tom k&e said:
Srsly tho, as fun as mocking jaed is, I think I know why people get so agitated about this.
Choice of system is an investment. It's an investment of cash, not only in the computer itself, but also in the software and peripherals to go with it. And it's an investment of time, familiarising yourself with the user interface, and at a more advanced level, the hardware, administration troubleshooting, etc.
Changing to another system is expensive and complicated. Most people can't afford the time or money involved in owning & using multiple platforms. So they want to feel they've made the right choice, that they've not made an idiotic mistake. As such, they get involved in bun fights, convincing themselves of their own argument.
I agree with this, but don't think it justifies some of the bullshit.
Sure, we all like to get positive reinforcement about things we spend our hard-earned money on. It's a bit depressing to realize, after you've spent a grand, that your latest and greatest gadget isn't as good as the other one you could have bought, or that it doesn't do what you wanted it to do.
But there is a qualitative difference between this type of justification/rationalization and the attitude that some computer warriors display. For these morons, the world seems to be some sort of zero-sum game; positive reinforcement about their own product isn't enough, and they are only satisfied is they can spend time denigrating other people's choices.
Not only that, for these people the whole positive reinforcement/negative criticism thing goes beyond a simple desire to justify amounts of money spent or simple stuff like that. These folks seem to have their very identity tied up in their computer; it's not a tool, but some sort of penis extension that they need to measure against the next person's. The OP's use of the word "wanky" in the thread title is apposite, in my opinion.
The worst thing about the whole phenomenon, though, is not that some people get so personally caught up in this issue, but that they feel the need to make snide comments about it whenever the opportunity arises. If someone starts a thread titled "Which is better, Mac or Windows?" then it's understandable that people will weigh in on either side of the argument, and that the debate might get a little heated. If, however, someone starts a thread asking "Should i go for an Intel or AMD chip for my new Windows box?" then marching in simply to say "Windows is teh suxx0r; get a Mac, doooood" is idiotic, and is indicative, in my opinion, of the sort of overidentification that i mentioned above.
jæd said:
If people want to use any one of the platforms then bully for them.
If you were really this sanguine about the whole thing, you wouldn't ask stuff like:
jæd said:
Out of interest, can any one really defend Windows...? Does anyone really use a Windows PC through informed choice...?
This is more than just a commentary on an operating system; it's essentially an accusation that anyone who uses Windows is uninformed at best, and more likely an idiot.
Even your G5-powered, Jobs-worshipping brain must realize, somewhere deep in its core, that many people do, in fact, make informed choices when deciding on Windows computers, that there are people who know the benefits and drawbacks of the various systems and make their choices accordingly.
I'd call your attitude elitism, but genuine elitism should be backed by some worthwhile quality or aptitude. The ability to choose a different consumer product doesn't really qualify.
- and now Safari is giving me shit and won't let me edit or quote threads. Fucking Macs! 
