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Survey Finds Apple Users Have Sense of Superiority

engadget.com — A personality profiling conducted on 7,500 people at Apple's biggest tub-thumping event of the year, Macworld, yielded results that would suggest Apple users "are more liberal, less modest, and more assured of their own superiority than the population at large."

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  • kiiwii, on 01/17/2008, -15/+575The story really should have an "obvious" tag as well.
    • EvilAnimator, on 01/17/2008, -113/+15Survey finds generalizing and typecasting people who buy a certain product makes you a douchebag.
      • pixelmixer, on 01/17/2008, -15/+129/ Typical Mac user response.
        • Nitesmoke, on 01/17/2008, -7/+31Watch out, Mac fanboys aka the Turtleneck Mafia is trolling here.
          • blewsdawg, on 01/17/2008, -3/+29I'm in IT, and I work with average users of MAC, Windows, and Linux. MAC users absolutely do seem to generally have a sense of superiority. So do Linux users. Of course, Linux users build their own computers, as well as those belonging to their entire families. And they write open source software that is usually better than proprietary equivalents and used on all three operating systems.

            All the while, MAC users contribute...what?
          • sl123000, on 01/18/2008, -0/+7@blewdawg
            Family photos/videos...duh.
            /sarcasm
      • zachlac, on 01/17/2008, -6/+25Perceptions are based on reality.
        • adooga, on 01/17/2008, -2/+12Interesting perception.
        • rigorious, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1nah I take lsd.
          • Tilon, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2"nah I take lsd."

            Obviously haven't, if you think it takes you -out- of Reality.
        • Tilon, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1"Perceptions are based on reality."

          Based, yes. But there's a reason eyewitness testimony is considered suspect so much. People's perceptions are unreliable, especially when their perception is based on Steve Jobs and the Apple genius at the store telling them what a great choice they've made.
    • jperdomo, on 01/17/2008, -55/+12Survey finds sky is blue. Who cares? As a Mac user I'll admit we can be snobs but, what's new about that stereotype...
      • Schneckehaus, on 01/17/2008, -8/+61The fact that Mac users fit into a stereotype based on the brand of computer they use is, by nature, idiotic. Sad truth.
        • dafragsta, on 01/17/2008, -17/+5Why I don't deny that Apple fanboys can be self righteous douchebags, I also acknowledge that saying the similarities are TOTALLY because of their computer is a bit unfair. Douchebags also usually drive expensive cars, drink Cristal and share other lifestyle similarites. It's like saying that NASCAR fans have nothing in common beyond NASCAR.
          • Nitesmoke, on 01/17/2008, -5/+40Bad analogy. NASCAR fans don't spend 9/10 of their day trying to convince people that like football, baseball, or basketball sports suck, and if they were "in the know" would switch to NASCAR. Mac users are similar to vegetarians, they can't be happy doing it, unless everyone knows they do it. If you like Mac, fine, I say. Just please get off the pedestal and get a life, you aren't any better than anyone else because of the computer you use. What makes you a good person is how you treat others, and as this study shows, Mac fanboys have ALOT to work on.
          • PA42, on 01/17/2008, -22/+7@Nitesmoke
            I'm a recent (past year) convert to Mac and I do find myself "selling" them quite often, but there is a reason behind this. I don't think it applies to the Linux crowd, but it definitely applies to the Windows crowd. It is that the OS seems to work more smoothly and eliminate many headaches I had with my Windows PC.
            When I was a windows user, I always discounted Mac fanboys as being just that, fanboys. But once you've owned a mac, you realize that they just save you a lot of head ache. When I reformatted (I wanted to install leopard fresh) I didn't need to call Apple and fight with them over some number and I didn't need to worry about any drivers or that *****. So the reason we try to sell it, isn't because we think we are superior (except for the douchbags), it's because we use a product that has saved us a lot of headaches and time and works a lot smoother and faster than the windows counter part. I'm sure I'll just be discounted as a fanboy, but that is how I see it.

