Posted on 01/13/2005 12:28:42 PM PST by ambrose
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By Stephen Evans
BBC North America business correspondent
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It's tempting to think that Steve Jobs is some sort of religious leader rather than the chief executive of a rather successful computer company.
And you could be forgiven for thinking that his Apple products are objects of religious devotion rather than mere pieces of plastic enclosing silicon chips.
The Cult of Mac does have some rational basis.
There seems little doubt that the products are very good. Its strong attractions are usability and good looks (though not usually price until this week's announcement of a less expensive home computer).
Inspired behaviour
There is clearly, though, something more to it than mere mundane functionality.
Lots of companies make good products but they don't attract the kind of religious zeal that Mac inspires.
Take the case of John Charlton, for example, who, according to Wired magazine, travels the world with his Newton, the PDA which Apple discontinued in 1998, and has now created a gallery of pictures of the said gizmo in front of various global landmarks from Florida to Munich to Lisbon.
Or the people who cut their hair to show an Apple symbol or who get Mac tattoos or who dress up like Steve Jobs or who trek around the world to the opening of a new Apple Store.
Rebellious streak
It is a tribal thing - the Mac Tribe - and a sociological phenomenon, to do perhaps with a minority who believe they have seen a truth, much like the drivers of VW Beetles would wave to each other in the 60s, knowing utterly that their car was superior, but it was a secret unperceived by the rest.
There may also be a type of person who delights in going against the herd.
Whatever is fashionable for the masses becomes unfashionable for the minority. Manchester City and the New York Mets both have their loyal followers who would rather die than head for Old Trafford or Yankee Stadium. And so it is with Microsoft and Apple.
While the big company dominates the market with its uncool product, Macs offer an alternative to those with a streak of bolshiness and perversity (both nouns are compliments).
Cool dudes?
None of which is to say that Apple and Mac offer style but no substance.
Clearly, the company is getting a lot right. Its devotees (disciples?) swear by their products as being effective and easy to use.
It's just that there's something more to it than that: the packaging and sales-pitch have succeeded brilliantly in conveying a whole life-style and image.
That style emanates from the top.
Steve Jobs is the counter-image of a stuffy businessman. He wears trainers, jeans and black sweaters.
Apple's attitude to the media is actually tight and highly controlled yet the image portrayed is of a cool and easy-going counter-culture.
Pure marketing
Let me declare an interest: I own a Microsoft driven personal computer. It serves me very well. I have no strong feelings about it. Mac may or may not be better; it's just that it's not the route I happened to take.
I get stalked, though, by colleagues who insist on telling me how much better their iPod is than my Dell Jukebox, even as the reviews say the battery life of an iPod isn't the best around. Or how I should throw my PC away and get a Mac.
They may be right.
It's just that some of the message is in the marketing.
We asked you, our readers, if you are Mac followers or loathe Macs, or indeed whether you are simply puzzled by this phenomenon? The feedback printed below reflects the wide range of views held.
I have not got a clue about this issue and i am a loser when it comes to technology.
Hassan Shah, Watford
Not to knock Jobs, but that iPod shuffle round his neck looks terribly unfashionable. Sort of like when you were back in school and you had that teacher with the big glasses and pen hanging round her neck. I for one won't get one until it is covered in zebra stripes and purrs everytime I do something right, like my girlfriend ;-)
John, London
Macs have always lead the way. They are simpler, more intuitive to use and now cost less! They are also better quality.
Jeff Lil, Hull UK
I must admit to being puzzled by the whole Apple cult. I too have had my ear bent by Mac nerds, but I've ignored them because I can't see the point of paying over the odds for an inferior product just because someone considers it to be stylish. Why buy a Mac when you can get a PC that will outperform it in every respect for half the price?
Anthony Jones, Leeds UK
Once again, disappointingly, a report on Apple rehashes the old myth, that Macs are more expensive than their equivalent PCs. Utter Tosh. TCO (total cost of ownership) studies show, time and again, with equivalent hardware and software, that Macs are actually cheaper. Lazy journalistic nonsense.
John, Forfar, Scotland
I like the idea of the Ipod shuffle and also the price but I can't help but feel that they are really taking advantage of new computer users with the mini Mac. They are taking advantage of Mac as a hip brand name to sell a product without a keyboard, mouse and monitor and are marketing it like they are doing the consumer a favour.
People will buy them because Mac is the it thing to have but these will be home users wanting something to look good next to their lava lamps or something. If Mac just lowered the prices for their Macs anyway they would be able to compete with PC no problem in my opinion, I feel we are being slightly ripped off by this mini Mac.
Andrew Maddock, Harrow, London
I am indeed puzzled. The Mac Mini is lacklustre. The specification are so 2003. And yet people are willing to pay money for that. The iPod Shuffle is even worse.
March Suffot, London
I am always amazed with how intuitive Apple products are to use. Proof: they come with no manuals.
