists), answered that question with a list straight from Jeff Foxworthy:
– You think virus protection is what you get a flu shot for.
– You actually make a conscious choice in selecting your Web browser and presentation software.
– You have suppressed a smile at the sound of another user rebooting their computer for the fifth time that day.
– You dress up in a black turtleneck and jeans to go out at Halloween.
– You’ve never sworn about a service pack.
– You have a Bush-Cheney sticker on your Volvo.
“OK, one of those is a ringer — but the question itself is interesting: what individual characteristics differentiate the two communities? Listen to the people who made the PC versus Macintosh decision for themselves and it’s pretty clear that the PC people get heavily vested in their knowledge of the machine and whatever Windows variant they have or aspire to, while the Mac people tend to assume the machine and talk about what they do with it,” Murphy writes. “That’s a very big difference, but what’s behind it?”
“One idea is that the Mac user’s focus on the applications is reasonable, and that the PC people whose focus is on the machine or the OS are really suffering Stockholm Syndrome — investing in the machine and emotionally bonding with the PC community rather than the professional one defined by the application as a survival strategy for the persona,” Murphy writes.
MacDailyNews Note: See SteveJack’s seminal article “Defending Windows over Mac a sign of mental illness” for more on how Windows users suffer from Stockholm Syndrome and the related Cognitive Dissonance.
Murphy continues, “Another idea comes from A. H. Maslow’s Theory of Human Motivation (Psychology Review, 1943). His idea was that people act to satisfy the highest unmet need in a hierarchy of needs with the basic physiological needs at the bottom and self-actualization at the top. Thus, his way of looking at the difference in behavior would be to say that the Mac user’s basic physiological needs have been met — after all they can assume that the thing works — and so their focus can move to meeting self-actualization and other higher level needs more closely tied to the person’s professional interests.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Mac OS X stays out of your way, unobtrusively allowing users to get work done, while Windows XP is constantly in your face demanding things, impeding productivity. Users who use both know this is so. Mac-only users surmise it. Windows-only users will scream bloody hell, but that doesn’t alter the truth. And Windows-to-Mac switchers will swear to this as fact in a court of law.
Muddy Mudskipper wrote:
“I build my own computers. I only run XP Pro. Never a problem if you know what you are doing.
I built and drive a 1968 Camaro RS/SS 502 Crate 775HP street legal. Bring me that BMW dweeb…”
1) the problem is that a GREAT DEAL of Windows users DON’T know what they’re doing. they just get a ‘puter and go with no idea on how to maintain it. that’s how and why so many viruses get spread.
2) while i have no doubt that your ’68 Camaro might edge ahead of the Bimmer “dweeb” on a straightaway it will most likely find itself embarking upon an “Agricultural Excursion” when it encounters its first curve whilst the BMW will deftly navigate the change in direction and accelerate away in much the same manner that Windows chokes on malware and Mac OS X remains undercontrol and unaffected.
treadlightly,
And what State would you be from that your State laws would allow you to transport human remains in your pick-up truck….. utter BS.
“while i have no doubt that your ’68 Camaro might edge ahead of the Bimmer “dweeb” on a straightaway it will most likely find itself embarking upon an “Agricultural Excursion” when it encounters its first curve whilst the BMW will deftly navigate the change in direction and accelerate away in much the same manner that Windows chokes on malware and Mac OS X remains undercontrol and unaffected.”
Yeah, thats if the Beemmer ever catches it before the turn. Much the same manner that Mac OS Has been playing catchup for years….
Fun example, from a PC using friend: Years ago, when CD-ROM drives were a new thing, my friend spent a weekend installing a CD-ROM drive into his PC. He had to figure out all the PC things that you had to do, install the drivers, etc. etc. He had a good time doing it and by Sunday night, he had a working CD-ROM drive in his PC. On Monday, he told me all about his adventure installing the CD-ROM drive.
Yeah, Id like to see you install a new cd rom in your G5…Have fun with that my friend..At least we dont have to send shit to the OEM just to get a friggin 50 dollar part replaced…
“The fact is I am conservative about some things and liberal about others and I suspect that is true of most people.”
While I agree, and would add myself to that group, I think it means that sometimes people are not realistic about the whole that they are looking for.
I’m reminded of a letter to the editor I read after George Bush Sr. was elected in 1988. The letter said, “Contrary to popular belief, the American people are not stupid. We elected a congress that said, ‘You can have all the social programs you want.’ and we elected a president that said, ‘…and you won’t have to pay for it!’ Sounds like a good deal to me.” Of course, in 1992, one of the biggest complaints against the Bush administration was “gridlock”–gee, we couldn’t understand why these people couldn’t give us something for nothing.
Some of my friends have this “liberal spending, conservative taxes” point-of-view and they still don’t understand why it doesn’t work…
i think once the Camaro runs off the road there should be no problem catching up to it… much like the current state of the Windows OS. don’t get me wrong… i think most people will use the tool that suits them best. i just don’t understand why they’ll continue to hit themselves on the thumb with a hammer… then blame the hammer.
and Mac OS caught up a long time ago… once it went *NIX/BSD.
