Apple as Religious Experience
By Barry Ritholtz - July 24th, 2010, 1:00PM
As a long time Apple fanboy going back to my 1990 Mac Classic, I find this brilliant:
1. a creation myth highlighting the counter-cultural origin and emergence of the Apple Mac as a transformative moment;
2. a hero myth presenting the Mac and its founder Jobs as saving its users from the corporate domination of the PC world;
3. a satanic myth that presents Bill Gates as the enemy of Mac loyalists;
and, finally,4. a resurrection myth of Jobs returning to save the failing company…
>
Source:
The Varieties of Religious Experience: How Apple Stays Divine
Alexis Madrigal
The Atlantic, JUL 23 2010
http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2010/07/the-varieties-of-religious-experience-how-apple-stays-divine/60271/
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July 24th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
I go even further back…My family had an Apple IIe when I was growing up. Thankfully, I was redeemed from a life of sin and wickedness when my uncle bought us a used IBM 286. I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.
July 24th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
PS: Big Brother is, indeed, watching:
WASHINGTON, July 21, 2010 – Buried within a 40 page privacy policy Apple says that it will share location data with its partners. “Apple and our partners and licensees may collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device.”
…
According to Apple’s response, there is an “exchange of information” when you look at a web page. Through what is called “pixel tagging,” they can figure out what parts of a web page you looked at.
http://broadbandbreakfast.com/2010/07/is-apple-big-brother/
July 24th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
I don’t know about any religious feelings, but brand loyalty is very high.
My first was a Apple IIci, with a256MB HD and 20 MB of RAM (unheard of in those days). I’ve stayed with Mac ever since. I have been forced to use PCs — when I work at client sites — but I do believe the Mac is a much better, more elegant tool.
______
f411:
Big Brother is a reality, brought to you by the same people who preach small government. Pretty soon, going off the grid/under the radar will be a felony.
Whoever is trying to figure out what everyone is looking at must watch lots of porn as a byproduct of employment.
July 24th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
“…brought to you by the same people who preach small government…” — Petey
WTF? You don’t think we small government advocates fear Big Brother as much as you do? We fear him more – that’s why we advocate small govt. What’s your Kool-Aid brand, bro?
July 24th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Give me Linux or give me death!
July 24th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
“Personal Computing” was sooooo much more exciting before the internet came along when everything was growing by leaps and bounds. I still miss my TI-99/4A.
July 24th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Have you seen Scott Adams’ iPhone article? Interesting theory…
High Ground Maneuver
July 24th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
You know, Apple Computer and the mythology surrounding it is like God: If it didn’t exist, we’d have to create it.
July 24th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
I don’t do myths. I’m just into Personal Growth.
July 24th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
I’m glad Consumer Reports used my “Duct-Tape-Antenna-Fix” in their recommendation to help perpetuate the Duct-Tape-Myth.
July 24th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Apple II -> PC -> Linux on PC Hardware about 5 years ago
I cannot imagine going back…
rt
July 24th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Fisher-Price business model for the hands-off types that can live with bricks and PCs for the hod-rod, under-the-hood, hands-on folks. That’s not religion, it’s just riding high and hard.
July 24th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Apple II –> Mac –> Linux (everything i could possible want in a computer)
Everytime I sit down at a mac to help some hapless mac user with their slow/frozen mac I want to scream. The interface is so slow and it takes so many mouse clicks to do the *simplest* things.
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to fix broken software installs on macs. Once the “dmg” point and click (drag to trash) option fails 99% of mac users have no clue how to purge corrupt application bits scattered across *hidden* (‘ef you jobs) directories on their system. Underneath your fancy (slow as molasses) cocoa interface lies bsd unix and gnu utils. Its a pity that these powerful tools are actively hidden from 99% of mac users.
July 24th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
I was always a PC user (since 1987), both at home and at work. However, when it was time to upgrade my home machine two years ago, I bought an iMac (my first Apple product of any sort.)
I went with the Apple purely on aesthetic considerations. Every other desktop machine I saw was an unsightly black sandpaper-grained plastic lump except for the very expensive top-line Sony Vario. I liked the fact that the Apple was made of real aluminum and was silver instead of the ubiquitous black. I also liked the fact that the microphone, speakers and camera were all integrated right into the design. The clincher was that I knew it could run Windows if I disliked the Apple OS.
Two years later, my home desktop is an uncluttered thing of beauty, and I am still running the Apple OS. Frankly, there isn’t that much difference in my experience between the current versions of Leopard and Windows 7 to get to very excited about, other than that I am not so concerned about viruses and malware.
July 24th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
Pounded an Apple II for 11 years running Compu-trac, member 323 if I recall. You put the software chip in the game i/o port to run the program! Still have in the closet. Anyway went PC afterwards because no one at the time was writing tech software for Apple. Now they do but it’s too late. I pound Dell laptops for 3-4 years and get new ones. I use the old ones as backups for my music collection. My 2008 Mac Pro sits at home and I use it only for iMovie. It has had numerous problems with video chips and batteries.