Bav, Brussels
I'm a user of Macs and PCs (and by the way, it's not just a matter of Apple versus Microsoft: Microsoft Office is very widely used on Macs, at any rate in corporates).
I don't have a strong preference as regards the working environment: as an IT professional, I've worked on and supported both platforms (and others). I suppose if I didn't need to maintain my skills on both platforms I'd be content enough with a Mac.
I think, objectively, the interface is generally better, not to mention friendlier for non-experts, and I've happily produced reams using one or other of my Macs. But then, I've done the same on PCs.
However, I do get irritated by the aggressive evangelism of many Mac (and Linux) users: perhaps Mac users really are smarter, cuddlier, safer and more creative than PC users (but I'd like to see some reliable, objective statistics!), but in my experience they're often rude and arrogant.
I suspect that this often shows a deep-seated defensiveness and insecurity. Apple do many things just right (and I'm not just talking marketing either), but they aren't perfect.
Furthermore, Mac users don't live in a vacuum: the Mac experience might be more productive and pleasant if the rest of the online world supported the platform better. The fact that they don't isn't the fault of Apple or the customers (well, sometimes it is: insularity is not an attractive trait), but it isn't an argument for putting all your eggs in the Mac basket, either.
David Harley CISSP, Headley Down, UK
I think that for most Mac users there are a range of factors that influence us. A distrust or dissatisfaction of Microsoft is one factor - in this sense Mac users are similar to people who choose Firefox over IE or Linux over Windows.
In many cases there are also very specific, practical reasons. I use a Mac at work because I have something like 10 years of resources created on Macs (some of which use software unique to the Mac).
I use a Mac to read email by preference to reduce my exposure to viruses (most of which can't damage the Mac OS or Mac files).
Finally, Mac products tend to have a longer shelf-life than Windows PC products and tend to be easier to use. This last point is no longer as true as used to be (Apple has adopted generic PC components in its machines and lowered quality slightly over the years), but I have never had a serious or expensive hardware fault with any Mac I've used at home or for work. This contrasts with the experience of many PC using colleagues at work over the years.
Thom Baguley, Loughborough
Your reporter sounds a bit defensive, insistent on portraying Mac users as "other" than normal computer users. Perhaps that makes him more comfortable with his Windows PC. If he focused on which computers are better for most users, his stubborn resistance to trying a Mac may give way. Oh, the horror!
Ted Rebarber, United States
I have used Macs for almost 20 years and a Windows PC on only a couple of occasions. I don't drive a Beetle (or Bug) but chuckled at the article, agreeing with it and identify with many aspects of it.
It's not a religious thing, just about finding what works best for you ... except you then want to evangelise about the 'great truth' you have discovered, which sort of makes it a quasi-religious thing!
PS. I have already placed my order for an iPod shuffle!
Lester Peters, High Wycombe, UK
Apple has an outstanding Marketing department that could sell rain coats in the desert. As for their products, its all down to hype and marketing. Many companies offer better products at far lower prices.
"Macs are really easy to use" they cry. Anyone who has ever sat down in front of a Mac for the first time will realise that a Mac is very easy to use - but only when you know how to use it!
Phil Templeton, Poole, Uk
As is usually the case with these things, those pursuing "anti-fashion" are the biggest fashion victims of them all. It reminds me of my teenage niece who wants to be "different" just like the rest of her friends.
Matt, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (ex. UK)
If this goes on, in few years time it'll be rebellious not to have a Mac product. So far, I'm doing well, I don't have any! ;-)
Konstantinos M, Athens/London
Everybody knows that Macs are better than PCs. But we all have to use PCs for compatibility, because everyone else does.
Adam, London, UK
Who cares?
Chris, Lincoln
E-Machines sells their computers with replaceable component parts, including all the powerful graphics card.
In a way, that's true.
The owner got this laptop because it was provided to him as a cadet at the US Air Force Academy. Apparently their IT department configures all the cadet's laptops under a general license... He was allowed to keep the laptop when he transferred to Cornell University to study medicine, but the install disks for all the legally licensed software and OS did not get to go with him.
Cornell would not allow him to hook this computer to their network because it was so infected. Several of their Computer Science majors tried to clean it but were unsuccessful. At the point I was asked to see what I could do, it refused to boot into anything but safemode. For some reason no anti-virus or anti-spyware would run on the computer.
His parents wanted me to wipe the HD and reinstall everything from his backup (which turned out to be just his user files)... but without the original recovery disks, and the sofware installers for the licensed stuff, it would be unlikely that he could use any of his documents until he purchased new copies of everything... a very expensive prospect... nor would the drivers and utilities that came with the IBM ThinkPad be available with a generic XP Pro installation.
To see if I could resurrect the computer without losing all that, I went Registry diving and was able to eliminate much of the spyware manually so that I finally got it to boot into a non-safe mode and could run some anti-spyware (Spy-bot S&D, Ad-aware, AVG, etc), download Microsoft's new anti-spyware beta (a VERY NICE app!) which, when run on the computer that was reported "clean" by the the other antis, found 40 more spywares (16 complete spy-ware packages) that the others didn't.
