Jun. 16th, 2009 11:23 pm
Justin Long is an annoying tool
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textualdevianceScalzi said it best recently, but I do have to weigh in.
Y'know, if you like Macs, yay. Glad you have something that works for you. Me, I like to have more control over customizing my own hardware and software experience, and I need something that plays games better and fully supports my right mouse button habit, but if you just want a net and graphics box, go to it. Different tools for different jobs.
But why can't some people just leave it at that? Why do they have to peddle these things to everyone they see as if they've just found Jesus? Are they trying to find a way to justify the cost outlay by convincing other people that they're cool or something? Because I can't think of any other reason why people would be having a religious experience with these things, and being so fuckall obnoxious about it. They're like the modern version of the '80s Beemer snobs. Ugh.
First of all, Apple is a corporation. A big one. They make a lot of money. They've been known to abuse their market dominance from time to time, and have screwed over consumers quite a bit (hi, proprietary hardware and iTunes formats? Yeah.) In other words, they do exactly what every tech company has done in the last 30 years--some good, some bad, virtually all of it merely in service of increasing profit. They're not, therefore, morally superior as a company, so there's really no point in choosing them solely on that criterion. (That said, I don't blame people who refuse to buy a Dell, just because Michael Dell really is an asshole.)
Second, Mac and PC hardware have had about the same level of power and functionality for at least the last five years if not more. Back in the Packard Bell and Compaq days, sure, Mac hardware was better, but things have evened out significantly. Hi, Intel chips in Mac cases? And given the pricing premium for Macs, the lack of software beyond the basics and the fact that it's next to impossible to upgrade and customize them on the fly, their value really isn't that great. I can do ongoing upgrades on my box, part by part, and only spend a few hundred dollars a year to stay completely up to date with new tech. Few Mac users can say that.
Third, the Mac OS X genus is OK, but it's not the best thing evar. If you want simple, with little customizability, then sure. If you care at all about digging deeper into what your computer can really do, it puts up a lot of roadblocks. It's also not necessarily more stable (don't get me started on the spinny rainbows of doom and people who are too stupid to know how to use Task Manager or run a regular defrag.) And the only reason there are fewer virii and security breaches is because hackers have no desire to waste their time disrupting only 10% of computer users when they can cause far more widespread havoc with other targets. (This right here should be reason enough to can the annoying evangelism: The more people you bring to your shiny silver Jesus, the more attractive it is to hackers. Oops.)
Fourth, if you admit the truth of the above three things, then it remains that you're evangelizing based on one thing: Style. Which, if you like shiny minimalism for its own sake, sure, Macs have that. If that trips your triggers, fair enough. But that doesn't make them objectively superior. Style alone does not carry objective value when it comes to functional objects, as anyone who's ever owned a pretty-but-pathetic four-cylinder "sports car" can tell you. Sue me, but I want my computer to do more than just sit there and be aesthetically appealing as judged by some fashionista wanker with an artier-than-thou complex.
I'm not saying that PC hardware is objectively better than Mac hardware, or that Linux or Windows are objectively better than OS X.* Truth is, each hardware and software configuration (and there are many) has its own merits and problems, and which of those matter more has a lot to do with what, exactly, you want to use your machine for and what your budget is.
I'm just saying that when you start preaching at me with your hand on that glowy little Apple logo as if it were the Good Book, you're not making any converts. You're just being an irritating douchebag and you make me want to slap you with the nearest fish.
And frankly, in terms of their characters, I'd rather hang around with honest nerd John Hodgman than self-absorbed assmonkey Justin Long.
*Sure, I have some vested interest in people continuing to buy MS products, since the company helps keep this family in cat food and DVDs, but I don't claim to speak for the company, I'm not in their marketing department, and I'm not interested in blowing smoke for its own sake. I'm usually one of the first to squawk when they do something stupid--which they do.
Y'know, if you like Macs, yay. Glad you have something that works for you. Me, I like to have more control over customizing my own hardware and software experience, and I need something that plays games better and fully supports my right mouse button habit, but if you just want a net and graphics box, go to it. Different tools for different jobs.
But why can't some people just leave it at that? Why do they have to peddle these things to everyone they see as if they've just found Jesus? Are they trying to find a way to justify the cost outlay by convincing other people that they're cool or something? Because I can't think of any other reason why people would be having a religious experience with these things, and being so fuckall obnoxious about it. They're like the modern version of the '80s Beemer snobs. Ugh.
First of all, Apple is a corporation. A big one. They make a lot of money. They've been known to abuse their market dominance from time to time, and have screwed over consumers quite a bit (hi, proprietary hardware and iTunes formats? Yeah.) In other words, they do exactly what every tech company has done in the last 30 years--some good, some bad, virtually all of it merely in service of increasing profit. They're not, therefore, morally superior as a company, so there's really no point in choosing them solely on that criterion. (That said, I don't blame people who refuse to buy a Dell, just because Michael Dell really is an asshole.)
