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“In a research paper published this month by two professors at Texas A&M University, the authors argue that the only way to understand the slavish adoration and over-the top financial success of Apple and its ‘Jesus Phone’ (the iPhone) is to understand its minimalist, white-walled stores as the new churches of the tech generation,” Quain reports. “‘The religious-like behavior and language surrounding Apple devotion/fandom is an example of ‘implicit religion,” Prof. Heidi Campbell, one of the authors of the study, told FoxNews.com. Implicit religion can happen when the use of, say, technology becomes a substitute for belief and behaviors once attached to religion and religious practice, she said.”
Quain reports, “That, according to the authors, explains why fans still believe when the leader of the Church of Apple, Steve Jobs, blames consumers for the poor reception of the company’s cell phone (clearly, users are holding their phones incorrectly). In fact, they flock to buy the device despite its serious design flaws.”
MacDailyNews Take: There are no “serious design flaws” with iPhone 4. All antennas — including television, radio, GPS, and cellular antennas — can experience attenuation. For more, please see: Understanding attenuation and signal loss. FOXNews.com has this article in their news/tech section and it is not labeled “opinion” or “commentary” or anything of the sort. That is a mistake and possibly criminal. Apple should demand an apology and a very prominent retraction from FOX News and this abject moron John R. Quain and potentially launch a libel suit against either or both in order to set an example.
Quain reports, “So if they wanted to, could Apple devotees actually create an official Apple religion? After all, many believe in the power of the iPhone and millions of consumers would buy any product the company introduces, flaws and all.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Quain ought to get together with Daniel Lyons and have a jealous asshole powwow.
As a stockholder, I wish aapl were a religion. Being tax exempt would have a nice impact on their bottom line.
This from the network with the religious persecution complex. Fitting, no?
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to plan my next attack on Christmas.
Unfortunately I cannot chime in on the handholding debate because the lesser god ATT has deemed me unworthy of a subsidized upgrade at this time. However, I would hold the new object of veneration however was most comfortable. Never did fit in any church too well, LOL
If you read the paper, she explains the Apple “religion” through the supposed existence of several MYTHS which are common to all religions. In other words, she says all religions are based on myths and those myths are in existence for Apple, therefore Apple is a religion.
All cars have wheels, a wagon has wheels, therefore a wagon is a car.
This person is a PhD? This is a published paper? Faux News thinks people who believe religions are based on myths speak to their audience? Wow.
“It’s not a matter of rationality, it’s a matter of faith,”
It is matter of STATISTICS you $tupid!!!!!
If a company came out ALWAYS first with the best design and UI and the best quality products over and over again, the user expect the next product to be the best of the best too. It is not Faith, it is simply mathematics…
Religion is like microsoft, they came with worse product everytime and ignorant people still buying it.
Faith in religion is when we believe with our see, and the only one that we can really trust is God, with apple we can expect good products but we know some day they can fail. With Mircrosoft, you can only expect the worse.
@ChrissyOne – well played ;^)
Furthermore I find it funny the network of hate and fear would publish a story about Apple using the exact same template they use to describe people of other religions. They are fanatic!! Because describing them as mindless lunatic fanatics absolves their viewers from having to rub a couple brain cells together to actually understand what lies beneath, because understanding generally relieves people of fear, and that goes against the Fox news agenda.
Fox News: All fear, All the time.
You guys ripping FOX for this please note that this idiotic report is from university academics at Texas A & M.
“Prof. Heidi Campbell, one of the authors of the study, told FoxNews.com.”
Get it? Fox news didn’t say these things, the good Professor said them.
For people that do not believe in God and actively want to destroy the idea of faith in a higher power than man, this type of report is typical. For these people religion is “The State” “Technology” “Science” “The Corporation” “The People” .
As GK Chesterton says (paraphrasing): When people do not believe in God, they do not “believe in nothing”, they “believe in anything”.
No, Apple devotees are won over by the vision, the product and the service behind it all. A former colleague used to mock Apple, until he bought an iPod (and then another). But he still mocked the Mac… until his HP laptop failed and he bought a 24″ iMac. Now he gushes over his Mac. Is he now one of the “faithful”? Or is his attitude based on reason and experience?
@ Spark
You’re projecting. Not everyone needs something to be religion.
“When people do not believe in God, they do not “believe in nothing”, they “believe in anything”.”
Yeah, that’s the way it works. o.O
You need some science in your life, stat.
Been my religion for 26 years since 1984. So not that new really.
There’s really no denying it – Apple is like a religion to many. Much of their behavior is eerily similar to that of religious fanacists. Just like the death of a newborn is all part of God’s plan, anything and everything Apple does is good, and there are no problems.
@ Bongo
I know people that feel the same way about ‘Glee’.
It’s a good thing these are top of the line computers or I’d sure feel pretty stupid.
How about “they make a computer that actually works”.
They make a phone that is “easy” to use.
Maybe the AppleStrong follow the products and the company religiously. But it’s not out of adoration and worship you morons.
The Apple religion is of vision, brilliance, excellence and innovation. Oh yeah. And style. Count me as a follower.
Buy the way, if a PROFESSOR is not smart enough to know that’s why people follow Apple, I feel sorry for the poor bastard’s students.
Obviously that doesn’t apply for everyone but there are enough to notice, several on this board in fact.
Perhaps, Spark, but we believe what we want to read, see, and hear and Fox News is providing a service to its fan base.
Christmas is a religion, Santa Clause is their messiah, Capitalism is the dogma, and gold is their God-standard.
Banks are temples and Wall Street is the place where the high priests practice their black arts.
That’s just my opinion, however not even a grant from a prestigious university to illuminate the unwashed would garner enough attention to make Fox News.
This is crap! Next thing there will be a news flash about Steve Jobs being sent to Salem,MA and being tried for Heresy by all the non-believers!
2 minutes of research reveals that Professor Heidi Campbell has had her “work” published by right wing Christian publishing houses.
No wonder Fox repeats her nonsense.
iGod
I did not buy a Mac because Apple is God and Jobs is his prophet.
I bought it because it was the best product on the market. Religion had nothing to do with it.
These professors look out at a see of Apple logos and think, wow the worm has turned. Gone are the thinkpads and Dells, replaced by glowing apples. Scary. Scary.
Fear drives men to irrational thought and obviously they found something startling just being in a dark room with glowing fruit!
@ Bongo,
Most, if not all, Apple Product users have used Windows on a PC.
Could the Religious Zeal be nothing more than joy at finding an electronics product that actually works without requiring a fully staffed IT department?
I’m a total Apple acolyte, but I do regret the fact that the iPhone got out the door with that design flaw. Not like them.
On the other hand, here’s just one typical example of genius Apple design: the magsafe, magnetic power connectors for laptop power cords.
Innovative, instant advantage, “why did no one think of it before”- type of thing that keeps me attending Apple church.