After all that, the system was CLEAN and working great. Cornell's IT admin had told him he would have to have XP SP2 on his computer before he would be allowed to connect, so that was to be the last step of this resurrection. It was the upgrade to SVP2 that screwed things up. Nothing I can't handle... if I can get a copy of Windows XP Professional so I can run a repair. Unfortunately, I don't have one. I will have to borrow one from someone.
You need to speak power to the man. No justice, no peace.
Well, I'd class that as ages ago.
Actually, when I bought the machine used for my BBS, the seller disclosed there was a latent hard drive problem. Amazing it ran as long as it did.
I haven't had a major hardware failure since then. Of course I don't think I've kept a machine that long as my primary computer, either; I tend to swap them out about every two years as technology advances.
D
No, it's dedicated video RAM with an ATI chipset. In fact, Apple discusses the problem with the cheap chipsets used in a lot of low-end PCs here on their Mac mini page and explain why they use a dedicated chipset and memory.
I am no fan of retail computers, including MACs and I build all of my on, plus on average I have built 2 machines per month for the last five years, for other people. I know about hardware quality and the ins and outs of Windows. Apple builds a quality product, but I can build a better, faster machine for less. But then again a MAC is like a Mercedes whereas I build race cars.
If I were getting another desktop PC, I'd probably build it myself for the reasons you mention. But for a retail computer, Apple mitigates a lot of the problems by simply not using the cheapest components available. Yes, they don't have a $349 Mac but that's because they have minimum quality standards. Also bear in mind that a do-it-yourself laptop isn't really an option.
Computers are like any tool, depending on what you are doing one may be better for you than the other, but neither will do everything the best.
Absolutely. I've recommended that people buy Windows PCs when their needs dictate that's the best solution. In fact, I've also used Windows servers at work when they make the most sense. Suggesting a Mac for every person is like suggesting a Volkswagen for everyone who asks which car brand they should buy. Yes, VW has a wide range of models but they don't fill every niche. But, honestly, the hostility runs both ways. There are plenty of PC/Windows people out there saying that Macs aren't good for anything and that's just not true, either.
Great post! Considering how long PCs have been around, there is no excuse for the state of the PC world. Everything should be secure, and work easy and well. When I tell people why I love Macs, and I say "they just work", it's hard for them to understand, until they've spent a day using a Mac. After that it clicks with them, what I was trying to say with those three words.
"I don't know for sure because I've never seen it happen."
Anyone interested can Google Mac issues and land on any number of fan sites where the Mac "family" is freely bitching about all manner of Mac issues related to hardware, etc.
Why does Apple charge an arm and a leg for Apple Care if it's equipment would "never" need it? And why do said Mac users complain about the paltriness of Apple Care and Apple's sorry customer service when they do--QT notwithstanding--need it?
One, who had to send his Powerbook in 4 times said simply, elegantly, "Apple Care sucks!"
Another lamented "Every chance I give Apple to screw me they take!"
Thanks to the internet, questioning assumptions was never easier.
I am having a really hard time believing this.<(•¿•)>
$2,999.00
30-inch (29.7-inch viewable)
2560 x 1600 optimal resolution
16.7 million colors
DVI Display Connector
2 port USB 2.0 Hub
2 FireWire 400 ports
VESA mount compatible
Requires NVIDIA GeForce 6800
GT or Ultra DDL Card
Apple Credit Account -- payments
as low as $73 per month
I have a D-Link Airpro card in my 99-era Thinkpad. It puts a little icon in the systray. If I think there's a wifi network present, I click on it and a box pops up saying "Detecting network 'HOLIDAY INN' [or whatever]. Wanna connect?" If I click yes, BOOM, I'm on. No fuss.
Sounds like the guys you met bought some crappy hardware.
The 30'' ACD is nice too.
I bet you hate Limbaugh for using one.
Fortunately, the truth is not dependent upon being believed by anyone. The truth simply is. The notion that you can't safely run Windows boxes is sheer nonsense. All it takes is a bit of common sense caution.
MM
Judging from all the news reports and all the existing firewall, virus, spyware, stuff available,...... that common sense is not all that common.
Truth is indeed what it is. But you saying it don't make it true, and I don't mean that as a challenge to your truthfulness, I am just saying you must be the only guy in the world that don't have any problems.
Hate to reply to an older post like this, but... the 9600XT is nearly three years old. It's the latest in the All-in-Wonder line, but it's by no means "the best out there." That honor goes to the GeForce 6800 Ultra OC. The best midrange is the GeForce 6600, probably tied with the Radeon 9800 Pro, and the absolute low-end is the 9600XT. And it was most definitely like this 8 months ago, since that's when the 6800 line, plus ATi's X800 line, launched.
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