November 28, 2007
Why I’m relieved I work on a Mac
Last week I tried to sort out Steve’s computer. Steve’s PC is 8 years old, has 256 MB’s RAM and is running Windows XP. He runs Norton Antivirus, MacAfee, has two anti-spyware programs and downloads all of the windows updates and security patches and surprisingly, given its age, his laptop runs fine. Unfortunately, Steve is a trusting guy. While browsing the net 2 weeks ago a message appeared on his screen telling him that his computer might be infected and he should download a program which would confirm this and clean his machine. Steve doesn’t know he’s not supposed to use Internet Explorer 7. Steve doesn’t know that if something pops up on his screen he should not necessarily believe what it says. Steve doesn’t know that Firefox stops malicious popups which, if he were to click on them (and boy, did he click on them), it would install some very-difficult-to-remove adware on his computer and slow it down to a crawl (worse than a crawl, actually. Time runs backwards when using his laptop. I actually gained an extra 40 minutes of life while working on it).
Steve first suspected something was wrong when he was chatting to a friend in the States on MSN and wrote, “When I get back I’m going to need to buy a mattress.” 30 seconds later, a window popped up offering him GREAT DEALS ON MATTRESSES!!! This initiated a conflict between Steve’s trusting self and the invasive message he read…a conflict which was resolved by – and this is important, as it is the first lesson which most Windows users who don’t know how to hack the registry need to learn – don’t trust your Windows computer. Be suspicious. If it tells you something, don’t believe it. Especially if it looks like a popup.
Steve is from another generation. He gets the basics – emails, word processing, internet. Now he has just learnt why he should not trust his PC. I’m sad for him. Losing trust in something is never a pleasant experience.
Which is why he should trust another Steve and switch to a Mac. It’s not just that Mac’s don’t give you annoying popups – Mac’s allow you to trust them. And trust is important, which is why the philosophers tell us that the challenge for the post-postmodern world is to move from a hermeneutic (i.e. how we interpret reality) of suspicion (the default Windows user requirement) to a hermeneutic of trust (the default Mac experience).
And that’s why I’m relieved I work on a Mac – it’s just so far ahead of the rest of the world.
Technorati Tags: Apple, postmodernism, Mac
Comments(6)
Roger Saner is a web platform developer (using 
Very true. I trust my ibook with everything important since I’ve never had a days trouble with it whilst my PC only gets trusted with frivolous things because it is prone to doing wacky unexpected things – even without adware, spyware or viruses.
I only switched to Mac about 4 months ago, but have never had any problems whatsoever – a lot more than I can say for any of my PC’s. I got a MacBook (Black) and its changed my life completely! No fatal errors, frozen screens, hours waiting for the system to boot up, anoying anti-virus programs etc. I will NEVER buy anything but Mac in future again!
Keep up the good work, enjoy your blog thoroughly.
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@thinus: Glad you enjoy the blog! Power to the Mac! (groan)
@Psychotic Cow: do you have a superhero costume to go along with your cool superhero name? I’d love to see it! I too have an iBook. My first problem with it after 3 years of usage was when it stopped working due to a short and fatal fall off a table onto its screen. ::sigh:: But I put humpty dumpty back together again and she works…albeit with a broken screen housing.
ok seriously…. This blog is crap…….
you seriously think that once the world becomes more accustom to the crap that mac is….
that hackers arent going to target this….this mac that I’m typing with? take your heads out of you asses its you guys who give mac uses a bad name … we have been lucky so far for being a minority….shhiiiiiaaaaattttttttt….. you think mac is so ahead that, that is what stops us from getting a VIRUS….
it’s thanks to being that far behind that gives us an upper hand…..
and please correct my grammar, i BEG YOU…
Wonderful contribution to this blog, thanks for coming Pear. I’ll spend all weekend reflecting upon your logic. Thanks again.