Why Apple Fanboys Do More Harm Than Good

Published  August 18th, 2010

I grew up in the PC world. PCs did what I needed them to do and there usually wasn't a problem I couldn't handle. I defragmented my hard-drive, did disk error checking when necessary, and if my computer was really acting up, I just re-formatted the hard drive and put on a fresh installation of Windows. I was content with what the PC world was offering me.

MacBooks were always an available option, but I thought they were overpriced, underpowered, and the applications I needed weren't available on OSX.

The first myth is that they're underpowered. The hardware specs between a PC and a MacBook aren't analogous because Apple wrote the OS (Dell doesn't) so the hardware is streamlined and therefore doesn't require as much horsepower to get the job done efficiently. The applications are there, they just have different names. The price...well they can become expensive as you climb the model ladder but the base-line models are affordable. So why did I wait so long to get one if I de-bunked the common misconceptions early on? Those damn Apple fanboys.

After I bought my MacBook and brought it out in front of people, I received those glances. Those 'oh, you are one of those people' glances. I knew exactly why they were giving me those glances - I had gone over to the dark side in their eyes. I didn't blame them for giving me those looks, I perfectly understood why and I often found myself attempting to defend the purchase. I would tell them I was a PC user my entire life and I wasn't a fanboy, but it wasn't enough to convince them. This is because Apple fanboys are the most arrogant technology bullies that ever roamed the planet. No matter what product Apple releases and how good it actually is, fanboys swear up-and-down how 'revolutionary' the product is and how much better it is than everything else on the market. What they don't realize is that it's not for everyone.

The Mac and PC dichotomy is similar to that of Android and iOS. If you want to customize every facet of your software and root your OS easily without having to worry about jailbreaking and constant patches, it's probably best you choose an Android device over an iPhone. If your focus isn't something creative and your primary use of your computer is tailored to something Windows does great such as Microsoft Office, enterprise applications or even computer games, then Windows makes more sense. Apple products aren't for everyone.

Fanboys repelled me from Apple products and I didn't realize how cool MacBooks were until my cousin purchased one and I kept noticing cool features such as Spaces or Exposé. I think if people are given the opportunity to explore the product without outside bias they are more likely to convert because Apple's products have the ability to sell themselves. Once someone plays around and figures out a cool feature or two on their own, the person can typically see the value in the product.

So if you're a fanboy and you really want to preach to non-Apple users and try and convert them, know who you're talking to and know when to not shove a pro-Apple narrative down someone's throat. If you don't, you're probably doing more harm than good in converting them.