Confessions of a Mac Addict
Not unlike many folks today, I am enamored with Apple products. I got my iMac 6 years ago. It was right around the time that Apple’s iLife and personal in-store One-to-One service were taking off. It was the beginning of Apple’s most successful “I’m a Mac” advertising campaign. It was the start of the soaring popularity of iPods.
I loved my iMac. It was beautiful – all sleek and white and gleaming on my desk. I was the first of my friends to have one. It made me feel cool. But more than that, it made me feel technically proficient. I was able to put together impressive, professional-looking movies. Instead of paying a photographer hundreds and hundreds of dollars for a family event photo album full of prints, I assembled them myself, digitally, into beautiful, hard-cover keepsakes. My parents and in-laws have come to expect the annual “Evans’ Gang” photo calendar featuring the year’s photo-worthy events. I always revel in the compliments I receive. My friends consult me on how to use the programs. What’s beautiful about Apple is its ability to allow ordinary users (or digital immigrants like me) to express their creativity without being encumbered by technology.
In a recent attempt to upgrade my iMac with the latest operating system, I discovered that my beautiful iMac – the one that rewarded me with an inflated sense of technical competence – wasn’t equipped to run it. What? Without the latest OS, I wouldn’t be able to run any of the latest programs! I was in denial! But to my extreme disappointment, it was true. The Mac Genius checked the model number and, indeed, confirmed it could not be upgraded. My iMac is obsolete. Sniff.
It is the end of an era. I’m resigned to the fact that it’s time to purchase a new one. Ouch. Those things are exorbitantly expensive! In fact, all Apple products are pretty pricey. But despite that, have you noticed that the Apple store — no matter what city — is ALWAYS packed? It isn’t because they’re having a sale. Apple doesn’t do sales. Hmmmm. What does that say? We are willing to pay a premium for our technology. It’s key in our lives. It matters. It makes us feel connected, competent and, well, cool.
When I walk into the Apple store I look around at the throngs of people with their iPhones and Macbooks and iPads and feel an instant bond. We’re Mac addicts. And there’s no 12-step program that can get our heads out of the iCloud.
SOUND OFF: Are you a Mac or a PC? Why?
