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The Different Types of Computer Users |
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 Recently I have encountered, either online or in person, several types of computer users, many of which have annoyed me greatly. Allow me to describe some of the people I have met:
The Worker Bee - Mainly office workers, school teachers and administrators. These people use Windows daily but know virtually nothing about it. They check thier mail with Outlook, broswe the net with IE, type their documents in Word and otherwise use almost no other applications. They also think it is perfectly normal to reboot your computer several times a day if need be. They truly think all operating systems act the same and thus would rather stay with Windows because it's what they know. They have heard of viruses, spyware etc. but really don't know what they are or how to deal with them. These are the mindless sheep of the modern computing world. Sadly millions of people fall into this category.
The Elderly - These are old people who are afraid of their computers. Like the natives who first met English settlers they distrust what they do not understand. Deep down inside they too are afraid that the magic looking glass will steal their soul. Thus they can only do certain task by memorizing the exact steps to accomplish said task and never deviate from what they know. For example, they check their mail at Yahoo but that is the only site they ever visit on the web. Think of these as the old crazy sheep from above. Many can be found in Florida.
The Arrogant Window User - This person actually thinks Windows is the best operating system ever created. Most often they are heavy gamers. When asked why they think this, every one will answer "because everyone uses Windows". If pressed as to why they have never considered a Mac, they will say with utmost confidence that "there are no applications for the Mac". These people tend to know very little about how their operating system actually works but rarely does this stop them from annoying the rest of us. Also, they tend to repress the memories of the blue screen of death and all of the other numerous problems that Windows generates. Think of these people as the loud annoying guy at the party that thinks he is cool but really isn't.
The Informed Windows User - These are getting harder and harder to spot. These people tend to be Windows developers and/or system admins. When asked why they use Windows they tend to reply "its a job". Fewer and fewer of these people are actually excited about their operating system and even fewer actually enjoy using it. Think of these people as the repo-man. They really don't like their job but they do it because it pays decent.
The Linux Guy - This person can normally be spotted quite easily. These are the people whose weekends are always free. They enjoy being able to do things to their computer that most normal people have no need for and probably don't even know exist. The majority of their vocabulary is comprised of acronyms. The quickest way to provoke these otherwise docile folk into rage is to utter the following sentance: "I think (pick one) KDE/Gnome sucks balls". You will then be treated to a 2 hour conversation about how KDE/Gnome is much better than KDE/Gnome and here are all 4,000 reasons why. An odd breed they are best left to their own world.
The Eternal Whiner (my personal favorite) - These are the people I hate the most. They are the ones that whine for YEARS about how bad Windows is. Yet, when you say, "Why don't you get something else?" you will be treated to the long list of reasons why they could never switch operating systems. These range from "it's all I know how to use" to "well, none of my applications are available on" (pick one) "Unix/Linux/OS X/OS/2 Warp". When you mention to them that 90% of the people who use computers in this country only use their machine to check email, get online and type documents you are met with a blank stare. When you press the issue and say Outlook, IE and the MS Office suite are on the Mac they begin to whine again about how they would have to learn a new system. These people are impervious to logic and can give you a heart attack with their stupidity. [Personal note] I have actually had a conversation with a person that went very similar to this:
Me - "I love OS X, it is much better than XP."
Him - "Macs suck."
Me - "Have you installed SP2?"
Him - "Yeah, but I had to uninstall it because it kept crashing XP."
Me - "Um, OS X never does that, maybe you should try Mac."
Him - "Macs suck."
Me - "Yes, obviously."
When dealing with these people you must resist the urge to beat them half to death.
The Eternal Optimist - These people are the upgraded version of the Eternal Whiner. They too whine about how bad Windows is, and they too believe that one day things will get better. They truly belive that Microsoft is just one more update, one more upgrade, one more patch or one more operating system away from magically fixing everything. These are the people who see Longhorn as their salvation. They really believe that the "next one" will really work and that all of those "other ones" that sucked, they were just accidents. But this time Bill will get it right. This time everything will be ok. This time all of that spyware and viruses and everything else will just disapper and they can live happily ever after. These are the same people who think the Clippers will make it to the playoffs each year.
The Supercilious Mac User - I was going to say arrogant but that word just doesn't do "us" justice. And by "us" I mean most of the people who read this site. The SMU tends to look down on Windows users (for obvious reasons) and is often accused of being exceedingly arrogant. Which we counter by saying "it's not that we are arrogant its just we know we are right." We aren't mean out of spite, we just realize that the choice others have made, well, sucks. Sorry, but there you go. Life's tough and then you die, no sense in making the experience any worse then you have to.
So, which type are you? |
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February 24 2005, 9:57 AM EDT, by |
Comments:
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| Jonahan |
2/24/05, 10:04 AM EDT |
Wow this is great. I think a lot of these are breaking down their resistance to the Mac. For instance, if we'd have posted a story like this 2 years ago, the flames in the comments would be vitrolic.
