MikeLawson

August 03, 2010 at 8:20am

What an absurd concept. Apple users are not "the faithful" they are for the most part very satisfied consumers who appreciate the design, stability, interface and ease-of-use that make Apple products so easy an 80 year old grandmother can start using them without making a hundred calls to her grandchildren for help. The only people calling Mac users zealots are PC-users jealous of what we're willing to pay for to enjoy using a system and products that make us happy enough to share our happiness with others looking to stop dealing with the hassles of using Windows. My mother got an iMac 17" three years ago. Since then, her need for support calls from me went from about once a week to about three times a year. No more spamming spyware installed on her, no virus problems, and a GUI that just makes it easier to navigate. No complicated installation processes or uninstalling processes, no problems with setting up printers or other devices, she just plugs things in and most of the time they just work without additional software to install. Its been so easy for her she wonders if she did actually install something and ponders why its working because she didn't have to do all the stuff that used to confuse the heck out of her under XP.

Bottom line, the whole "Cult of Mac" thing is meant to get readers, and meant as a pejorative by snide non-Mac users, ironically who become "converts" to use their term, after a period of putting down the systems, once they realize how much better OS X is over anything from Microsoft. The real stick thrown through their spokes was the move to Intel processors, making the Mac now able to run any OS out there, simultaneously using virtualization, or via Bootcamp, making the Mac machines the most versatile machine and best value for the money. If I want to boot Windows 7 and run a Windows-only game or program, I can do it. If I need to boot Windows because some online site like Quicken Online only works with that horrid Internet Explorer, I can do it. And when I'm done monkeying around on that side, I boot back to the system that works best for me, and laugh at the naysayers.

I too was once a Apple-hater, prior to OS X. I think I had good reason to be one then, but after OS X, and especially after OS X on Intel processors, the whole hating Apple bit no longer holds.

Samuraiartguy

July 29, 2010 at 2:07pm

Well. They may be on to something...

Considering the fact that one of the leading Wired-spawned Apple tech blogs is called "Cult of Mac." And some of us do display something rather resembling zealotry defending the platform and the company. We certainly seem to offend the living p**p out of the Windows, Linux, Android crowd. They call us the Mac or Apple "faithful" and Apple used to have official Apple "Evangelists" as an actual Corporate Title.

And of course, One Infinite Loop can be wrapped up tighter than the Vatican. And Apple of course does very little to discourage either worship ... or obedience. I'm being kind of flip of course, but still the glassy expressions and blown-out eyes of the guys in the "revolutionary and magical" iPad promo videos had that "we drank the kool-aid" look.

That actually WAS kind of disturbing.

seano1

July 29, 2010 at 11:46am

The actual abstract of the paper seems to say that it's more about the use of language then actual religious behaviors.

"Our analysis of the ‘Jesus phone’ clarifies how different groups may appropriate the language and imagery of another to communicate very different meanings and intentions."

CPTKILLER

July 29, 2010 at 9:21am

This paper by these two Academic Idiots at A&M disgusts me. I went to Texas A&M and this demonstrates what happens when publish or perish goes beyond capability to rationally develop useful work. The two jack$$es remind me of the dummies who used to lecture late Tuesday afternoon to hear their own voices! This article is a double insult to Apple Computer and to my religious beliefs. These two idiots need to become trotline bait in the Brazos River.

Ricc

July 29, 2010 at 7:38am

Sure... its a religion. You dont get it do you?
The tech stuff tends to turn people into geeks where they become more concerned about managing its workability...instead of the tech actually enhancing their lives. Look at the gamers slavishly headacheing on the latest graphics cards and ingame settings just to be able to play something thats actually not that great...think how you feel after a fragging session. These are geeks with no lives. Better have a facebook session finding out about whatevers great going on around, partys... girls...ball game at the park with your fav mates...or plan that excuisite trip and book that superb hotel for the coming vacation...if you got kids...more fun stuff to do, things you will never forget...ever...even after you grow old... This world IS beautiful. The tech is there to help you see it. Apple products try to give that..

drkenfp

July 29, 2010 at 6:55am

1. Academics are very good at finding reasons to denigrate and belittle matters of faith. To me, it just highlights their self-centered world view and pettiness. It would be fine with me if they got over it.

2. As a man who is, at this moment, using a MacBook Pro to write this while his wife is dying of cancer 10 feet from him, I can say with some authority: my loyalty to Mac products is NOTHING like my faith in Christ. My faith is orders of magnitude higher than my brand loyalty. Only someone who experiences faith would get that. "He who has ears, let him hear."

Back off the soapbox now. God Bless.
--Ken Franklin

bazaarsoft

July 29, 2010 at 6:44am

There's the fatal flaw with this article.