Here's one conversation element that really drives me nuts:
Me: Are you running insert common software category here on your PC?
Mac User [but I didn't know it]: I don't have a PC, I have a Mac.
Oh really? A Mac isn't a Personal Computer? I've never heard anyone say, "I don't have a PC, I have a Dell." Wouldn't that be the same thing?
I have no idea why "PC" has any connotation towards the Windows platform, and I certainly don't say it with any connection to any platform. It's quite simple, really: a PC is a personal computer. It could be an HP running Windows XP. It could be an old Acer running Ubuntu Linux. It could be a Gateway running Windows 98. It could be an Apple (gasp!). It could even be a Commodore 64 (though in that case, I'm probably not having the above conversation over BitWise).
Macs totally rock, but I'm sorry, they don't deserve a whole separate word / category of computer. Anyone using a Mac as a workstation is using it as a PC.
I feel much better now, thank you. :)
Yeah, but how does one differ a PC from Mac? I'd be curious to know!
I'm doing a report for school labled "Mac Vs. PC". I agree a Mac IS a PC, but it's different :-)
Yes, well, it's the "I don't have a PC" part of the comment that bothers me. What's wrong with just making the statement, "I have a Mac." It would convey the same information without the holier-than-thou attitude. ;)
Yes, Kevin, I agree with your understanding of PC term but... http://www.apple.com/uk/smallbusiness/mac_pc/
So, is the problem with user or with manufacturer ?
ABX
>>What's wrong with just making the statement, "I have a Mac." It would convey the same information without the holier-than-thou attitude. ;)
That says it all. No further comment is necessary. Game, set, match.
Yet...
The "PC vs. Mac" argument is a real dinosaur. You see, "PC" used to mean "IBM Personal Computer" back before I had grey hair. Since IBM more or less got knocked out of the desktop business, computer users long ago adoped "PC" as a generic acronym for "personal computer". Mac users, being very clannish, sensitive, and defensive, were having none of it. They refused to let go. To them, "PC" is still the Devil that threatens their existence. They need to get over it. I have nothing against Mac. I would love to have one of those thin 17" laptops, if only someone would give me one. Hey, I would even play around on a desktop... if someone would donate one to me. :)
As I said, there's nothing else to say on the subject. :)
Apparently the problem is with Apple, who is perpetuating this horrible trend. The days of the original IBM PC are indeed long over, and it's time to move on.
That Mac vs. PC page should be Mac vs. Windows. Crimony. It's not like every non-Mac "PC" runs Windows. What about Linux? I can run that on my "PC" too.
Just because the term "PC" literally stands for Personal Computer doesn't mean that the connotations its evolved through daily usage aren't important. I hope you're just kidding around, because if you're seriously suggesting that people start to get it in their heads that Macs are a proper subset of PCs you might as well try to get US citizens to adopt the metric system.
The term "pop" when discussing music literally stands for Popular (a description devoid of any genre denotation), but it has evolved connotations that tell the listener a speaker is talking about music that actually sounds a certain way. If a rap song becomes popular, it isn't described as pop music, and to suggest it be described that way would be pretty silly.
While it's true that connotations arise and evolve, it also doesn't mean I can't think they're stupid. :) Am I kidding? The post was half-serious, half kidding--I think what bothers me most is the typical "holier than thou" attitude that sometimes goes with such statements, which of course is hard to detect (or not) over IM. I still don't see why the statement, "I have a Mac" wouldn't be sufficient.
You know, props to IBM for their marketing on commandeering the term PC...
In any event, pretend you were reading a Dvorak column, maybe that helps put the correct "spin" on it.