My grandfather was one of the board of directors at Apple until he passed away a few years ago[2].
[1]I technically didn't work for Apple. I worked for a third party company that did technical support for iOS devices over the phone.
[2]I spent time with my grandpa's cousin a few months ago. He told me about how when my grandpa received the iPhone before anyone else did, he tried everything to test the durability. Including throwing it at the wall, dropping it, banging it on the table. And it wouldn't break. I now wonder how so many people get cracked screens.
Do I go around advertising that I support Apple? Do I condescendingly talk down about alternative computers and mobile devices? Do think I am better than everyone else just because I use some of their products[3]?
[3]I still have not come around to purchasing an iPhone. They're expensive in themselves, and it would cost an extra $40-50 per month for the extra data. I personally don't think it's worth and extra $50 just so that I can check in like an asshole everywhere I go, take pictures of myself anywhere I am and post them on Facebook or Twitter, and look up random facts for the sake of arguing (because I know my shit and am always right in the first place). Besides, you can do all of these things with the current generation of iPod Touch anyway, and most often get WiFi if you're out and about.
No. No. And most certainly, no.
I'm not sure why there is such an ongoing war going on between computer and technology buffs. You have one side, Apple, a collection of pretentious hipsters who think they're better than everyone else. Then you have the other side, PC users, who go out of their way to bitch and moan about all of the flaws with Apple products and the Mac operating system.
Give it a fucking rest already. Nobody gives a giraffe's droppings about which product you use. Nobody ever pulls this nonsense with other brand names either. You know why Coca Cola drinkers never go out of their way to criticize and trash Pepsi? Or why people who shop at Banana Republic don't loathe and frown upon people who shop at Express? Or why people who use Fed Ex don't harass people that use UPS? Or why people who eat at McDonald's don't frown upon Burger King? Or why people who take Tylonal don't nitpick about how effective Advil is? Or why people who use Duracell batteries don't think they're better than people who use Energizer batteries? Or why Durex condom users don't brag to Trojan condom users about how much better their condoms feel?
Because nobody gives a fuck.
I use Apple products because I like them. I love the simplicity of Mac OS. I love the graphical user interface. I love the software (although Safari is really beginning to piss me the fuck off, and I've never been big on iTunes). And most of all, I love that I can browse and view as much pornography as I wish without having to worry about viruses. However, I am well aware that Apple and Mac are not for everybody. I most certainly would not recommend their products for everyone. If you're a big online gamer, then you're going to want a PC. If you wish to customize and adjust your software to your specifications, then you're going to want a PC (or a Linux). If you're going to be using your computer, tablet, or whatever perform simple, everyday functions (web browsing, writing, event planning) and don't feel like draining your bank account, then you most certainly will want a PC.
The only other time I ever see brand wars are in two industries: Video games and automobiles. Even then, they're at least a little more defensible and more friendly than computers. For instance, Nintendo fans know deep down inside that the Wii has turned out to be a disappointment, and that Sony Playstation 3 is far superior. But we don't care because at the end of the day, we enjoy our Marios, our Zeldas, our Smash Brothers, our Kirbys, and our Donkey Kongs. It's more of a friendly battle. Sony Playstation 3 gamers don't really care because they know they made the right decision. And I'm pretty certain that nobody respects the opinion of an XBox owner.
And with the automotive industry, it has mainly boils down to the Big Three (Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler) vs. foreign cars (most notably Honda and Toyota). And while even this debate is stupid considering that it mainly roots from this false conception that buying foreign cars eliminates jobs despite the fact that the Big Three have been outsourcing for decades and that a lot of foreign automakers have opened up plants in the United States over the years, it's at least defensible considering that a lot of Americans have either been laid off or is close to someone who was axed from Ford, GM, or Chrysler.
Buy the product you like, and shut the fuck up. Do you know why capitalism is so beautiful? Because it gives people choices. If you don't like product A, then buy product B. Or make a new, superior product. I buy Apple products because I find them easier to use, they're more durable (from my experience at least - I'm typing this up on a 2005 iBook G4), and they're less prone to viruses. Is Apple perfect? Hell no. I cannot fucking stand iTunes, and iPads are a big waste of money. And I'm sure millions of PC users could write entire books on way Mac OS is garbage, and why Windows and/or Linux is the way to go. But you know what? I don't give a damn. So enjoy your personal computers, and I'll enjoy my Apple, and we can all get along.
