Most people that know me would probably say I was a Apple hater. Those people who REALLY know me would probably further define that as a Apple fanboy hater. It isn’t that I hate Apple or Macs, it is more I hate the mindless mob mentality of people who hate things because they are popular… and even more so those who hate things because it is “in” to hate it. I don’t think people would call me a Windows fanboy, I don’t have any particular love for the OS, but it does what I need and getting a computer to do everything I want to do doesn’t without breaking my bank (or my sense of what I consider getting fucked in the ass price wise). I don’t like feeling like a chump and I don’t like feeling like I am being played.

This all being said, it is currently a tough time to be a web designer working on Windows. I constantly get “the business” in conversations I have with peers and collegues. The thing that gets me is, minus Michael… who I bust on just for kicks, I have yet to  feel the need to walk up to someone using a mac and start shit with them. I “get” that it is the need of smaller population cultist groups to be loud to get their point across, but the fact that a choice of OS invokes the same behaviour as someone believing in a religion, scares the shit out of me. I don’t hold Apple or Steve Job accountable for this, they are capitalists just like most Americans and they are selling a image and a creating a need/desire just like any fashion magazine or sports car manufacturer. I actually think Steve Jobs is quite brilliant and I would probably pay more to read his publications on things like marketing then I would pay for his laptops, desktops or music players.

So whats this post about? Well honestly I am bored with the conversation, the arguments never change and there are about 1000 other interesting things to talk about, so just like I did with my “why I don’t believe in god” post from a couple years back, I am making this post as a reference point to link to all people that start “the conversation” with me. So lets make this short and sweet and get down to business.

1. Computers are tools, not fashion accessories. Is it for you? Thats great. It’s not for me… and if it was, it sure wouldn’t look like a missing prop from a Hello Kitty Japanese anime cartoon.
2. I replace my machines at least every other year. I also buy relatively top of the line machines. This means I drop about 1.8k a year between laptops and desktops. This includes monitor and external HD and the whole deal. That is all I am willing to pay. I have yet to have any feature I am missing that will make me pay more and I refuse to compromise on speed/space. I can’t in good conscious spend more then that if the options are available at that cost. Granted I am no saint… it has to play Warcraft, but really, how can anyone be ok with being so wasteful when there are options not to be… it is like leaving the fridge door open all day or leaving the water running… yeah maybe you can afford to, but it just isn’t right.
3. I am no longer an angst filled teenager that needs to hate “the man” or cheer for the underdog for no other reason then the fact that they are “the man” or the underdog. I do have many problems with “the man”, but as a business person myself, I respect success and don’t feel the need to go “underground” to “spite my parents”. Hating for the sake of hating is so played out. Give me a real reason and I will listen, but popularity and success shouldn’t be that reason.
4. I am not a machine. I refuse to buy into a product lifestyle that is sealed and controlling. I refuse to be defined by a piece of hardware. I found a great comment on wikipedia the other day and I think it sums up exactly what I mean:

I think what we’re seeing here is the classic human behavior related to in-group vs. out-group.

Basically, these people have bought the kindle and like it, or at least don’t hate it enough to throw it away. What they really DO like is the fact that buying it puts them in a group of people who have a cool device and therefore they get a feeling of belonging. They identify part of their own self-worth with the “coolness” and value of the device.

Therefore, if the device is perceived as “cooler” or more desireable by the general population, they emotionally can transfer that to themselves. They’ll promote kindle without reason and defend it to the death because they’re really defending themselves. The sad part is that many of them don’t know it… they truly believe they’re objectively promoting this product, and they truly believe that the people who haven’t gotten it yet eventually will.

The same thing happens with many technology items, like many in the cult of Mac or those who are rabid about Linux… the technologies’ true worth and faults are irrelevant to them, sometimes without them realizing it, because they identify themselves as “Mac Owner” or “Linux User”, and all that matters is if someone attacks their technology, it’s an attack on them and their in-group

So thats about it, here it is… once and for all, I am really bored talking about this topic. I know I am not going to change anything as I am almost fighting a religion, but I know when the “next” fashionable technology comes into play, I will be able to look back on this with a told you so giggle.

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