Ted Howard

Paul Graham has an essay on identity that hypothesizes one source of those never-ending arguments that we’ve all been involved in at one point.

I think what religion and politics have in common is that they become part of people’s identity, and people can never have a fruitful argument about something that’s part of their identity. By definition they’re partisan.

Apple started the OS identity labeling with the "I’m a Mac. I’m a PC" ads. Microsoft had their "I’m a PC" campaign. I have only recently seen how strong this emotional involvement in a technology choice can be.

Before moving to San Francisco, I had never seen such adoration of one company (Apple) or disrespect for another company (Microsoft).

It’s harmless when someone’s self-image is effected by their own brand choices (“I’m hip because of these Adidas shoes.”). When the values that someone associates with a brand are projected onto those using that brand, problems can arise. Around SF, Apple (and Open Source) is viewed as superior which means Mac users are smart. Microsoft is viewed as inferior which means Windows users made a bad choice.

I sometimes see Mac users reconcile their instinct to respect others with their disrespect for Microsoft by assuming that the person using Windows was tricked or forced into using it. They pity the Windows user. Other times Windows users are looked down upon similar to how a high-end designer might view my clothing choices. All of these reactions, positive and negative, are a form of prejudice.

I’ve begun to view Mac users as snobbish and arrogant. This should be clear from the blatant generalizations in this post.  I now tend to assume that Mac users fit the stereotype and will disparage my choice of Windows. I feel like opening a Dell in a coffee shop full of Macs would almost elicit looks of pity or disrespect. I didn’t feel this way in Seattle.

My laptop has become a reflection of my inner self, at least in the eyes of others.

ps. Just to be clear, I would be pleased to be proven wrong about these prejudices.

pps. A smattering of related anecdotes:

Eric Ries in writing about the types of values users get from virtual goods specifically calls out Apple as creating goods whose values are driven by what he calls "Identity Value." He may not have been invoking Paul Graham’s use of the word Identity, but it meshes nicely.

TechFlash asked shoppers in Seattle if they would go to a Microsoft store. Most comments were well-reasoned. The one comment that I found to be most similar to the attitude I’ve seen down here included “Boo, Microsoft. I would not shop there. I am a hard-core Apple girl.”

Multiple companies around San Francisco proudly advertise to potential employees that they are a Mac-only company. It seems odd to me that offering a Mac is better than offering a choice. Why no proud Windows-only companies?