Do liberals like Apple Macs, while conservatives shun them?

“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?

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203 Comments

  1. steve jobs is a dem. and most Mac users are. get a life neo conservatives.
    I’ll say this again: During the administration of President Bill Clinton, the US. Enjoyed more peace and economic prosperity then at any other time in the nations history. He turned the greatest fiscal deficit in American history into a SURPLUS.

    George W. Bush: 3000 Troops DEAD at the hands of GW
    any comments on bush’s largest ever trade deficit????
    any comments on bush’s largest Federal deficit????

    Religions are successful cults
    ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”downer” style=”border:0;” />

  2. ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”rolleyes” style=”border:0;” />

    silver slicker,
    During the administration of Clinton; the US watched him only spend two weeks fighting for no increase in taxes but “he just couldn’t do it”, not do something about the first attack on the World Trade Center, you think Bush sent troops to die needlessly try watching “Black Hawk Down”, numerous affairs instead of staying loyal to his wife, and living off of the great economic foundation that Reagan built.

    Clinton didn’t do ANYTHING to create a surplus! WE DID! The American people engaging in commerce in spite of a government that CONFISCATES our hard earned income.

    Atheists think they have nowhere to go and want everyone to follow them.
    ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”downer” style=”border:0;” />

  3. haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Ronald Reagan LMFAOOOOOO let me think what did he do…..(thinking…….) OH YEAH 10 MILLION people died of AIDS at the hands of that old wrinkled up fool before he even mentioned a word about yeah he was good…

    THINK PEACE you fools thats what solves problems diplomacy

    MDN word: new as in we NEED a new president

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