Mac vs. PC

Is it a good or bad thing that Mac users are particular and unique? Is it a good or bad thing that this niche group despises those who don't conform to their non-conformity? Apple, by treating The Establishment as the enemy, has created a cult following behind their brand.

They did it with their legendary Super Bowl ad, the infamous 1984.



And they continue to do it with their long-running "Think Different" campaign,

And the "I'm a PC/I'm a Mac" commercials.



Apple continues to more deeply root its brand into the fabric of the überchic, creative, well, snobbish types. This was done by design, from the inception of a new category—desktop publishing—to the launch of new brands to preempt market trends (including iTunes and ubiquitous iPod).I have a PC. It sits, quietly, switched off, underneath my desk. I have a Mac. It hardly ever gets shut off. If snobbery is a two-year stint without once seeing that dreaded "blue screen of death," then sign me up, Sam!



Some claim to be tired of the OS wars. War is good; enemies are good—they keep things interesting. Interesting makes headlines and the Today Show. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have gotten shiploads more press than John McCain. The Wii would never have been so buzzworthy, were it not for PS3 and Xbox 360. And what makes Zipcar so fantastically enamoring? They antagonize the rental car industry!

Are people really tired of the OS wars? Hardly. Will they ever grow tired of them? It's unlikely. Apple is smart enough to realize who their enemy is, how they are different, and how they can exploit those differences. What has spawned is a determined subculture that is radically sold-out for Apple—ready to shill out big bucks for cooler-than-life products for a cooler-than-life lifestyle.