The Attack of The Apple Computer Sycophants

Yesterday I wrote a post I called P.C.'s Versus Apple Computers that has generated a ton of feedback. While I didn't write it for the purpose of generating controversy I can't say that I am surprised by it either. The opening paragraph is a good description of a segment of supporters of Apple Computers:
A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I was a devoted member of the Apple Computer cult. I was a dyed-in-the-wool Kool-aid drinking guarantor of the superiority of Apple computers versus a P.C. At that time I couldn't stand to use a P.C. It was an affront against my sensibilities.
The post wasn't ever intended to be a discussion of the technical merits of operating systems. Had I wanted to compare Linux versus Windows versus Mac OS I would have done so, but I didn't and I don't care. You want to find that, go seek out Slashdot, Linuxworld or MacNN.

Anyhoo, I thought that I'd share some comments from some of the keyboard banging monkeys whose toes I stepped on.

Here are two from the post:
At 11/12/2007 12:42:00 AM, Mstr. E. Anderson said...Ya know, I have absolutely no doubt that after 10 years of drinking MS Koolaid you feel that a PC with Windows as an OS is better--even though you just hint at why but don't actually make any explanations.

More power to ya! Believe whatever you want.

Just one thing: P.C.= Personal Computer. Dell makes PCs. Apple makes PCs. Dell's PCs run Windows (or you can get some form of Linux). Apple's PCs run the Mac OS (and can also run Windows, many flavors of Linux, and other OSes).

So your article is NOT "P.C.'s Versus Apple Computers." If you wanted to discuss that you would discuss hardware from Dell, Gateway, Lenovo, HP, Sony, and Apple. But you didn't do that.

Your discussion was MS Windows vs. Apple Mac OS.

Respectfully, your total lack of understanding of the difference between hardware and OSes makes your entire "random thought" nothing more than Microsoft FUD.
Mstr E. Anderson,

Read the comment above. You're right. Bill Gates is paying me hundreds of thousands of dollars to spread MS FUD and propaganda. Jobs and company just don't pay as well which is why I didn't praise them.

and

At 11/12/2007 01:30:00 AM, Anonymous said...

This blog defines randomness in all it's vapid glory. You may just as well have posted with a headline "Concrete Versus Wood fence Posts" In fact you could have just left it at the title and forgotten about the rest - there's just nothing there; no explanation, no insight, no nothing....
Web waster.

To my dear anonymous,

You're anger is displaced. You spent 2.5 hours actively surfing through my archives. What's that say about you.

Perhaps I'll update this later on and share more feedback. We'll have to see what happens.

7 comments:

bigwhitehat said...

You know this isn't restricted to the world of blogging.

I recently put ubuntu on my macbook. That was the ultimate sin. iCult found out and all of the iDisciples at work went ballistic. They had a truly iPerbolic reaction.

Then many of the folks I work with got freaked out that I have a macbook.

I will discuss religion and politics with folks completely different than me without the slightest bit of concern. But I won't ever discuss computers in a group of nerds again! It is simply not polite conversation.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Mactards have a hard time dealing with criticsm. I've been using Macs exclusively since 1998. Still have a working Wallstreet Powerbook and Quicksilver Power Mac.

And then I discovered the new products were crap: they got too hot and failed too often. I had 3 hard disk failures in 1 and a half years. So I stopped buying new laptops from Apple.

But the crap really hit the fan with the Mactards when I decided the Mac Pro was overpriced and overspecced for what I needed to run my graphics design business. I got 2 HP Xeon servers and converted them into workstations for DTP and Photoshop. Both are running Windows XP, and I have had no trouble from either.

My sin was writing in a couple of Mac forums and telling people that Apple had abandoned the DTP hardcore who had helped see them through the dark period (it wasn't too long ago, mind).

I still own and use Macs wherever it makes sense. But, man, am I glad I'm out of the Mactard community.

- Mr. Roberto

PsychoToddler said...

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roberto.

BarbaraFromCalifornia said...

Jews are known to stir up controversey. Actually, it is one characteristic that I am most proud of.

I wish I could join in this titiliating conversation, but when it comes to machines, I am not too swift.

Jack Steiner said...

But I won't ever discuss computers in a group of nerds again! It is simply not polite conversation.

Amen.

Mr. Roberto,

I hear you.

PT,

:)

Barbara,

Give it a shot.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Oy vey, Jack, are you a marked man now...

Them Apple maniacs are after you now. Well, during my long professional life I have witnessed similar fights between programmers: COBOL vs FORTRAN, PL/1 vs. C, C++ vs...

All of the bullshit and waste of time, but generated deep satisfaction ;-)

Jack Steiner said...

Snoopy,

I am funny like that.

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