[P1] I have to find out what it is.

[Fred Stevens K2FRD]

I'll add my thanks for articulating what we MacFolk feel for our 
machines. I am a relative latecomer into the Mac scene (since 1997), 
but am now on my 3rd Mac. I felt pain when I had to throw out my old 
IIvx, faithful as it was, but I'm moving and am disposing of a lot of 
beloved treasures. However, I put my old (and still working) PM 7300 
(heavily upgraded to G3/400, 368mb RAM) into storage after carefully 
packing it into a padded carton; reason and future use for it unknown.

My love affair with Macs is sometimes taken to extremes and I get 
very, very defensive about my Mac and Apple in general to the degree 
that I have stood up in front of audiences and lectured them about 
the greatness and attributes of Macs when someone has tried to put 
them down. And, I froth at the mouth if anyone says anything negative 
about Macs in the same sentence that they try to elevate Windows and 
PCs.

I even treat my two laptops differently:  I am very careful, tender, 
and gentle when I move my iBook into its carrycase and travel with 
it. But, I just throw my Dell Latitude into its case and toss it into 
the back of the car without a second thought. It's like having a 
pretty and talented daughter whom I favor over a troublesome stepson 
who will never amount to much. I just hope my Dell doesn't have 
feelings...

Fred

At 23:09 -0800 05/11/03, Gloria Vogel wrote:
>Bravo!  This says it all.  Thank you for putting it into words, you 
>truly said it succinctly and beautifully.  It is exactly the way I 
>have felt about each one of the Macs I formed a connection with over 
>the years, beginning with an Apple my late husband acquired in the 
>70's because it had a keyboard and he had been using an early home 
>computer  which had to be operated with toggle switches.  I could 
>relate to the keyboard but certainly not to the toggle switches and 
>was ecstatic when he got the Apple.  Thanks again.
>
>On Wednesday, November 5, 2003, at 10:40 PM, e.mkeene wrote:
>
>>>My goodness Mac vets, there has to be something about this machine to make =
>>>you act this way ;). I have to find out what it is.
>>
>>Back in July 1999, a noted computer columnist, Walter Mossberg had 
>>that same problem. He had been at the MacWorld Expo in NYC when the 
>>first iMac was introduced. After he left the Expo, he wrote a 
>>column about his experiences and his puzzlement. He said that he 
>>was fascinated by the Mac user's attachment to Macs and wanted to 
>>understand what powered it. So he stood behind the row of iMacs and 
>>watched the user reactions to the computers. He saw each person 
>>approach the computer, smile when they got close, reach out to 
>>gently touch it, smile wider and get a soft glow on their faces, 
>>Then they touched the mouse and started using the computer. At that 
>>point, he saw their entire face erupt into what he called a vision 
>>of pure joy. He still couldn't figure out what generated this 
>>response and was even more puzzled.
>>
>>He waited until the computer bank was almost deserted and tried it 
>>himself but still not answers. All the way home, it haunted him. 
>>Why couldn't he figure it out? Was there a magic incantation or 
>>something that happened to users? When he got home and sat down at 
>>his PC to write this puzzling column about this mysterious 
>>response, he finally had a revelation. He said out of a clear blue 
>>sky, he suddenly understood what was happening to Mac people: they 
>>had a relationship with their computer. It was not a piece of 
>>machinery or a tool, it was a trusted and beloved friend. He said 
>>as he realized this, he also realized that PC people never had this 
>>type of relationship with their computers. He also realized that he 
>>never would get that kind of feeling or have that relationship with 
>>his computer and he felt a tear or two run down his cheek as he 
>>realized how sad that made him feel.
>>
>>Since then, he has test many new Mac products and adores the 
>>"sunflower" iMac and ipods.
>>
>>When you made your comments about Macs, it was the same thing as if 
>>you had called our significant others, inferior or defective. It's 
>>the old adage, I can talk about my family, my boyfriend, my 
>>husband, but don't you dare criticize that person in my presence. 
>>You "attacked" our friend, whether you intended to or not, and you 
>>got immediate backlash from it. You came to our party and 
>>criticized our guest of honor, how did you expect us to react?
>>
>>Had you said instead, this is my first mac and with my pc, I am 
>>used to doing............, how can I do it with a Mac? You would 
>>have had all the help and suggestions you could have ever wanted. 
>>But when you said, your mac doesn't do the things my pc does so 
>>well or better, well, as you found out, those are fighting words, 
>>you are dissing our friend at our party and you became an immediate 
>>gate crasher and ungrateful guest.
>>
>>Now do you begin to understand? We are not particularly interested 
>>in how many people buy and use Macs, we are more interested in how 
>>many people love and enjoy their Macs, warts and all. Just like an 
>>eccentric relative, some Macs are more lovable than others, some 
>>are a bit quirkier but eccentric relatives just as valued and loved 
>>as "normal" relatives. Sometimes, the eccentricity  of a person 
>>makes them even more endearing, Well, sometimes the Mac 
>>eccentricities make us more protective of that Mac also. Macs have 
>>personalities. Sometimes they fit us like a glove, sometimes, they 
>>irritate us beyond endurance but they still enable us to feel 
>>powerful and empowered because they will always let us be more than 
>>we are without them.
>>
>>Some of us use Macs to keep in touch with a community if we are 
>>housebound. Some of us use Macs to earn the income we need to 
>>survive or thrive. Some of us use Macs to perform tasks we could 
>>not do without a Mac. I am not a good artist but I yearn to be. 
>>With a Mac, some simple software, some time and inspiration, I have 
>>created some really good pieces of art. I have become a bit more of 
>>who I want to be because of my Mac.
>>
>>I suggest you pick something you want to do that is just a bit more 
>>than you and ask your Mac to help you get there. It will be a great 
>>journey for both of you.


-- 
73 de Fred Stevens K2FRD
http://home.stny.rr.com/k2frd/K2FRD.htm