Also, it's hard to be an opinionated Mac geek, without being an ARROGANT opinionated Mac geek. I think we do a pretty good job of that here at 2 Guys ;-)
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| Yacko |
2/24/05, 1:25 PM EDT |
The worker bee and elderly categories have much in common. Dunno if elderly is the right age break. Shouldn't this be (and its hard to give a specific age) most anyone 35 and older? Some are worker bees, some are family oriented, some do both but almost all are MS specific. And many memorize, or keep carefully written crib sheets of steps, or Video Professor et al. Apple should target teen through late 20s and assume the rest belong to a past history that it cannot rewrite. Better to get a family to switch by appealing to younger family members or a business to switch through the young and newly promoted. It isn't about wooing a specific person but breaking the cycle of failure.
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| Axis |
2/24/05, 2:15 PM EDT |
I use XP, Hate me for it if you will but, I truly do not know a lot about Macs, And I do a lot of gaming so sure throw me in your "The Arrogant Window User" group but witha little less emphasis on the arrogant eh? I'm getting a comp for college and; I'd still like to be able to play alot of the games I do; what all does a mac do that makes it so great?
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| Axis |
2/24/05, 2:19 PM EDT |
So sorry to double post but it couldnt be avoided ;), I've actually had a conversation with a mac user, he was trying to convince me to get one and frankly, his reasons were no good, I didn't say so at the time but almost everything he mentioned about Mac's superiority could also be done on XP, except for a few superflous details that interest me not.
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| Jeff |
2/24/05, 2:23 PM EDT |
As an iMac G5 user of about three weeks with vitually no other Mac exposure prior to that, I must say, Windows really does suck. I was a hard core, card carrying Windows user for years but I'm shocked... macs are beautiful to use and are shockingly simple to operate while not being simplistic. People are crazy not to use Macs.
Looking back I can't believe how much MS punishes it's users. XP is like a barrel of honey... once your in it, your stuck. OS X is perfect... or pretty darn close.
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| schizzylogic |
2/24/05, 3:12 PM EDT |
Re: Axis...
Well anyone who starts naming off features and functions when trying to compare operating systems is walking down a one-way street to no where.
There's not much you can do on one that you can't do on the other. It's really not about the end result, it's about the path you walk to get there. The philosophies behind method and design come from completely different viewpoints.
Everything Apple does always starts at it's most basic form and is then expanded on from there. The products tend to end up more elegant, less cluttered. Get small details first, then build up from there and add features. This is intuitive to human nature... (Apple's babies; crawl, walk, jump, run, etc.)
On the other hand, Microsoft's products tend to try and have "everything including the kitchen sink" feature sets all at once. They concentrate on getting as many features into a product as possible to try and please everyone. By doing that, they create cluttered, bloated products that are counter-intuitive and just plain frustrating to use sometimes. (Microsoft's babies; out of the womb running, but tend to trip over themselves a lot and end up with a bunch of bruises and a few broken bones, which may get fixed later)
Now I know that didn't really help convince you to buy a Mac over a PC (and quite frankly,since you're a gamer, I don't think you'll ever be happy with a Mac until these damned game companies take the time to optimize the games for OS X and PowerPC and not just "port" them over), but then again, maybe a Mac just isn't the best choice for you?
You really should talk to people who have switched from Windows to Mac. They're the ones that will really be able to tell the advantages or disadvantages. Usually you'll hear things like, "easier, beautiful, makes more sense, just works, simple but powerful, works better" More than likely you'll never hear about system specs. Unlike in the PC world, specs aren't everything, and sometimes they really don't mean a damned thing on a Mac.
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| jstoup |
2/24/05, 3:31 PM EDT |
To Axis:
I appreciate your question and it is nice to know that you do want to learn a little more about Apple stuff. Let me give you a quick list of reasons why you should use OS X and then another list of why you should use XP. Look to see which you do more of and pick the corresponding OS.
You should buy a Mac if you do any of the following regularly:
-Record your own music (i.e. you have a band)
-Make your own home movies
-Make proffessional grade movies
-Extensively edit and archive digital photos
-Code in C,C++,Objective C or Java
-Develop software for Unix/Mac
-Regularly encounter viruses
-Regularly encounter spyware
-Use distributed computing (i.e. clusters)
-Network large number of machines (i.e. 50+ with sys admin required)
-Ease of use is important to you
You should buy XP if you do any of these things regularly:
-Play cutting edge games as soon as they are released
-Play extensive library of games made for windows in the last 10 years
-Use windows only applications
-Develop for windows platform
-Use music service other than iTunes
Ok, so it boils down to this: You should use Mac if you don't play a lot of games, create lots of multimedia type stuff, want an OS that is very intuitive and are worried about security.
You should buy Windows if you must play the latest game and you are tied into some Windows specific application at your job or at your school.
OS X's main strength is in its ease of use and its security. XP's main strength is in its wide list of available software.
I can't stress enough how secure OS X is. There are no known virus for OS X currently. There are only 60 or so known threats total for Mac. This is compared to about 60,000 viruses for Windows. The built in fire wall of OS X is very good as is its seperation of services. This means that if one user is infected then that person cannot damage any of the other users. Remember, OS X is built on Unix, and Unix has had security in mind for a very long time.
