I’ve Given Up Arguing with Windows Users

I realized last night that I no longer feel the need to argue with people over the Mac’s superiority. This was a rather startling realization I assure you, because over the years I’ve had basically the same conversation with the same type of person several hundred times. Only last night I didn’t. Maybe I’m getting older. Maybe I don’t have the energy I used to. Maybe...but I think it is something bigger than that. I’ve come to the conclusion that given enough time, any sufficiently intelligent person will choose Apple’s products over the competition.

And they will do so without someone having to “prove” that the Mac is better. And it isn’t a result of advertising either. People aren’t choosing Macs because of all the great commercials (well, not solely because of the commercials). And they aren’t choosing them because hardcore Mac users are trying to get them to see the light. They are buying them because they are steadily noticing that the smartest, most productive people they know, all use Macs. And eventually that point hits home and they begin to wonder what they are missing out on.

Now, if you bought your first Mac within the last 3 years then I’m afraid you have no idea what I’m talking about. Sorry, but this is directed at the old-timers. The group that was using Macs back when it wasn’t cool. Back when there was no iPod. Back when Microsoft really did look invincible. Yeah, all the way back then. And it sucked back then, let me tell you. It sucked because you were using this great machine and everyone you knew was using Windows. What’s more, they hated using Windows. Well, they still hate using Windows, but it was worse back then. Either way, most Mac users really and truly couldn’t figure the average Windows user out. Here were people that could complain all night about how much they hated their computer, but would then turn around and steadfastly refuse to listen to someone who absolutely loved their machine. Friends, family, spouses, the closer they were to you the more it hurt to see them use such horrid machines. And yet there was little you could do about it. People were just convinced that Windows was the only “real” operating system out there. It would infuriate me to no end to hear someone call my Mac a “Fisher Price” computer. Thankfully those days are behind us.

So, let me get back to that conversation I no longer need to have. I was talking with someone who really felt that his Windows machine gave him a superb computing experience. “Well, it would have been perfect except...” and then he proceeded to list what is wrong with his machine. Other than that, it would be perfect. He then criticized the Mac he has been forced to work with. Maybe he assumed that would goad me into a debate. Maybe he really wanted to argue. But as I said, I don’t have the energy for that kind of thing anymore. So I let him go. I let him say his piece and when he was done I calmly informed him that the only reason he thought that way was because he didn’t know any better. And that eventually he would stop being stupid and realize what so many other people have realized. Until then I wished him the best with his current situation.

Clearly that wasn’t the response he was expecting. And yet, I find myself taking this approach more and more. When people complain about their machines I just nod and don’t offer any advice but instead quietly mention that I never really have those problems. I can’t tell you how much easier my life got when I started telling all my friends and family that I don’t fix Windows machines anymore. It took awhile for it to completely sink in, but after a while the calls and emails stopped. The trick, I found, was to calmly tell them that I can’t help them because I don’t run Windows anymore and I don’t get those problems on my Mac. Yes, it is a bit smug I grant you, but it works.

So this is my official stance now. Anytime someone complains about Windows, or bashes the Mac, I just reply that if they are smart enough one day they too will own a Mac. Is it perhaps reinforcing the notion that Mac users are arrogant? Probably. But that doesn’t make it any less true.