I dont buy this for a NY minute. Whats your take on it Dopers?
Given that the Mac is the “alternative” computer if you will, I don’t find this very surprising.
Anybody can and will buy a PC. Your grandma, the butcher down the street, your boss. And usually, they buy one because they need one.
Mac users could buy a PC, but obviously choose to go against the grain. Usually for a reason other than sheer user value. Although the Mac is of course the default computer in the publishing industry, so journalists work with them. But in general, in today’s market, buying a Mac is a somewhat “contrary” thing to do - the market’s completely focused on PC’s and Microsoft.
I guess what I’m trying to say it: some people like their PC’s, and others love their Macs. So it doesn’t surprise me that they’re more “Internet savvy”.
Hasn’t one of the biggest things going for the Mac been that it’s easy to use? At least that was the case when I was considering purchasing a Mac and weighing the pros and cons.
I only briefly skimmed the article but I read about how a higher % of Mac users have a college degree compared with PC users. Could it possibly be that people with higher salaries (and, therefore, usually people with college degrees) want to buy something that actually looks half-way decent and complement their other furniture well? Just a guess.
I don’t buy this “study” for a second.
…8.2 percent of Americans who surf the Web at home do so using a Mac, according to the study. Nearly all the rest of those who go online–89.4 percent–do so using a Windows-based PC.
Nielsen/NetRatings said that 70.2 percent of Mac users online have a college degree, compared with 54.2 percent of all Web surfers.
That is their compelling evidence that Mac users are somehow intellectually superior to PC users? What is this statistic? Am I blinded by the supposed inherent stupidity of PC users? This is the way I read it…
[ul]
[li]We know that 54.2% of all web surfers possess college degrees.[/li][li]70.2% of Apple users are educated, roughly 5.7% of internet users.[/li][li]29.8% of Apple users are uneducated, roughly 2.4% of internet users.[/li][li]This leaves 48.4% of educated internet users with PCs.[/li][li]Similarly, 43.3% of uneducated internet users have Pcs.[/li][/ul]
Now, I’m not a statistician-- but I’m pretty close to 100% of the internet community when I add all that so I’ll just assume I’m right for now. I’m sure someone will inform me if I goofed. Anyway, to me it looks like educated PC users overwhelmingly outnumber educated Mac users on the internet. Maybe I’m completely wrong with my calculations- happens all the time- but I get the impression that there is a little spin going on here. While the statment in the article that “…70.2 percent of Mac users online have a college degree, compared with 54.2 percent of all Web surfers.” may be true, it seems to be presented in a way that is entirely misleading. This kinda reminds me of a recent study which suggested that 46.3% of PC users can make up statistics off the top of their heads… :rolleyes:
Oh yeah, it should also be noted that because of the PC’s utter dominance over Macs in terms of shear sales volume, undeducated PC users overwhelmingly outnumber uneducated Mac users. Not that this confirms the study in any way, but it serves nicely to illustrate how numbers can be easily skewed to misrepresent the issue at hand.
“New survey proves that far more PC users are uneducated than Mac users. PC users obviously dumb. Film at 11…”
:o <blabbering announcer type guy>
As much as I’d love to beleive this study, the points made here are quite valid.
(Damn!)
Perhaps it could be said that that, in proportion, Mac users are more creative than PC users? (Journalists, graphic artists, blah blah blah…)
As much as I’d love to beleive this study, the points made here are quite valid.
(Damn!)
Perhaps it could be said that that, in proportion, Mac users are more creative than PC users? (Journalists, graphic artists, blah blah blah…)
I think the article title is misleading—probably intentionally so (look at all the attention it’s getting!). I will most likely get a whole lot of PC users all huffy! 
But, I think it is probably accurate. Not about Mac users “outsmarting” PC users, but about them owning a computer longer, having a college education, more apt to have built their own web page, etc. etc. This does NOT equal “more smart”. This just means that Mac users are different. Well, duh!
The more educated people probably are exposed to different kinds of computers, and different kinds of computer users. Perhaps they are more exposed to Macs and decide they want one. If they have a higher education, perhaps they have a good job and can afford a Mac! (Not that Macs are all that expensive anymore—it depends on the model.)
About the web page thing—web design is just that—“design”. Macs are stereotypically known for being for the design-oriented. Not surprising that Mac users might be more comfortable with making a web page. Not ALL of them, of course, but probably a higher percentage have some exposure to design, and therefore, would be making web pages.
I use a Mac (started out a PC) and was influenced to get a Mac from my well-educated, been-into-computers-since-the-70s friends. (The mom works for JPL/NASA, need I say more?). I had to “go against the flow” to get a Mac, and I did do a lot of research first. I am very happy with my choice. Of course, I still own and use a PC, but Macs are just…special.
I have a design/arty background—one of the FIRST things I ever did when I first got online was make a web page. I also am comfortable ordering online, and started doing that almost as soon as I got my first computer. Am I “smarter”? No. But I do fit at least part of the profile.
Obviously, there are plenty of smart people using PCs. Obviously! But there are a bunch of lemmings using PCs too. How difficult or smart is it to go with the flow? Getting a Mac usually requires going AGAINST the flow, and enduring a lot of browbeating and arguments from PC weenies. (Something I’ve personally experienced.) That doesn’t make a person smarter, but it usually takes some perseverence, and some personal reflection. Owning a Mac is not a “default” thing. Some thought is usually involved.