Second, Mac and PC hardware have had about the same level of power and functionality for at least the last five years if not more. Back in the Packard Bell and Compaq days, sure, Mac hardware was better, but things have evened out significantly. Hi, Intel chips in Mac cases? And given the pricing premium for Macs, the lack of software beyond the basics and the fact that it's next to impossible to upgrade and customize them on the fly, their value really isn't that great. I can do ongoing upgrades on my box, part by part, and only spend a few hundred dollars a year to stay completely up to date with new tech. Few Mac users can say that.
Third, the Mac OS X genus is OK, but it's not the best thing evar. If you want simple, with little customizability, then sure. If you care at all about digging deeper into what your computer can really do, it puts up a lot of roadblocks. It's also not necessarily more stable (don't get me started on the spinny rainbows of doom and people who are too stupid to know how to use Task Manager or run a regular defrag.) And the only reason there are fewer virii and security breaches is because hackers have no desire to waste their time disrupting only 10% of computer users when they can cause far more widespread havoc with other targets. (This right here should be reason enough to can the annoying evangelism: The more people you bring to your shiny silver Jesus, the more attractive it is to hackers. Oops.)
Fourth, if you admit the truth of the above three things, then it remains that you're evangelizing based on one thing: Style. Which, if you like shiny minimalism for its own sake, sure, Macs have that. If that trips your triggers, fair enough. But that doesn't make them objectively superior. Style alone does not carry objective value when it comes to functional objects, as anyone who's ever owned a pretty-but-pathetic four-cylinder "sports car" can tell you. Sue me, but I want my computer to do more than just sit there and be aesthetically appealing as judged by some fashionista wanker with an artier-than-thou complex.
I'm not saying that PC hardware is objectively better than Mac hardware, or that Linux or Windows are objectively better than OS X.* Truth is, each hardware and software configuration (and there are many) has its own merits and problems, and which of those matter more has a lot to do with what, exactly, you want to use your machine for and what your budget is.
I'm just saying that when you start preaching at me with your hand on that glowy little Apple logo as if it were the Good Book, you're not making any converts. You're just being an irritating douchebag and you make me want to slap you with the nearest fish.
And frankly, in terms of their characters, I'd rather hang around with honest nerd John Hodgman than self-absorbed assmonkey Justin Long.
*Sure, I have some vested interest in people continuing to buy MS products, since the company helps keep this family in cat food and DVDs, but I don't claim to speak for the company, I'm not in their marketing department, and I'm not interested in blowing smoke for its own sake. I'm usually one of the first to squawk when they do something stupid--which they do.
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no subject
Seriously, I'm fucking SICK of Macs. My last two have been macs and they've had massive design flaws and hardware problems (including a design flaw that has a sharp edge digging into my wrists constantly, and a flexy motherboard leading to a cracked/disconnected video connector). Also, seriously, I'm getting really sick of the pretentiousness. GENIUS BAR? Seriously? And now that other computers are coming in other colors than oatmeal, I can't complain about the design that much.
Honestly, other than the TEEENSY keyboard and flaky mouse, I like my MSI Wind more than my Mac.
no subject
Huh? I'm a fervent Mac user, and while I agree with most of the above, I can't figure out this point. What kind of things do you mean by "what your computer can really do"?
For me the value of a mac is in a) attention to detail and b) the fact that I know my way around the system intimately, having used a mac ever since I was 2 years old. Working on any other system frustrates me simply because things do not work the way I am used to, and differences are not intuitively navigable.
no subject
no subject
Totally agreed on the ad thing... Hodgman is <3 and Long just comes off as annoying - that campaign seems like a bit of a backfire, really. (although to be fair, MS's ads are just as irritating - if both companies would keep from the stupid sniping they'd probably be a lot more watchable)
Re. cut text, of course Jobs isn't the second coming. How silly...
...>_>
...<_<
Woz is. ;]
no subject
I am underwhelmed. I think a Mac would be a PERFECT computer for someone who had absolutely no computer experience. It's bubbly and friendly and the programs are simple and easy to use.
I've had a helluva time finding out how to shut down things I don't like... like bouncing shit in the dock bar, Growl notifications, and the "Do you REALLLLY want to turn the computer off? We'll give you a minute to think about it." shit. It was irritating to realize that every fucking thing I hated about the newest release of Ubuntu had come out of Mac OSX.
I like the laptop for what it is - free, lightweight, web surfing and word processing for class. I would never buy a Mac, after having used this one. They're priced way to high for too stupid an OS. It was kind of amusing to see how, after playing with the Mac for a few weeks, Windows started to look good. I have hopes for Win7. I loaaathed Vista beyond words capable of expressing extreme hatred. It was like "Windows - Douchebag edition!" So we'll see what 7 has to offer for my secondary drive. If I hate it, I'm going back to XP. Having used all of the Big Three, I am definitely sticking with Ubuntu as my primary.
-T