I have a confession to make: I've become hopelessly addicted to the Talkback comments that readers post each week at the end of my column. Each weekend after my latest piece goes up, I can't resist checking in a few times a day to see what ZDNet devotees have appended to it, and I find myself gauging the volume and heat of the messages amassed there against the previous week's box score.
I don't think my fixation has much to do with ego gratification, since what I've written generally seems to have very little to do with most readers' responses. While a few Talkbacks actually address the topic at hand, most posters slip comfortably into the endlessly entertaining groove of Mac-vs.-Windows platform advocacy, with a streak of Linux lobbying thrown in for good measure. (Sometimes I think I could type "rutabaga" several hundred times, submit it for posting to the good folks at ZDNet, and let the platform debate go merrily on its way unimpeded by any further commentary by Yours Truly.)
However, since the heat of these battles sometimes prompts readers to single me out as either a shill for Apple or a traitor to the Mac cause, I thought this would be an apt time to step back and make sure I've defined my terms.
I'm a Mac partisan, to be sure; it's been my platform of choice for most of my professional life, and I much prefer using Macs to any alternative I've encountered so far. Moreover, I suppose ZDNN's decision to include me in its commentary rotation represents a tacit acknowledgement of the platform's right to exist (a right that seems open to debate in the minds of a few readers).
On the other hand, as a journalist, I try to limit my unquestioning loyalty to my wife, my kids and my mom; as far as I can tell, Apple Computer does not fall into any of those categories. Take it from me: It's entirely possible to approve heartily of a product (e.g., the Mac) without wholeheartedly endorsing its maker's policies toward its users, dealers, employees or development partners. (Given the number of administrations and course corrections Apple whipped through during the '90s, trying to stay in lock step with the company would have forced me into hip-replacement surgery long ago.)
Finally, what does any of this have to do with Windows? Microsoft's GUI is the predominant desktop platform on the planet, and that's probably not going to change any time soon. And although I applaud the Mac's recent gains in market share, I peg the likelihood of the Mac OS presenting a real threat to Windows' hegemony up there with Donald Trump moving into the White House.
I firmly believe that the presence of alternative platforms is healthy for the creativity of the PC industry as a whole, but I've got no expectation that Windows enthusiasts will beat their PIIIs into plowshares. Nor do I want them to; if Windows is the vehicle that gets you where you want to go, more power to you.
(Special note for those of you who've read this far, and a bonding exercise for careful readers on both sides of the platform divide: Let's do an experiment to see just how many posters read the column first before posting talkbacks. Include the word "rutabaga" in your Talkback response, and we'll know you're in with the In Crowd. Sssssssh.)
That all being said, I figure I'd offer up a quick review of what I, personally, really like about Apple's recent Mac efforts.
I'm thrilled with the current crop of Mac hardware. Round mice notwithstanding, I love the look and the feel of the PowerBook G3, the iMac(s) and the Power Mac G4. When it comes to the G4, I'm invigorated by the graphics-processing capabilities of the G4 chip, and I'm eager to check out what the rumored multiprocessor G4 systems will be able to do.
I also like the iBook on principle; it's not exactly my bag (pun intended), but then I don't fall into the consumer-portable category Apple has carved out. To each his own, I say.
I adore the Mac interface. For my money, it's still the most elegant embodiment of the human-interface principles hammered out all those years ago at Xerox PARC. I'm excited by the advent of Mac OS X, which will put that interface atop a rock-solid Unix core that supports such long-awaited OS features as symmetrical multiprocessing and protected memory. From everything I've seen and heard, the combination of Mac GUI and next-generation capabilities are well-advanced, and the pre-release software is surprisingly robust and bug-free.
I'm crazy about Apple's marketing efforts. While the shaky grammar of "Think Different" threw me a curve the first few times I heard it, the company's recent image overhaul is a true testimonial to iCEO Steve Jobs' undiminished marketing genius.
And while ethics prevents me from benefiting personally, I love Apple's stock price, which blew past $115 this week. Looks like my job is done here. For those of you who followed along this far, keep that password in mind.
For the rest of you: Macs rule; PCs drool. Go nuts. Matthew Rothenberg is director of online content for Mac Publishing LLC, which publishes MacWEEK, MacCentral, Macworld and MacBuy.