            One more thing (sorry, I couldn't resist): The reason we (Mac users) get so excited over new products is that they are the only maker producing products and the products are always of high quality (minus a few rare exceptions).
          • davidrools, on 01/17/2008, -3/+21I thought being left broke after buying a new Mac led mac users to try to justify their purchase however possible to whomever they can, in an attempt to make themselves feel less regret.
          • PA42, on 01/17/2008, -17/+4It's sort of a myth that macs are more expensive. If you look over the life of a product and take into account software and upgrades a mac is not more expensive than the other top brands.
            My mac mini cost me $450 used, didn't really cause me to be poor.
          • Nitesmoke, on 01/17/2008, -2/+12@PA42

            First of all, I'm happy for you and your Mac. I'm ***** ecstatic. I sleep better at night knowing that you are happy with your choice of computer. This is not the point. The point is the attitude. As PC users, we understand that you guys like your Macs, how else could you justify the prices? All we ask is that you drop the smug demeanors. As for your other statement:

            "One more thing (sorry, I couldn't resist): The reason we (Mac users) get so excited over new products is that they are the only maker producing products and the products are always of high quality (minus a few rare exceptions)."


            I don't know if that was a typo or what because that made not sense whatsoever. Apple is the "only maker producing products?" Wtf does that mean. And how can something "always" be of high quality, "except the few exceptions?" If some of their products suck, they don't "always" make high quality products. I'm not bashing Apple, just the "holier than thou" attitude that alot, not every, Mac user has.
        • inkswamp, on 01/17/2008, -1/+4Now figure out the cause and effect. Are they superior feeling because they use Macs or use Macs because they feel superior?
    • zen6ox, on 01/17/2008, -41/+17I think they mixed Apple users up with Linux Users.
      • protogenxl, on 01/17/2008, -1/+9Nobody likes hubris. Have you learned nothing from Icarus? Antigone? Pantheus? Huh.
        - Captain Hazel 'Hank' Murphy
      • thecheatah, on 01/17/2008, -3/+18From Linux user point of view:

        All I feel towards other people when they explain me their problems related to windows, is sorry for them. If they are not complaining, I respect the user for using windows in a safe way.

        Mac users, I usually look up to since they carry all that expensive hardware around and use all that fancy and expensive software. Even if I had the money to buy an apple laptop, I would be too stingy to buy it. One time someone gave me there Mac laptop to use, the first thing I said open me a terminal. I felt right at home.
      • ryan83189, on 01/18/2008, -2/+2funny, ive never seen a "made on a linux box" icon at the bottom of a webpage.
        • prophetpimp, on 01/18/2008, -3/+2Maddox Uses VI on his Unix box and he claims that on his website so STFU.
    • TheFinaleofSeem, on 01/17/2008, -7/+30Next up: Survey finds that *nix users in general have a feeling of superiority!
      • diggrim, on 01/17/2008, -10/+58we don't feel...we know
        • popfrogs, on 01/17/2008, -2/+17Yeah and we just loaned Apple the innards for MacOSX. They slapped a pretty paint job on it but it's Unix at the core.
          • inkswamp, on 01/17/2008, -13/+7Unix with loads of Apple's core technology piled on it. There's more to OS X than a pretty paint job with Unix. I think you're mistaking it for Linux.
          • UltraMegaFilms, on 01/18/2008, -0/+8@inkswamp: like what?
          • pintomp3, on 01/18/2008, -0/+6like a shiny white case.
      • CraigJ, on 01/17/2008, -18/+8I have a Windows box, an Ubuntu box, a Mac, several iPods and an iPhone so I must be better than EVERYBODY!
        • slvrbullet87, on 01/17/2008, -2/+14Or you just waste money trying to get nerd cool
        • theOster, on 01/17/2008, -1/+6nope, cancellation counts
        • CraigJ, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1sorry. did that really need a /sarcasm tag?
      • ryan83189, on 01/18/2008, -3/+3too bad macs run unix :( a ***** version, but it is unix.
        • zephyr42, on 01/18/2008, -2/+9the move to a unix based OX was a very smart move by apple. M$ is too hard headed and stubborn to do likewise.
        • oshu, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1I guess you've never heard of Microsoft Xenix...

