Comments on: Gizmodo Agrees: Apple Fans Are Status-Seeking Beta Monkeys http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/06/09/gizmodo-agrees-apple-fans-are-status-seeking-beta-monkeys/ DEVISING A SYSTEM FOR REMEMBERING EVERYTHING Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:50:23 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: John Scalzi http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/06/09/gizmodo-agrees-apple-fans-are-status-seeking-beta-monkeys/#comment-152378 John Scalzi Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:15:03 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=7656#comment-152378 Sigh. As noted more than once upthread, I had a modern Mac for two years. It was perfectly cromulent. Sigh.

As noted more than once upthread, I had a modern Mac for two years. It was perfectly cromulent.

]]> By: Jake http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/06/09/gizmodo-agrees-apple-fans-are-status-seeking-beta-monkeys/#comment-152376 Jake Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:09:46 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=7656#comment-152376 <i>... a bit of déclassé ostentation flashed by people who think they’re signaling one thing when they’re in fact signaling something else entirely, and that thing is: I may be an asshole.</i> If you want an even greater allergic reaction than you already have, check out Leander Kahney's book <i>Cult of Mac</i>. In any event, that many latte-drinking hipsters buy $2,000 PowerBooks so they can post status updates to Facebook from coffee shops is hardly deniable, but to me the more interesting aspect of Apple's revival is the preference many technical users show. Even someone like Paul Graham, who can't be real susceptible to marketing, discussed <a href="http://paulgraham.com/mac.html" rel="nofollow">The Return of the Mac</a> among hackers. Many Python developers use them; I bought a PowerBook after a computer science professor began using one because of its integration of Unix tools and ease-of-use, especially with laptops. To me, that, combined with <a href="http://www.devon-technologies.com/products/devonthink/" rel="nofollow">DevonThink Pro</a>, Textmate, and Spotlight, makes OS X a very, very nice OS. It's not "Macs" that attract me—it's the operating system. Of course, this could just be a vain attempt to lie to myself and/or rescue the Mac "signal" from meaning dumbass, which I don't think it does, but I doubt it. I'd offer you a challenge: use a modern Mac for a month, keeping as open a mind as possible. Report back at the end. … a bit of déclassé ostentation flashed by people who think they’re signaling one thing when they’re in fact signaling something else entirely, and that thing is: I may be an asshole.

If you want an even greater allergic reaction than you already have, check out Leander Kahney’s book Cult of Mac.

In any event, that many latte-drinking hipsters buy $2,000 PowerBooks so they can post status updates to Facebook from coffee shops is hardly deniable, but to me the more interesting aspect of Apple’s revival is the preference many technical users show. Even someone like Paul Graham, who can’t be real susceptible to marketing, discussed The Return of the Mac among hackers. Many Python developers use them; I bought a PowerBook after a computer science professor began using one because of its integration of Unix tools and ease-of-use, especially with laptops.

To me, that, combined with DevonThink Pro, Textmate, and Spotlight, makes OS X a very, very nice OS. It’s not “Macs” that attract me—it’s the operating system.

Of course, this could just be a vain attempt to lie to myself and/or rescue the Mac “signal” from meaning dumbass, which I don’t think it does, but I doubt it. I’d offer you a challenge: use a modern Mac for a month, keeping as open a mind as possible. Report back at the end.

]]> By: Bruce Cohen (SpeakerToManagers) http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/06/09/gizmodo-agrees-apple-fans-are-status-seeking-beta-monkeys/#comment-150717 Bruce Cohen (SpeakerToManagers) Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:15:54 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=7656#comment-150717 John Scalzi @ 301: <i>Indeed I do. I don’t think I ever claimed I wasn’t an asshole. </i> OMG! Don't tell me you're an ESTie! Susan @ 292: <i>I sleep with my Mac. I admit it.</i> Well, if it's a romantic relationship, that's OK. It's only when you start having meaningless computational sex with your mac that your friends need to stage an intervention. John Scalzi @ 301:
Indeed I do. I don’t think I ever claimed I wasn’t an asshole.
OMG! Don’t tell me you’re an ESTie!

Susan @ 292:
I sleep with my Mac. I admit it.
Well, if it’s a romantic relationship, that’s OK. It’s only when you start having meaningless computational sex with your mac that your friends need to stage an intervention.