NoMacForYou,
check out: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86812
NoMacForYou wrote:
“Yeah, Id like to see you install a new cd rom in your G5…Have fun with that my friend..At least we dont have to send shit to the OEM just to get a friggin 50 dollar part replaced…”
that didn’t make any sense… my “friend”. why would i want to install a cd-rom into a machine…. THAT ALREADY HAS A FUNCTIONING COMBO OR SUPERDRIVE?! besides, i could just get an external drive and FireWire it in… and it works. ta-daaa.
what is it with some folks need to take apart a perfectly fine machine and muck about with it… oh… wait… nevermind.
” Id like to see you install a new cd rom in your G5…Have fun with that my friend”
I don’t do hardware. Hell, I’m the only person I know who ever injured themselves adding memory! (I was adding memory to a Macintosh II and, somehow, managed to cut my fingers on the SIMMs. I figured I had the first Mac with copper interconnects…) :^)
Seriously, though, I wouldn’t be that concerned. I’d either buy a FireWire or USB 2.0 CD-ROM drive.
“At least we dont have to send shit to the OEM just to get a friggin 50 dollar part replaced…”
Neither do we.
My old PowerMac G3 had a problem with the ethernet adapter on the motherboard. Apple wanted $800 to replace the motherboard. Since I only needed it to talk to my cable modem, I went and got a $20 10Mbit ethernet card. Stuck it in my Mac and it worked perfectly. I didn’t even have to install funky drivers–plug and play.
nice link Sizewell.
People People,
We are get off the point here. All you have nice cars in a way. But some of you over pay for your car ( Acura and Lexus) and some wasted money on some car (Camaro and XTerra).Who cares!!! When that old lady runs right to your cars now they worth about the same as a Yugo.So who really cares what you drive as long you get to point A to B. Oh by the way the guy with the Camaro you build the wrong motor for that car and using a crate motor is a big no no. You should have use a 327 block if it is a 327 bore out good for you . Chevy runs better with a smaller motor and bigger horse for the weight and for me I use to eat rat motors for lunch and dinner. I own a Dodge Challenger 440 6 Pack RT/SE (only 750 HP) and drive daily in my 2003 Ecilpse it not much but get me were I need to go and I use my hard earn money on getting a better life for when I retired and far as the two nuts in office. We the people are in trouble !!!!!!
it seems NoMacForYou doesn’t really know or understand what he’s talking about and is looking for a flame war. easier just to agree with him and he’s happy.
(speaking slowly)
“Oh, gee, you’re right. We Mac users couldn’t possibly replace any parts in our Macs because it’s too expensive/difficult. You got us there!”
(now, everyone smile at him and nod….)
By the way, I was told that my 20 inch iMac G5 just arrived by fedex at my doorstep this morning. It’s too bad I won’t get to use it until I get back into the States on the 20th.
I have seen the internals and this machine and it is truly a work of art. Stop into an Apple store sometime.. you will be impressed. I someone can’t change out all the parts that Apple says are replaceable, then I think they would also have trouble turning on a lightswitch. (Even my girlfriend thought it was amazing, and she has absolutly NO interest in hardware or technology in general.)
IHATEHELL has a point. some people like to tweak, some people like to drive. it’s all good… do what ya wanna do.
personally… i like to drive.
Peter “Apple wanted $800 to replace the motherboard”
My Point exactly
Gravity – “THAT ALREADY HAS A FUNCTIONING COMBO OR SUPERDRIVE”
Not all machines are as perfect as yours MY FRIEND.(Take a grammer class)
Sizewell – Check out gsx.apple.com – Oh Wait, you dont have access.
if computers are a tool, isn’t the old saying “a good tradesman never blames his tools?”
why the heck is linuxinsider have an article about Mac and Windows? too many people are off tangent in america.
NoMacForYou wrote:
“Not all machines are as perfect as yours MY FRIEND.(Take a grammer class)”
do i really have to point this one out?
and no, not all machines are as perfect as mine… thank you for the compliment!
NoMacForYou
Yeah, thats if the Beemmer ever catches it before the turn. Much the same manner that Mac OS Has been playing catchup for years….
If by “playing catchup” you mean trying to catchup to the PC in terms of # of users, then yes, the Mac is far behind.
Much in the same way that the # of humans on the planet lags far behind the # of cockroaches.
I guess you like being one of the cockroaches.
if computers are a tool, isn’t the old saying “a good tradesman never blames his tools?”
true dat.
NoMacForYou wrote:
“(Take a grammer class)”
Misspelling ‘grammar’ while criticizing someone else’s command of it…
priceless…
NoMacForYou,
I guess I missed your point… why would I ever need or want to go to gsx.apple.com?
Do you want to clarify for me and the rest of us?
There is another old saying “If you cant take a shit, then get off the toilet”
trippah
if computers are a tool, isn’t the old saying “a good tradesman never blames his tools?”
And a corollary to that, a good tradesman has good tools.
Mac people use their computers.
PC people are used by their computers.