          Quoth Wikipedia:
          In the late 1980s, Xenix was, according to The Design and Implementation of the 4.3BSD UNIX Operating System, "probably the most widespread version of the UNIX operating system, according to the number of machines on which it runs".
    • Chompy, on 01/17/2008, -23/+57This survey is poorly designed because the sample is biased; you can't survey people hardcore enough to go to a trade show and expect to spin that result into something that applies to everyone.
      • Chompy, on 01/17/2008, -15/+15You're digging me down because.. you dislike accurate information?
      • davidrools, on 01/17/2008, -6/+17just the fact that there is a show that people are so excited to go to suggests some odd behavior among mac users
        • inkswamp, on 01/17/2008, -11/+4The fact that PC users seems weirdly jealous of how happy Mac users are with their chosen platform suggests some odd behavior, from what I can see.
        • UltraMegaFilms, on 01/18/2008, -1/+6@inkswamp: Being jealous of happy is a lot different than being annoyed with smug. I don't blame you though, smug is like farts, it's sort of hard to smell your own. You probably don't even know your doing it.
      • nosecohn, on 01/17/2008, -3/+3Ever heard of Comdex?
    • humperdeath, on 01/17/2008, -12/+54Survey taken at a MACWORLD conference? What'd they expect? It is like taking a survey of new BMW owners, as they drive off the lot, "Which is the best car maker in the world?"
      DUH!
      • zweben, on 01/17/2008, -6/+16Not even... it'd be like asking BMW owners "Which is the best car maker in the world?" at a "BMW is the best car maker in the world" convention.

        I'd like to see this survey done right. This is perfectly accurate representation of the kinds of Mac users who would go to Macworld, which is, I would guess, 5-10% of Mac users overall. I doubt the other 90-95% give a damn what platform you use.
        • theOster, on 01/17/2008, -8/+1whenever i see someone talking about surveys and getting an accurate sampling of people, can't we jsut look at the digg population? thats a pretty significant chuck of people all with very different backgrounds. the only tie is that we use digg.
          • jedikv, on 01/18/2008, -0/+6dugg down for assuming the general populace of digg is actually useful for something.
          • derek20cali, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2Digg users represent the tech community, but not society in general.
      • DrivinWest, on 01/17/2008, -6/+6For the record, my BMW is a piece of *****. NEVER AGAIN!
        • tyywebb, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3Don't know what you're complaining about. My 3 series is hot like fiyahhhh!
      • zephyr42, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3not really... If i drove off the lot with a BMW M3 i would still be saying that Porsche makes a better sportscar. Rather if i drove off the lot with a Porsche 911 GT3 rally/track edition, I probably would be saying that. What it kinda comes down to is the "frank luntz problem" you ask the right people the right question, you get the "right" answer or rather the answer you were looking for in the first place.
    • MRintheKeys, on 01/17/2008, -5/+12In related news....it is found that humans that breath air are healthier.
    • roosterjm2k2, on 01/17/2008, -12/+7Do the same at a linux or widows event...you will get the same results... for the most part, people that INTO computers are, in fact, going to average out to a higher IQ than the mean population...
      • tony23, on 01/18/2008, -0/+6Umm - exactly how does being smugly "superior" relate to IQ? In fact, where did you get IQ out of the article?
      • irgeorge, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Nerds can be stupid. Just look at Digg ...
    • CraigJ, on 01/17/2008, -9/+3not an obvious tag, a lame tag.
    • allengeer, on 01/17/2008, -5/+26<<farts into wine glass>>

      smells wine glass.
    • chingy1788, on 01/18/2008, -0/+12The other day I was sitting in the lecture room running Vista (just trying it out)
      two ppl holding a macbook walked in past me and under their breath said "pffsh vista"

      fcking snobs
      • Dylson, on 01/18/2008, -9/+3Well, that's because vista does suck. Im a windows user, and I personally dont like apple or their egotistical leader steve jobs, but I believe microsoft is going to have to take a mulligan on vista.
        • YumYumKittyLoaf, on 01/18/2008, -1/+4Windows Vista doesn't suck... just turn off the obvious things like UAC and some other aspects, and vista does work surprisingly well. I've used windows from windows 3.1, windows ME (which infact does suck) windows 2k, and windows XP pro. I genuinely like windows vista.
          I'd rather use ubuntu, but again, gaming isn't as perfect as i'd like on it just yet. That'll change though.
        • MeatyVitamin, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2Yeah, Vista sucks! Look how popular I am! Did you know RON PAUL 4 PREZ!!! Hmmmhmhmhm, what else is popular to say at the moment...
        • dpv1, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1To YumYum:

