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Overnight Open Thread: Computer Wars (genghis)

Sub-headline: “Apple fans mark 25 years of Mac devotion.”

Mac users have always been a dedicated and close-knit community. Some would say obsessive, and perhaps even cult-like. There’s also a strong undercurrent of politics involved, in that Mac users tend to come from a particular side of the political spectrum. It’s been noted before and is quite evident once again in this article at CNN.com.

”The Apple Inc. watershed product entered American consciousness amid fanfare, with a $1.5 million commercial, made by Ridley Scott, wowing audiences during Super Bowl XVIII. The piece's title, "1984," invoked author George Orwell's message and stood as a warning against conformity.”

This was in the Dark Ages of the Reagan dictatorship, which we shall never speak of again. Never mind the complete misreading of Orwell, but I think most of us who survived that shameful period in American history remember the death camps that “non-conformists” had to endure or die in. Let’s soldier on though:

”The extremes to which people have gone in their love and loyalty for Apple (and specifically Macs) knows no bounds. Perhaps no one knows this better than Leander Kahney, news editor at Wired.com and author of Cult of Mac,as well as the more recently published Inside Steve's Brain. That would be Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' brain, of course.”

“From his phone in a San Francisco coffee shop, Kahney told tales of people allotting their limited vacation time to Macworld conferences, a man who has traveled to 40 Apple store openings and those who shaved Apple logos into their heads. As for the Apple tattoos, those, at first, really bothered him.”

“"I'm a bit of a leftie," he said. The idea of "corporate worship" didn't initially sit well with him -- although he's not afraid to admit his own obsession. "It's a very deep relationship people have with their computers. ... If the computer's not working, it's more important than the car breaking down."”

I rest my case. No grudge against the Mac…it’s a fine system and much easier to use in many ways than a Windows-based box, but the users of Mac tend to have, as mentioned above (and in the article) a near cult-like devotion to their infernal thinking machines. Just sayin.’ Feel free to have a steel-cage style death match in the comments below regarding operating systems. I’m sure no one has an opinion about them. Or whatever else rises to the top of your addled brains. I’ve added a tip-line to the ever-present disclaimer below in case you want to contribute.

Also, Skittle privileges are restored since you behaved yourself in last night’s open thread.

”Skittles: Taste the rainbow. Also the unicorn, hope and change. Which are equally tasty. (Unicorn tastes like the McRib fwiw. You just have to sauce them right.)”

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