This vid pretty much explains Apple’s current success. (strong language)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL7yD-0pqZg
July 24th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
@Patrick
Best Buy tried to fire the guy that made that vid…Ha!
http://economy.kansascity.com/?q=node/7625
July 24th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
J Kraus Says:
” I am not so concerned about viruses and malware.”
You do that at your own peril. Fact is that the reason Apple has not suffer as much for virus and malware has more to do with simple economics than how secure it is. Hackers and virus writers follow the same law of economics as anyone else. You make products that address the biggest markets. In this case this happens to be Windows. My “forecast” is that you will start to see/read about “apple” attacks on the Iphone and Ipad as they start to dominate that market segment.
A little more on the subject:
“”Mac OS X is like living in a farmhouse in the country with no locks, and Windows is living in a house with bars on the windows in the bad part of town.”
http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Mac-OS-X-safer-but-less-secure-Update-957981.html
July 24th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Myth being the operative word…
Any company that designs a portal as crappy as itunes to match up with a device as amazing as an iphone has issues…
July 24th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
It’s still just an Intel chip :) Perhaps with some software secret sauce.
Last 4 purchases (recent) were Windows – but only for their echo canceller. Would have purchased without an OS if the required application could have handled it. Have been Apple tempted many times….but just can’t bring myself to pay their premium. And I avoid “saviors” who casually explain their ability to own my purchase at whim – even when they profess an inability to do evil.
Now if I can just figure out how to “collect” on this itune giftcard and convert into something that plays on any machine…….(thumb on nose salute)
July 24th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
[...] The Big Picture, an allusion of how the Apple story could have made a nice gospel story: As a long time Apple [...]
July 24th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
franklin411:
re: Big Brother. If you think Dell or any other company is different than Apple, you are kidding yourself.
July 24th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
Who was the only person who was CEO of TWO companies that backdated options? How did that person escape all prosecution, SEC settlements, fines or even media censure?
Answers:
1. ___________
2. DiFi getting the SF US Attorney fired.
July 25th, 2010 at 1:03 am
Was going to send this article to Barry, but thought he might find it insulting. I guess he’s a true believer :)
BTW, found this post while browsing the web using the Windows Phone 7 emulator in the free Windows Phone Developer kit. Was not enthused about Windows Phone 7 til I saw the demo on a phone. Haven’t done any programming and, even that wasn’t much, since VB4 15 years ago. The developer kit walked me through building a simple app in a few minutes. Very impressive. The phone has a “post-App” interface that one-ups Apple and Android in that the basic phone has most of the functionality you use every day w/o having to install any of the apps that you normally would from the appropriate store. Pretty universal approval on the major tech blogs. If they don’t screw up the marketing (probably vain hope), Stevie has something to fear from the tortoise.
July 25th, 2010 at 10:29 am
You can send the article –
I may be a user, but I am not a slobbering fanboy
July 25th, 2010 at 11:42 am
PC guy and computer tech for many years, every time I tried a Mac I hated it. What can I say? I always noted that the problems the PC had kept me and other techs in business, so why complain, lol. And I don’t need a computer as religious experience. I have 3 family members on that road, I just tune out their b.s. And tell them if they need tech support, call each other. :)
July 25th, 2010 at 11:54 am
Let’s stick with the FACTS:
- Apple support isn’t in India, they speak US English.
- You can go to an Apple store and get High Quality Diagnosis On the Spot.
- Apple’s OS is UNIX. It has a 30 year history of being a network, multi-user OS.
- Apple didn’t “Dell” it’s product, cheaper and cheaper components till they break religiously.
- Apples are hard to infect and even harder to propagate to other Macs.
- Apple has higher Software quality control, and a better programming staff.
Microsoft has outsourced to the world and continues to hire employee’s with minimum experience. So that what previous “generations” of programmers took for granted, unit testing, quality control, are Not a Given in the company.
- If you have expertise in another field, like Java or DBA, do you want to spend HOURS figuring out how to use every product you attach to your PC? I don’t have the time to read a 200 page manual on how to get my smart phone features to work. I’ll want to spend 5 minutes looking something up and getting it to work: APPLE.
You say it’s a mythology.
It’s hard work and perfectionism that make the mythology.
I have to admit the IPhone 4 antenna issue is far below the Apple standard.
I will pay the “premium” for the Quality and not think twice.
July 25th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
FACTS as in P. Neid’s comment vid above:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL7yD-0pqZg
LOL for the Apple brain surgeon to change your battery; don’t that say it all!
July 25th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
techperson….are you under the illusion that Apple is a public company?
July 26th, 2010 at 10:03 am
apple’s success stems from ipods and iphones.
but iphones will suffer:
why would u get an iphone vs an HTC EVO 4G ?
u want slower speeds ?
u dont want ur phone as a faster router ?
u enjoy iphone’s4 bad reception ?
what application ur iphone has that is so unique, u can’t live w/out?