I use both platforms because I’m a Graphic Designer. It’s a mostly Mac-based field, so it’s easier for me when clients use Macs, but for all logical purposes, I prefer the PC. That includes graphics. The PC has consistently been more reliable because it has taught me to multi-task. The Mac always crashed when I multi-tasked and put some heavy pressure on it. I’m talking a PIII vs. a G4, btw. However, since you can only do one thing at a time, multitasking isn’t the decision maker.
As far as ease of use, I’ve always said it depends which you learn on. It’s annoying to go between the two because shortcut keys are slightly different in the same programs. The notion that one user is smarter than the other is pretty stupid.
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- The cart is before the horse: people are not smarter and wealthier because they use Macs; Macs are overpriced compared to PC’s, and wealthier people tend to be better educated.
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- The cart is before the horse: people are not smarter and wealthier because they use Macs; Macs are overpriced compared to PC’s, and wealthier people tend to be better educated.
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- $600 can get you an entire brand-new PC these days. What kind of Mac can you buy new for $600? - DougC
You are probably right, but what difference does it make? If more educated people use Macs, more educated people use Macs. Is it the truth, or isn’t it? (And no, I am not buying the theory that Mac users are automatically “smarter”, mind.)
BTW, I bought my iMac new for $800. Not bad.
The industry standard in graphic design/publishing fields is the Mac; this isn’t because the Mac is better than the PC, it’s just because it’s the accepted industry-wide standard. Most graphic designers have college degrees of some sort. Most people, I would hazard, buy a personal computer based on their experience with a particular platform, and most gain that experience through education or work.
Look! A Mac is easier to use ‘cause you only have one mouse button to click instead of two! :rolleyes: Whoop-ti-freakin’-do.
No, it’s just that it takes PC users twice as many buttons to get the same results.
Get some new taunts, willya?
I’ve always wanted to fabricate a Mac mouse that had a second button. Doesn’t the one-button thing actually dumb it down?
I like to introduce Mac users to the wonderful world of right-clicking. It puts the world at your disposal.
I know that I feel completely impotent once stripped of the ability to right click. A mouse wheel is also something I cannot live without. True, I could do everything with the left button-- but I don’t see why I should for the sake of being counter culture. You little see-thru computer rebels you! (Microsoft needs more competition and that means more Mac users. I applaud you, but I doubt I’ll ever want to join you.)
Another thought here.
Macs are more commonly used in businesses such as journalism, publishing and advertising/design. It’s hard to get into those businesses without a degree, or at least formal training. PC users are present in every company in every industry – I’ve audited PC security in paint factories, charities and so on. The versatility of PCs (in terms of the wider range of software that can run on them) makes them more attractive to businesses that cannot afford to specialise in their purchasing, maybe.
At the very least, I would suggest that in terms of PC and Mac users who did not buy the machines themselves the Mac is mostly found in companies and positions requiring a degree, as opposed to PCs which are ubiquitous.
Or, what Squish said (less the last line).
Given the way in which the media like to distort studies by over-generalization and selective excerpting (and I have some experience with this, from the medical journal side of things), I don’t think it’s possible to say anything positive or negative without seeing the study methods and metrics.
A lot of things “make sense” about it from a seat of the pants standpoint, but the way in which it is presented, as p@cific@812 pointed out:
…leads me to believe that there is much more smoke and very little fire here. It’s very misleading to say what is said above, factual though it may be.
I see on review that Crusoe makes a good point in echoing Squish…
I’d almost say “ditto” (graphics designer who uses both) except I found that I learned a lot about computers and how they work because the PC was so unstable and kept crashing that I had to learn a lot in order to troubleshoot.
I have noticed (just in my personal experience) that Mac users seem to make the transition to PC much easier than PC users can adapt to Macs. Dunno why. I never had a problem with the shortcut keys until I got a keyboard for my Mac that looks almost identical to my PC keyboard. I guess my brain has always compensated and I’d automatically go for the correct key (albeit with the occasional error).
The article in the OP reminds me of a moronic study a few years ago (maybe 8 years). The study showed that Internet users seemed on average to be more tolerant, more understanding, slightly more intelligent and culturally savvy. I remember thinking, “well, duh!” Why? Because at the time, to have a computer and be on-line required an income that accommodated the privilege. So, educated college grads (those who are likely well-read and have travelled a bit) were, at that time, the bulk of Internet users.
This “Mac” smarter than “PC” article is similar. My PC was about $2200, the equivalent Mac would be $4500. The average user who doesn’t need it for specialized applications (I do prefer the Mac platform when working with bitmap images or music), won’t buy it, unless they are from a higher income bracket that is more interested in a state-of-the-art status symbol. So you’ll probably have a few more educated professionals in the Mac demographic mostly because they can afford it. Whereas the rest of us are plenty happy with our PC clones and get by just fine.
In all honesty, I do find a slight difference in the way large (and I mean freakin’ huge) graphics files or music files are resolved on a Mac and if I have to work with something that big, I’ll prefer a Mac for stability.
But the differences otherwise are insignificant. PCs have become much more reliable, but back in the early 90s I hated using PCs for graphics. Just little nit-picky things like the refresh rate and smoothness of transition. And stability! Oh, man, oh, man could my graphics kill a PC back then! And I had fewer problems with postscript stuff on a Mac.
In fact, the Mac lab at school had an article about how a very significantly huge “PC is just as good at graphics” ad campaign became rather disgraced when it was revealed that the ad campaign had been entirely produced on a Mac. (Again, this was 10 years ago.)
Macs likely became the publishing industry standard because early on they were so reliable. Now, I don’t notice much of a difference (except that on a PC, I still find that we pick up little bits of error-crud in monster-big files).