          Play 3d games or do file transfer much?
          • YumYumKittyLoaf, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3Yes I play 3D games a lot (Maybe not the newest ones because lately they suck, save for TF2) and I don't notice anything other than they run better because when I "Acquired" vista I also upgraded my Processor, vid-card, and memory. When you're talking about file transfers, are you talking about P2P programs, transferring files from local sources like flash drives, LAN file transferring, or just plan FTP? I don't really do much file transfers because my college DL speeds suck and the only thing I would download would be programs/games/music I feel that I need.
            So, for me, vista works well enough, not to mention windows XP won't even recognize 4 gigs of ram, hence the need for Vista (I could use open-source, but I like gaming)
    • ricree, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2I really expected that this was going to be an onion article when I first saw the title.
  • ChiefIcaroc, on 01/17/2008, -17/+185Wow! Really? You could never guess that!
    • Archon810, on 01/17/2008, -2/+14Let's file this under "Captain Obvious' quotes" section.
    • postalblowfish7, on 01/17/2008, -9/+3Wow! Really? I never could have predicted that comment!
    • Iamironman, on 01/17/2008, -2/+12f-ing apple fagboys
    • jabberwolf, on 01/17/2008, -4/+9Simply means that Apple users are the most stupid. They are superior for no reason other than fasion.

      I can dress up a pile of ***** with whip cream but it's still a piece of *****. Apparently Apple users dont realize this.
      • zongamin, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2'Fasion' - It's best not to call other people stupid if you can't spell. Cretin.
    • Etheo, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Translation: No *****?
    • neio, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2LEAVE APPLE USERS ALONE!!!!
      • chris13th, on 01/22/2008, -0/+0Why? So you can continue looking down your nose at us "lesser mortals"?
    • zongamin, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1You couldn't you Windows retard.
  • EvilAnimator, on 01/17/2008, -121/+35Survey finds LIBERALS have a sense of superiority. Some of them just happen to own a Mac.
    • lordmike, on 01/17/2008, -17/+54Survey finds that Right wingers not only have a sense of superiority, they want to eliminate all the "inferior" people who don't agree with them...
      • BlackStrain, on 01/17/2008, -21/+8No one is inferior to a right winger.
        • Wargalas, on 01/17/2008, -19/+9Sounds like a typical liberal Mac user.
      • korbink, on 01/17/2008, -2/+3"... want to eliminate all the 'inferior' people who don't agree with them..."

        Kind of like how EvilAnimator got dugg down...wait a sec.
    • halobender, on 01/17/2008, -4/+15STFU, Why does it always have to be political with some people?
      • jedikv, on 01/18/2008, -1/+3Politics poisons all - look at digg now. So much better before the new topics.......
    • RepublicansSuck, on 01/18/2008, -1/+5Survey finds CONSERVATIVES are hypocrite assholes.
      Another survey finds the previous survey to be factually true.
    • hmunkey, on 01/18/2008, -1/+4I feel superior to you because I do not condone wars nor killing.
  • badenglishihave, on 01/17/2008, -58/+538Friend: "Do you have an iPod?"
    Me: "No. I do however have a digital media player that supports Vorbis, FLAC and XViD video playback. It costs half as much as an equivalent iPod and has better battery life."
    Friend: "Tuh! So what you're saying is: it's not an iPod. That's too bad. I have an iPod and it's the best."
    Me: *rolls eyes*
    • clak, on 01/17/2008, -99/+10Ummm, what's Vorbis and FLAC?
      • DrywallThief, on 01/17/2008, -6/+52High quality audio formats.
        • mlwarrior, on 01/17/2008, -9/+27vorbis doesn't mean better quality, it's just open source.
          • pintomp3, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1he didn't say better, just high quality.
        • knowitman, on 01/17/2008, -2/+9But in an equivalent bitrate, Vorbis is without a doubt, a higher quality then MP3.
      • tattertech, on 01/17/2008, -19/+1Good music
      • Kronos6948, on 01/17/2008, -2/+41If you're serious, Ogg Vorbis and FLAC are two ways of encoding music. Ways to encode with better sound quality, and it doesn't get better than FLAC, because FLAC is the "Free Lossless Audio Codec". It does make for huge files, though.
        • WiseWeasel, on 01/17/2008, -20/+5For accuracy's sake, I have to bring up Apple Lossless Encoder, which is supported on the iPods, and is equivalent to FLAC, and supported in iTunes. Also, AAC is arguably a better codec than Vorbis, with a more recently-defined spec, and a broader range of encoders and editing software support.
      • InorganicMatter, on 01/17/2008, -30/+6Codecs that wish they were AAC.
      • xdevit, on 01/17/2008, -3/+8Damn iPod user..
      • ophello, on 01/17/2008, -16/+11who the ***** uses Vorbis and FLAC?
        • Falsey, on 01/17/2008, -4/+11Me.
        • knowitman, on 01/17/2008, -2/+9Vorbis was the main selling point for me when buying my MP3 player.
        • DaffyDuck, on 01/17/2008, -6/+4"Vorbis was the main selling point for me when buying my MP3 player."

