Yes, I am putting on my flame-retardant suit right now…

I’m sick of Mac Arrogance.  Sick to death of it.  What is Mac Arrogance?

Mac Arrogance is the belief that just because a person uses a Mac versus a Windows based PC, he/she is somehow intellectually or creatively superior.  Further, it’s the belief that the only reason Windows users still use Windows is that they haven’t ever used a Mac, and that as soon as they use a Mac, they will somehow be converted to the almighty saving gospel of Apple.  Why?

I am a Windows (Vista, no less) user and I’m PROUD to be one.  I love what Vista gives me.  I love the interface.  I love having more than one button on my mouse.  I love having millions of software options.  I love being able to develop in Visual Studio.  I love being able to run Outlook.  I really love saving money.  The new system I just got from work (the Dell Inspiron I posted about previously) was less than $1500.  I challenge ANYONE to find a Mac Book Pro, with 4GB of RAM, a 256MB NVIDIA 8600GT, 17” WUXGA screen and T8300 processor (with a 3 year warranty) for less than 3 bills.  It just ain’t gonna happen.

The irony of the whole situation to me is that it used to be the opposite.  There was a definite Windows Arrogance.  I suffered from it greatly.  But the pendulum has invariably swung in the opposite direction for some reason, that reason being the cool factor, I think. 

For the record, I’ve used plenty of Macs over the years.  I used Apple IIGS systems in middle school.  I used Lisas for heaven’s sake.  I used to be a paginator for a newspaper and I used a Mac everyday.  It was just as the new G3s were coming out, and while they looked cool, I just didn’t like how slow the OS was, and how my system (running System 8) would crash EVERY day, just as I as getting ready to send the proof of the front page to the printer.  I learned very quickly to save often.  I’ve used OS9, and I’ve used just about every iteration of OS X.  Leopard, when it first came out, was a total nightmare for me.  Everything in the network stack here at work broke.  Using Active Directory slowed these Mac Pro workstations to an absolute crawl.  Granted, they’re still pretty.  The UI is better than Window, I can’t argue with that.  But I just like the feel of Windows better.

So what brought this on?  Simple.  I’m sick and tired of being accused of being closed-minded because I use and prefer Windows.  I’m sick of being labeled as less-cultured because I prefer to work on a cheaper computer that has more options.  I’m sick of this Mac Arrogance that makes it seem that just because I don’t use a Mac, I’m somehow less of a person than a Mac user.

People, it’s just a freaking computer.  It’s not a savior.  The earth does not rotate around Cupertino.  I also prefer Volvos while some people prefer Fords.  That doesn’t make me a tree-hugging, pot-smoking, Birkenstock-wearing, liberal, left-wing peacenik.  It makes me a Volvo driver who enjoys rear-wheel-drive and boost.

The clothes, or in this case, the computer, does not make the man…