If you would like more reasons, further analysis of your options or if you have some more questions that you would like answered you can email me at [email protected] and I can fill you in on why you should use Mac. Hope this helps. Oh, and these aren't all of the reasons by far, just the main ones.
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| nhmacusr |
2/24/05, 3:53 PM EDT |
Axis:
As a technical professional, there is no better platform hands down. I have been using Unix/Linux and Windows for hte better part of 20 years now. Having an operating system based on BSD Unix has brought everything together under one roof so to speak. I get to leverage open source tools and the ease of development in a Unix environemnt. Aqua, the Mac OS X GUI and the iLife apps (there is no better suite of tools for the home user out there) are just icing on the cake. Also, the gaming excuse is becoming less and less of an issue as more and more people are switching to console gaming machines. The more and more games are getting there first and the machines are sold at a price point where PCs and Macs both can't compete.
Also, you cannot beat Apple's quality in construction. The products are a pleasure to use because they are built that way. Apple products don't have the clunky feel of PCs. I know that seems more aesthetic, but if you spend a lot of time on the computer, it makes a difference.
Also, to add to jstoup, if you like to tinker with your hardware, get a PC. There isn't much to tinker with when you get a Mac. There is no need, the machine is set right out of the box.
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| nhmacusr |
2/24/05, 3:55 PM EDT |
Oh and I'm three users rolled into one:
informed windows user
Linux Guy
The Supercilious Mac User
I did learn how to code using basic on an Apple II you know. ;)
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| minty |
2/24/05, 11:07 PM EDT |
More and more Windows users are falling into a category brushed on lightly. They are eternal whiners, but instead of whining about XP, they praise the Mac.
Hellooooooooo Mac mini.
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| Gyre |
2/25/05, 8:00 AM EDT |
I was checking a Mac G4 tower for a local church. They had it for quite a while, and were barely using it, but were thinking about doing some video work and wanted to know if they should upgrade it.
When I pulled the ring handle on the side, and it just layed open... The collective gasp was audible. That was just the Industrial Design of the machine. Can you imagine what they are going to do when they realize how incredible OS X is...
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| Cropsy |
2/25/05, 11:36 AM EDT |
I am a hybrid of the Informed Windows User and Supercilious Mac User - I'm a sysadmin for a 200 machine Windows 2000/XP network, and I'm turning into a Mac evangalist on the side.
It's true, you know, Windows truly does suck. Or maybe it's just the users. Either way, I can't stand it. I get Windows users in front of OS X for a couple of hours, and they start asking, "Why can't my computer do that?", or "How much does one of these cost?"
I don't think OS X's market share will ever get as big as Windows, but the combined front of Linux / OS X is going to do some serious damage to Microsoft's OS business.
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| Rob C. |
2/25/05, 12:07 PM EDT |
Need one more catagory needed,
"The Mac Yuppy"...
Someone who may or maynot know much about Mac's in general but purchased their geer mainly because it's "Stylish"
hehe.
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| Axis |
2/25/05, 2:29 PM EDT |
Thank you all ;) I can see what your saying about macs and I DO get a fair share of Viruses/Spyware but these are both manageable... I'll stick with XP for now (mostly because gaming is what I use my computer for) but I'll definetly keep my mind open to the Mac =), And who knows? Maybe someday games will be made (always) that able to operate on both systems right out of the box.
-Thanks again
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| nhmacusr |
2/25/05, 2:59 PM EDT |
Axis:
Keep your eyes open while you are still a student. Apple has been a key player in the education market for years and offers educational pricing for students. Every once in a while, they dig a little deeper in that arena. They offer discounts on everything from software to iPods to G5 PowerMacs.
Just thought I would mention it.
Rob C.:
I like the Mac Yuppy category :)
I would add that they can't work on the computer without a latte close by. ;)
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| oldman |
2/26/05, 9:46 PM EDT |
This is the very first day, the first day for me thinking about a Mac. Ahhh I rem the good ole days. Remember when the storage device was a tape? I do. Remember when the black screen was all there was...DOS. DOS, 95, 98, ME, and now Xp. Once upon a time, Microsoft wasn't so bad. Now, for this old timer, they have crossed the line. I had to call "Microsoft" recently for some help on a Xp OEM that would not load. I'm sure the lady was very nice on the other end. The Indian lady, in India, that is. I could not hear her, I could not understand her. Today, I found out that if I install a new mobo and cpu in my mobo, there is a very good chance I will have to reactivate winders. If I have to call that lady back to get the 50 required numbers to be able to use what I already paid for and had working, well, I don't think so.
Tell me about Macs. I really want to know. Can an ole guy like me handle a Mac?
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| DJLC |
2/27/05, 4:33 PM EDT |
Definitely! The older group of people love Macs. IF you can use Windows, you can get a Mac. Just go to an Apple Store, and I'm sure you can get used to using one of their Macs and maybe buy one.
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| nhmacusr |
2/28/05, 8:58 AM EDT |
oldman,
Macs are intuitively easier to use than PCs. In addition, everything you need is right there in the box. You won't need to get anything else. Try looking at the iMac series. Also think very seriously on what you want to do with your new Mac. Visit these pages often (The forums can be a great resource as well as the forums over at http://www.yourmaclife.com).
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