          Encode MP3 at a bit of a higher bit rate and it sounds just as good as OGG Vorbis. So, why not make the main selling point a bit more capacity so you can encode all your files in high bitrate MP3 which is a much more common format and supported by pretty much all devices?
        • buckrogers1965, on 01/18/2008, -1/+5I slapped rockbox linux onto a $17 sansa player, it can do xvid and ogg vobis now :)
          • pintomp3, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2i don't buy any mp3 player unless i know it's supported by rockbox.
        • dgp1, on 01/18/2008, -4/+5Great, so there's your answer, ophello. Three guys use Vorbis and FLAC! Stop the presses, this is a format revolution. Apple is doomed!
        • AzureRise, on 01/18/2008, -2/+4I, for one, welcome our lossless overlords.
      • MxM111, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2Is Vorbis better than AAC in terms of sound quality for the same bitrate?
    • coheedcollapse, on 01/17/2008, -15/+104I couldn't agree with your sentiments more. Most people don't even know that there IS an alternative to the iPod. The people that do and still have them are all about the image.
      • clak, on 01/17/2008, -41/+16The same could be said for Windows.
        • coheedcollapse, on 01/17/2008, -1/+15That's why I use a combination of Windows and Linux. Also, we're obviously talking about MP3 players right now. There are many more out there than just the Zune and the iPod.
          • arbulus, on 01/17/2008, -4/+8Could someone point me to an affordable one (not $400) that has a 30 GB capacity, plays OGG files and is not an iPod?
          • Loonacy, on 01/17/2008, -0/+6@arbulus, maybe Digg will let me comment here...

            Depends if you want a hard drive or flash drive player.
            The iZak 80GB hard drive media player is $229.
            http://www.1394store.com/eshop/product.asp?dept%5F ...
            It doesn't support OGG out of the box, but it does have an official firmware upgrade that supports OGG. (see http://www.unibrain.com/support/FAQ_iZak.htm )

            There's a list at http://wiki.xiph.org/index.php/PortablePlayers , but it seems to be rather out of date.
          • slvrbullet87, on 01/17/2008, -3/+2I have a linux machine and a windows machine... i leave the linux machine unlocked to watch people struggle to use it. I guess that makes me a pompous ***** but people who know nothing about computers being confused makes me laugh
          • arbulus, on 01/17/2008, -1/+1@PalshifeSakura
            I could probably deal with 20 GB, but I don't want to have to put Rockbox on it. I put Rockbox on an iPod and it was a pain in the ass. Yes, it supports more codecs, but it's ugly (i know it can be themed), VERY unintuitive, and annoying as hell to use. I want a player that can support OGG out of the box.
          • arbulus, on 01/17/2008, -1/+2@PalshifeSakura
            I apologize, I guess I misunderstood your comment.

            Thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely check that one out.
      • sealbeater, on 01/17/2008, -18/+23I have an ipod and it's my second one. The reason I got it is because it's very well engineered, and my second one is better than my first. The ipod is a very well engineered piece of hardware. It's not about image or fanboyism.
        • Louis11, on 01/17/2008, -5/+8Well said . . . I've (accidentally) stepped on my old ipod with metal cleets, dropped it in a tub of water, and done many other horrendous things to it and it functioned perfectly for over 5 years! Can't say that about other media devices i've had.

