I admit I never got on well with Apple computers. I have a Powerbook but as far as I’m concerned it’s the computer of last resort[1]. I just can’t get on with the user interface in OSX and I’m far happier working on a PC running Linux and Gnome.
But I do know a lot of geeks who have succumbed to the lure of of the Apple. Since OSX was released probably half of the serious geeks I know have switched to some kind of Apple computer as their main system. And these are generally very intelligent people. So I’m sure it’s a problem with me rather than a general problem with the Apple software or hardware.
But even the most manic fans I know weren’t stupid enough to queue for hours to get into the new London Apple Shop over the weekend. A few of them did wander down but either wandered off again when they saw the queues or went on Sunday when the crowds were far smaller.
I really don’t understand why anyone would queue overnight to be one of the first customers in a new shop. And that’s all it is. A new shop. People are treating it like it’s some kind of holy shrine. But that’s probably an extension of people seeing Apple as some kind of holy grail of computing. Which it isn’t. It’s just a computer. Next time you get an Apple fan telling you how wonderful their system is, ask them to tell you their hardware failure stories. Every Mac user has them.
[1] Ok, that’s not strictly true. I’d use that before I used a Windows PC.