Words you've heard before, I assume. These mac ads are, well, funny! However, they use a biting form of humour that isn't always the nicest to those engineers who have worked tirelessly since the mid-80s and before to create a near-perfect machine that can perform laborious tasks in much less time than it would take by hand. The attitudes taken by each reflect the attitudes of users of each operating system.
I've been using mac products since I was 2 years old. You might say there was no way I even comprehended what a computer was at that age, but hell, if you can read, you can use a computer (and damn straight I was reading at that age!) My mother ran a business in the spare bedroom and I'd imitate her on the second computer, putting my feet up on the desk and leaning back in the executive office chair... Oh, the days.
Since then, I've developed from a kid obsessed with flash internet games and fun filters in photoshop to one who likes to edit, build up, and organize my music and photo libraries with ease. But couldn't I do all that on a PC, too? Most my friends have PCs, and of course the various brands within the realm of PC have distinct traits, but what makes me different from them?
My question is, then, what makes a Mac person? A PC person?
A Mac person is, well, like me. No time to muss or fuss, no planning out of fancy frilly projects ahead of time. Let me jump in and enjoy life when I want to!
A PC person is much more calculating, likes math, and likes to know (and be able to change) every little detail about a project. Much more inclined to mathy things. And sports.
The website hunch.com, which analyzes users' tastes based on a series of simple yet specific questions, ran a study to determine the differences between Mac and PC people. A few conclusions:
- Mac people are more likely to see the existing world in a light of "sameness" and thus express a desire to be perceived as different and unique. This is consistently reflected in their aesthetic choices such as bold colors, "retro" designs, one-of-a-kind clothing, and highly stylized art.
- PC people are more likely to see the world as "different enough already" and appreciate "being in tune with those around them." This is reflected in their more subtle, "mainstream modern" (neither retro nor extremely contemporary) design choices and their practical choices in clothing, footwear, and cars that favor getting the job done rather than making an overt design statement.
- Media choices and preferences vary greatly between the two groups, with Mac people trending toward more independent films, specialized comedians and design-centric magazines, and PC people trending toward more mainstream alternatives as well as sports.
- From a personality perspective, Mac people are more likely to describe themselves as "verbal," "conceptual," and "risk takers," with PC people countering that they are "numbers oriented," "factual," and "steady, hard workers."
Sounds like there's a serious divide here. In fact, I merely mention the mac vs. PC debate on facebook, and within five minutes, my oldest friend responds: "One of those groups consists primarily of drones who don't think for themselves. The other group prefers to buy PCs."
He would say that. He's a PC person!
I hate to say it, but this is a gap which cannot be easily closed. I will fight him on the topic of mac vs. PC until we die, or until he converts to mac. It could just be that we have completely opposite personality types... but I prefer to think of him as a nerd who likes math instead.
By no means am I saying that Mac and PC people can't be friends. It's probably best that there's variety in the world. Who's going to get into a war for Mac supremacy? Okay, I considered the thought for an instant, but I'd rather get into a fiery debate than a war.
When it comes down to it, Mac people and PC people are just that: people. We're all in the same boat, and at the end of the day, the computer will always outsmart the user. Unless the user is Stephen Hawking.... but that's another blog post in itself.
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