          Plus . . . it can run Linux! :-)
        • adooga, on 01/17/2008, -4/+4Totally agree. I've done things to my nano that I should probably be beaten for and it's never even flinched. No complaints.
          The software, on the other hand...
        • Feej, on 01/17/2008, -1/+3That's not my experience. My 5G got a little damp during a rainstorm while it was in my backpack and has been kaput since. I really doubt you could drop one in a tub of water and it would still work. I don't mind them, but I'll definitely be looking at other players when I replace it.
          • Macskeeball, on 01/17/2008, -1/+2The 5G was a a hard-disk based iPod, which may have contributed to that problem. Flash storage devices (including nanos and shuffles) have no moving parts.
          • iofthestorm, on 01/18/2008, -0/+5What does that have to do with getting wet? A flashbased iPod would die if it got wet too.
        • nosecohn, on 01/17/2008, -2/+9I hardly know anyone with an iPod who HASN'T had a problem.
        • DaffyDuck, on 01/17/2008, -1/+9The only person I know with a Zune has problems with it. Yay for meaningless anecdotal comparisons!
        • Mr.RX99, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3I've only known one person who's had iPod problems. And that's because it got ran over by 30 so cars. So yeah.
          I've stuck with iPods because they work nicely for the most part. The only reason I would change would be to easily carry around a microphone.
      • diggrim, on 01/17/2008, -1/+13This makes so much sense to me (but none of my iPod-using friends): http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2003/05/28
        • JohnFrum, on 01/17/2008, -3/+10Just got my first iPod. It's a black iPod classic that the company I work for gave me for my 7 year service award. It skips like a six year old girl with flowers in her hair.
      • fmaxwell, on 01/17/2008, -20/+5> Most people don't even know that there IS an alternative to the iPod.

        *****. I've owned at least a half-dozen other players and I own the iPod because it is a superior product.

        > The people that do and still have them are all about the image.

        Yeah, that's why mine lives in the storage compartment of my car hooked up to the head unit in the dash. Just how does it affect my "image" to have a device in my car that no one can see?
        • Rhino2, on 01/17/2008, -4/+6iPods are *****. The first one the battery died and apple won't replace it even in warranty and then the ***** track wheel broke. I work on computers and get more requests to fix someone's broken iPod atleast 1 every week or two. Oh and iTunes sucks. It's all overpriced and doesn't support a lot of formats.
          • fmaxwell, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1I've had mine for over two years and have had no problems with it. At all. The battery still works fine. If Apple is not willing to fix yours under warranty, I'd have to guess that you abused it. The vast majority of iPod buyers are extremely happy with their purchases and buy more in the future as newer models are introduced.
        • DaffyDuck, on 01/17/2008, -0/+2iTunes is free. Oh, you mean the iTunes store. You aren't forced to use it.
      • loudintl, on 01/17/2008, -1/+2I've always used my phone for mp3s so I stay out of the media player market, but for the sake of curiousity - what is this player to which you're referring?
      • jedikv, on 01/18/2008, -5/+2"> Most people don't even know that there IS an alternative to the iPod.

        *****. I've owned at least a half-dozen other players and I own the iPod because it is a superior product."

        Are you most people? Yeah, thought not.
      • Karmavs, on 01/18/2008, -3/+1Seriously — everyone who would ever buy an iPod knows that there are other MP3 players than the iPods. The thing is, the nano's and iPod touch are two of the best mp3 players around (anyone who buys a Shuffle, on the other hand, is an idiot)
        • maveric101, on 01/18/2008, -0/+0uh - actually, cnet(?) rated the archos 605 better than the iPod touch. i just bought an Archos, and its awesome
        • InferiorWang, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1"Seriously — everyone who would ever buy an iPod knows that there are other MP3 players than the iPods."
          Not true. I did seasonal work at the local Best Buy this last Christmas selling MP3 players and cell phones. At least half the people coming in looking for an "iPod" don't realize there are other options. You'd be surprised by how many people ask what the difference is between an iPod and an mp3 player.
    • artificialgrey, on 01/17/2008, -1/+25So what kind of player do you own?
      • Archon810, on 01/17/2008, -0/+14I'd like to know as well. xvid playback on a portable? sign me up.
        • artificialgrey, on 01/17/2008, -1/+2That's exactly the reason I asked ;)
        • EtherGnat, on 01/17/2008, -14/+3My MP3 player supports MP3, AAC, MKA, WMA, WAV, OGG, Speex, WAVPACK, FLAC, MPC, AMR, ADPCM, ALaw, MuLaw, Midi, H.264 (AVC), MKV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 part 2 (ASP), DivX, XviD, WMV+, MJPEG, and others. It's got high speed data for streaming from my home computer or Internet, and supports my Slingbox for live and prerecorded television viewing. It's got a 2.7" touchscreen, removable storage, replaceable batteries, and supports A2DP Bluetooth stereo headphones.

