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Okay, so I'm going to dangerously dive into this argument at the fever pitch it seemed to hit... as if it really needed another $0.02

I don't think it's the Macs that define the people as self important, it's just that many self important people gravitate towards macs.

The software argument has come and gone, yes, but as it was stated, it's the graphic designer's computer of choice. I think it's actually a downside for Apple that their products just attract those people.

You're not going to get the Prom-Queen/Head-Cheerleader into the dingy, grungy skateboard shop, she just wouldn't ever need to go there.

Apple makes a specialized product (it would seem in the eyes of many, whereas, to us, we realize it just another option), and people don't see the need in shilling out money for something they don't think they'll use to full potential, so the fully-loaded mac gets bypassed for cheap-o $350 Wal-Mart Special.

Because of the above occurance, the only time we ever hear about Macs is from the people who have that annoying, self-important attitude, why would normal people brag? No need, and I'll say that I know many people that brag out the effectiveness of their modded PCs as well. In fact, it's typically the PCs that get "Modded" to look sweet as well as perform sweet, as opposed to the Macs which look sleek, and then nobody ever does anything else to them.

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If internal struggles were as enjoyable and glamorous as the self conflicted wars within video game characters, we would all be statues, reveling in perpetual self war. -Me

Play me on Rock Band 2, GH-WT, or any other Xbox GH!
Xbox Gamertag-MeanJerry

I have a few problems with Macs that have all been addressed at this point. I find the GUI difficult because it's not simpler than Windows format to me, it actually seems more unreasonably complicated. This is a problem I've had with Mac OS that goes back to the 90s. They're not big problems individually, but one by one they wear out my patience.

Why don't they let you run Mac OS on a PC? I mean, software and hardware IMO should not be linked on an absolute level? There are many attributes like this that make using macs frustrating because you have to buy into the "Mac Investment." In other words, $1600 bucks for a computer that you won't be even sure you'll like after the new wears off. Tons of Mac software that requires a lot of everything on the scale to the point where you'll have to buy a Mac to avoid the Mac software frustration.

Now I'm not stretching out to say that Macs aren't utilitarian, they're incredibly useful. This use is restricted to what they're good at doing and so long as you're using them on a Mac. I have iTunes, it's the most upsetting piece of software I have. My wife demanded I install it and it have been causing difficulty since.

Then of course there's the Mac guy. I hate Mac Guy. Why can't he just shut up? He usually works in retail. He comes in with his spiky hair cut and his "I'm a tech wizard" glasses and stinks up the place with his hands on hip stance. He walks around and arrogantly flaunts whatever misguided tech knowledge he tried to memorize from a wired magazine into everyones face till he hides in the corner and plays with his iPod shuffle until it is time to steal someone's commission sale, or a break.

Now that guy sounds awful specific to be just a stereotype, right? Well he shares in common with a lot of the "Mac Guys" out there. Some of them are so convinced of their superiority, that they feel the need to show us....all the time.

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At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)

My only experience with Apple is owning an iPod Shuffle. It is a fine mobile music player, with good sound quality and decent storage capacity for the unit's size. The iTunes interface is clean and detailed, and easy to work with.

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Join the Army, see the world, meet interesting people - and kill them.

~Pacifist Badge, 1978

Quote (Hamedo @ 19th May 2008 13:26)

My only experience with Apple is owning an iPod Shuffle.  It is a fine mobile music player, with good sound quality and decent storage capacity for the unit's size.  The iTunes interface is clean and detailed, and easy to work with.

You think the shuffle is good, imagine how much smoother things could go if you had the screen!

This is something I didn't think to mention before, but I'm a life owner of an iPod. I love my iPod. My first MP3 player was a Rio Forge, and it was great. Cute, little round player that ran off a AAA battery, would play audio that was copied onto it via simple data transfer, and had a 512 base memory, with option to expand via SD card. It was designed for Audiobooks (the one thing my iPod lacks), so you could flag a time in an audio file, and return to exactly that point in the file at any time. It was great, and I tell you this to explain that I am not irrationally biased, I've experienced other MP3 players, and just like the way my iPod works.

I started on an iPod Mini that I bought used from a Pawn Shop that my old roommate worked at, I was reluctant to buy it, but after the fact, I used it til it stopped working. I admit that iTunes can be tedious at times, but once you make the initial time investment, the organization and playlist building is great. (and that's not even the Smart Playlists!) When the Mini died, I went out and bought an 80 gig 5th gen Video iPod, and I love it. I use it perpetually. It's on my belt right now at work.

And I do realize that I'm starting to sound like one of those self-important D-Bags, but I want to say that it's great for me, and I would recommend them, but I don't force them on people. I tell them what I like about it, the downsides, and leave it at that usually.

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If internal struggles were as enjoyable and glamorous as the self conflicted wars within video game characters, we would all be statues, reveling in perpetual self war. -Me

Play me on Rock Band 2, GH-WT, or any other Xbox GH!
Xbox Gamertag-MeanJerry

I think Mac is working with what they have. Pre iPod, they held a minor part of the computer market. Since iPod a lot of people have jumped on the bandwagon, getting the newest iPod every three months. Their current image is that they are top of the line for creative endeavors, and Macs advertise such because they aren't stupid. Their computers do very well with photo and audio editing, and in general hold true to it. The way I see it Mac is akin to *insert generic retailer* to Microsoft as Wal-Mart, Wal-mart is friggin huge and if "generic retailer" sells a product Wal-Mart doesn't have (yet) then they can and should advertise it. That's the way I see it, right now they advertise and do appeal to a demographic, and they plan to keep it. Though their advertising is a bit pretentious. (Possibly because it's geared toward the college crowd which generally enjoy feeling superiour).

In other news, I don't particularly wanna get a Mac, and I'm sick of Vista, currently have one comp with XP still, one with Vista. I end up on my XP one far too often.

Also, seriously, seriously considering of installing Linux on my Vista comp for obvious reasons, a friend got me looking at Linux, and some of that is just plain cool.

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"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter, don't mind."
-Dr. Seuss

Quote (MythrilShotgun @ 24th May 2008 15:56)

Also, seriously, seriously considering of installing Linux on my Vista comp for obvious reasons, a friend got me looking at Linux, and some of that is just plain cool.

The only problem with Linux desktops is that when they get something cool and innovative (see multiple desktops YEARS ago), Mac takes it and makes it better (see Spaces).

If you hate Vista and are thinking of going to Linux, but don't know much about Linux, you should just get Mac OSX. It's essentially the same thing to a user that doesn't know the finer details.

Hell, the only reason I got a Mac was because I wanted a *nix-like OS, but didn't want to deal with the torture of Linux video.

This post has been edited by FraudulentTommah on 24th May 2008 22:03

Aaaaaand this breaking news, just in: Josh Alvies has bought a Mac. Want proof? Look no further.

Quote (Josh in chat)

<@R51[working]> There I go, I'm now the proud(?) owner of a MacBook.

If nothing else, this definitely supports his hypothesis.

Zing.

I'd argue more if it weren't bloody true. But, I have extenuating circumstances. It's for my wife, and she picked it after trying a similarly equipped Dell. Danged if the Mac didn't out-spec it in almost every scenario, and with all her MIT discounts figured in, it was almost as cheap. All things considered, though, I will have to send her the link that started this thread.

And I got a new 8GB iPod Touch out of the deal, free after rebate.

And if you didn't already think I was a hypocrite, that's your fault, not mine.

This post has been edited by Rangers51 on 8th July 2008 23:59

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