]]> By: Static-X http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/06/09/gizmodo-agrees-apple-fans-are-status-seeking-beta-monkeys/#comment-150688 Static-X Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:37:13 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=7656#comment-150688 @Post 302, I have to disagree with that assessment of the game console market. It's driven mainly because there are really two different markets, with some overlap, who want different things. There's a group of gamers who's focus is on control/mechanics/gameplay, who derive thier main enjoyment from the act of playing the game, having thier hand-eye coordination challenged, and welcome having to move around, having to learn different input styles, and such. The other group derives it's main enjoyment from immersiveness in games. They love the visuals, the sound, the fury, and some grandly epic storytelling. Roughly speaking, the former group tends to gravitate towards the Wii, the latter group towards the two HD consoles (360 and PS3). Much the same thing happens in the handheld market, with the former group gravitating towards the DS, the latter towards the PSP. Sure, there are ranting, raging fanboy wars on the Interwebs about this, and there are douchnozzles who are trying to out-"IT" each other by using insults like "Xbots", but by and large, that's not the main driving force behind which one people buy. In case you're curious, I own a Wii, 360, and DS. ^_^ @Post 302, I have to disagree with that assessment of the game console market. It’s driven mainly because there are really two different markets, with some overlap, who want different things.

There’s a group of gamers who’s focus is on control/mechanics/gameplay, who derive thier main enjoyment from the act of playing the game, having thier hand-eye coordination challenged, and welcome having to move around, having to learn different input styles, and such. The other group derives it’s main enjoyment from immersiveness in games. They love the visuals, the sound, the fury, and some grandly epic storytelling.

Roughly speaking, the former group tends to gravitate towards the Wii, the latter group towards the two HD consoles (360 and PS3). Much the same thing happens in the handheld market, with the former group gravitating towards the DS, the latter towards the PSP.

Sure, there are ranting, raging fanboy wars on the Interwebs about this, and there are douchnozzles who are trying to out-”IT” each other by using insults like “Xbots”, but by and large, that’s not the main driving force behind which one people buy.

In case you’re curious, I own a Wii, 360, and DS. ^_^

]]> By: Jay Blanc http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/06/09/gizmodo-agrees-apple-fans-are-status-seeking-beta-monkeys/#comment-150561 Jay Blanc Sat, 13 Jun 2009 10:08:12 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=7656#comment-150561 I guess it comes down to this... A lot of complete Bankers drive BMW Z4s. But if someone offered you a brand new BMW Z4 for a hundred dollars, would you turn them down? I guess it comes down to this… A lot of complete Bankers drive BMW Z4s. But if someone offered you a brand new BMW Z4 for a hundred dollars, would you turn them down?

]]> By: Mark Maranta http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/06/09/gizmodo-agrees-apple-fans-are-status-seeking-beta-monkeys/#comment-150550 Mark Maranta Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:06:17 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=7656#comment-150550 Yeah, OK, but, when you strip all the ego, snobbery and one-upmanship away, tell me, John, would you rather your BrainPal ran on OS X Snow Leopard or µSoft Vista? Yeah, OK, but, when you strip all the ego, snobbery and one-upmanship away, tell me, John, would you rather your BrainPal ran on OS X Snow Leopard or µSoft Vista?

]]> By: dawn http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/06/09/gizmodo-agrees-apple-fans-are-status-seeking-beta-monkeys/#comment-150512 dawn Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:58:39 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=7656#comment-150512 As a 42-year-old woman, working on a doctorate in technology type stuff in the midwest, I'm as far from a Williamsburg hipster as you can get, but I love my Macs (for the record, I also have a Toshiba tablet). I got them because I was doing support and needed to understand how both Macs and Windows machines work. I stayed with them because the color calibration for my photography and other designs is better. Simple as that. But I totally (yeah, 80s Valley Girl not from the Valley) get what you're saying. As a 42-year-old woman, working on a doctorate in technology type stuff in the midwest, I’m as far from a Williamsburg hipster as you can get, but I love my Macs (for the record, I also have a Toshiba tablet). I got them because I was doing support and needed to understand how both Macs and Windows machines work. I stayed with them because the color calibration for my photography and other designs is better. Simple as that.

But I totally (yeah, 80s Valley Girl not from the Valley) get what you’re saying.

]]> By: Jay Blanc http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/06/09/gizmodo-agrees-apple-fans-are-status-seeking-beta-monkeys/#comment-150479 Jay Blanc Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:38:26 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=7656#comment-150479 Now let's leave everyone's mothers out of this. Now let’s leave everyone’s mothers out of this.

]]> By: Jeff Beeler http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/06/09/gizmodo-agrees-apple-fans-are-status-seeking-beta-monkeys/#comment-150472 Jeff Beeler Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:22:48 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=7656#comment-150472 The first Mac I ever say outside of college computer room was in a yuppie lawyer's apartment, need I say more? The first Mac I ever say outside of college computer room was in a yuppie lawyer’s apartment, need I say more?

]]> By: John Scalzi http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/06/09/gizmodo-agrees-apple-fans-are-status-seeking-beta-monkeys/#comment-150466 John Scalzi Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:48:10 +0000 http://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=7656#comment-150466 Well, to be clear, not just <i>his</i> mom. Well, to be clear, not just his mom.

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