          Oh yeah, it's a phone too.
          • JoeDiggsIt, on 01/17/2008, -0/+12Why don't you name it?
          • gasin, on 01/17/2008, -0/+2It supports midi?!!! wow...
          • Archon810, on 01/17/2008, -0/+1It's not the iPhone for sure. My guess is one of the new nokias.
          • EtherGnat, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Any Windows Mobile phone... probably any Palm phone too. Specifically I have the Samsung SCH-i760. Yeah, it has its drawbacks, but I wouldn't trade the functionality for anything.
        • WiseWeasel, on 01/17/2008, -1/+7Pretty sure all the Creative ones support xvid...
        • CLShortFuse, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1iRiver U10/Clix/Clix2, Motorola A1200 (linux phone, just install mplayer), and any Windows Mobile phone allows you to stream over Orb or H264/XviD via TCMP. Those are just the ones that I own.
          • InferiorWang, on 01/19/2008, -0/+1TCPMP and the newer Core Player are available for Palms (like the wifi-enabled 320x480 Tungsten TX) and Palm phones. I use TCPMP and Pocket Tunes for my treo. Actually Core Player is available for Symbian, PocketPC, Windows Mobile, and Palm and it plays h.264, mpegs, divx, xvid, mp3, aac, flac, ogg, and more.
        • jhaks, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2Come on people, stop getting blinded by Apple. These features have been in the market for such a long time. iRiver, Cowon, Archos and Creative all have players that support these codecs.
      • ThePeteStanis, on 01/17/2008, -0/+11I know Archos supports all of those that he listed, but I can't speak for the original poster.
        • nicolasavru, on 01/17/2008, -0/+4As far is I know, Archos doesn't (as much as I wish it did as I have one) support FLAC. Cowon iAudio (in no way, shape, or form related to iPod) X5, however, does.

          If you know of another player that supports FLAC, please tell me (not sarcastic, I would genuinely welcome that information).

          EDIT: I should mention, I'm talking about their Gmini audio players (the small square ones), not their video players.
          • buckrogers1965, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1If you are willing to be a little adventurous and put up with a slightly inferior interface the rockbox linux distro installs on a lot of media players and supports FLAC
      • clackerd, on 01/17/2008, -3/+15record player, you smug digital music listening pieces of *****.
        • emomakesmecry, on 01/17/2008, -3/+4Analog to analog FTW! You get a much higher quality sound than a digital recording of an analog sound converted through a DAC back to an analog signal in order to listen to it.
          Vinyl will always reign supreme.
        • bagelmaster, on 01/17/2008, -6/+3The human ear can not tell the difference.. sorry to break it to you. It's like that dumbass lossless stuff. Pointless as hell
        • badenglishihave, on 01/17/2008, -0/+4I love vinyl, but I don't/can't have a turntable in my car or while I'm exercising.
        • IllBeBack, on 01/17/2008, -2/+3Your record player is no match for DVD Audio. Listening to music in 5.1 surround sound kicks ***** ASS all over any piece of vinyl.
        • buckrogers1965, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4Wow, vinyl fanatics make the ipod bigots look like mother Teresa.
      • badenglishihave, on 01/17/2008, -1/+9Cowon iAudio U3

        http://www.cowonamerica.com/
        • AmICoolNow, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4I had to click about 10 links to find out how much the damn thing costs...
          • badenglishihave, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1That's because they don't sell their product on their site, they go through resellers. You can purchase an iPod directly from the Apple site so it's easy to find a price there.
        • dgp1, on 01/18/2008, -4/+1Am I a snob because I think "Cowon" is the least attractive name of an electronics company EVER?
          I don't have a problem with the *names* of most Apple competitors. Sandisk. Dell. Microsoft. These sound nice to the ear.

          "COWON" evokes, well, a bovine animal on top of you.

          Perhaps the player is neat (too bad it doesn't have a wheel) but I wish their marketing guys (or do they have any) could come up with a more appealing name.
        • gavin422, on 01/18/2008, -2/+34GB? I'm going to need at least ten times that much.
          • badenglishihave, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2So get a player that isn't flash based. Cowon sells some if you're really interested.
        • Karmavs, on 01/18/2008, -3/+3First, I have to LOL at the product page - "Enjoy music and video AT THE SAME TIME" er… what? wouldn't that just lead to confusion & headaches

          anyway - My sister has one - they suck. Screen is terrible, GUI is even worse. - The price is lower, but not nearly enough to offset all the annoying things about it.
          • badenglishihave, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1I've never had a problem using the little joystick. It supports browsing by IDv3 tags as well as folder browsing and that's good enough for me. Screen is great for the size, colors are sharp and the frame rate is decent. To each his own I suppose.
      • Archon810, on 01/18/2008, -0/+5This is damn impressive: the A3 http://www.cowonamerica.com/products/cowon/a3/
        • jhaks, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2This thing owns. Here are the basic specs:

