Mac (fans) attack

Three weeks after I bought my laptop, things started going wrong.

I was just starting my freshman year. My parents had picked up the computer right before we left — I didn’t even turn it on until we got to IU. I didn’t download anything; I didn’t even spend that much time on it.

So the day it wouldn’t start was a bit of a shock.

Luckily, my uncle managed to fix it. And he fixed it in October, when the hard drive crashed mere days after the warranty expired. And he fixed it six months later, when the brand-new hard drive crashed again, right before finals (I owe my uncle a lot).

The crashes made me realize how much I rely on my computer. Without it, I can’t do a lot of school — and just-for-fun — things.

It also made me realize that people can really be crazy about computer brands.

My crash-prone laptop is an HP. Three weeks into my freshman year, when I was standing in the UITS line at the library (for the first of many times), I learned that people really, really like Macs.

I don’t know what the girl behind me had, but her friend had a Mac. He was telling her about it. Incessantly. He went on and on about how Macs never crashed and never got viruses until she got ticked off and told him to stop. I silently applauded her. His constant “you should have gotten a Mac” line was irritating me, too.

I’ve also gotten that speech (though not quite as annoyingly). It seemed like every time I told someone that my computer crashed, I was told I should get a Mac because they don’t do that.

Not every Mac fan was pushy, but I got plenty of condescension. What, I don’t like Macs? They’re really easy to use — easier than a PC. If I don’t like Macs, then I’m probably not experienced enough with them to know they’re the best.

As a matter of fact, I am pretty experienced with them. For four years of high school, I used the school computers — not just for e-mail, but also for writing papers, doing assignments and generally goofing around — at least twice a day, often more. They were all Macs, and I learned to use them pretty well.

The School of Journalism, where I spend a lot of my time, has Macs in all the labs. My internship last summer had me spending 18 hours a week working on Macs.

I do know how to use them. I’ve spent hundreds of hours using them. I just don’t like them.

So, thank you for your advice that I should get one.

But please, when I say I don’t like them, let it go. It is possible to use them a lot and still prefer PCs. I’m not a 5-year-old who will say she doesn’t like broccoli without even trying it. I really do know what I’m talking about.


E-mail: hanns@indiana.edu