          Video
          File Formats - AVI, WMV, ASF,MP4, MATROSKA(MKV), OGM, MPG/MPEG, VOB, DAT,MTV
          Codecs - DivX 3.11/4/5/6, XviD, MPEG-4 SP/ASP, WMV 9/8/7, H.264 MP, M-JPEG, MPEG 1/2
          Resolution - Max 1280x720,30 fps
          Audio Codec - MPEG1 Layer 1/2/3, WMA, FLAC, OGG Vorbis, AAC/AAC+, AC3, BSAC, True Audio, WavPack, G.726, CM

          Audio
          File Formats - MP3/2/1, WMA,ASF, FLAC, OGG, M4A, MATROSKA(MKA), AC3,TTA, APE, MPC, WV, WAV
          Codecs - MPEG1 Layer 1/2/3, WMA, FLAC, OGG Vorbis, OGG FLAC, APPLELossless, AAC/AAC+, AC3, True Audio, Monkey Audio, MusePack, WavPack, G.726, PCM

      • Anthop, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2Cowon makes some pretty nice stuff, and they're well known for the high audio quality of their players. The A3 is really impressive, but is unfortunately a little too big for my tastes.... The iAudio7, though is really good as a music player, though not so hot for video.
      • Zephik, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1I bought an iPod Video 30GB last year, got rid of it a couple months later, then bought a Brown Zune 30GB on newegg.com for a hundred bucks. I still love it, for the most part. What more could you want for a hundred bucks? Awesome deal.
    • UKsHaDoW, on 01/17/2008, -37/+23"No. I do however have a digital media player that supports Vorbis, FLAC and XViD video playback. It costs half as much as an equivalent iPod and has better battery life."
      Is it me, or does it sound like you have that sense superiority. Just because it cost less, it doesn't give you the right to brag that its better, and get away without sounding a *****.
      • kryptobs2000, on 01/17/2008, -4/+15Yeah, but the fact that it costs less and supports more media formats while not locking you into a drm format makes it better. All the same though, what about that came off as bragging? He was simply stating why he chose that over an ipod.
        • UKsHaDoW, on 01/17/2008, -3/+8To mac users, there simply stating why they choose that over the media player. That analogy works both ways. I know people who would'ent give damn if it surported xvid. But would if had a scrollwheel.
        • Bootes, on 01/17/2008, -3/+10How exactly does the iPod lock you into a DRM format?
        • digggggggggg, on 01/17/2008, -3/+9Okay. I would just let this go but I'm sick of hearing this, so.

          The iPod DOES NOT lock you into a DRM format. If you choose to purchase stuff from iTunes, which is purely optional, the videos and most of the music will have DRM. However, you can load your own stuff onto your iPod and it will not "add DRM" to it.

          Seriously folks, DRM is to Digg as Terror is to the Bush Administration. Both are horrible things, but both organizations blow their respective "horrible thing" way out of proportion.
        • adooga, on 01/17/2008, -0/+1@ UKsHaDoW:
          What analogy?
      • Schneckehaus, on 01/17/2008, -2/+8I do believe it does.
        A warranted sense of superiority makes sense. If something is better, then it is superior, and thusly a feeling of superiority is earned.
        Now, say, it doesn't take into account the fact that the iPod has amazing tactile response and is very intuitive, that to me is the number one selling point. Different strokes for different folks, though.
        • DaffyDuck, on 01/17/2008, -2/+1That's the point, most people here think a player has to support multiple formats or have a radio or it's crap. All of my music files are MP3 and I'd prefer to keep it simple by sticking with this format. It works well and sounds great at 192 or 320. What I like about the iPod is that it works seamlessly with iTunes which I happen to actually like. Having a radio would be nice but I seriously doubt I'd use it much since most radio channels are junk these days.
      • arbulus, on 01/17/2008, -2/+9How is pointing out a device that costs less and supports MORE audio formats (ones that Apple completely refuses to acknowledge) being a *****?
        • UKsHaDoW, on 01/18/2008, -2/+1Because if i asked someone if they had [Insert car name here], and they replied no, but i have [insert car name here], its faster, cheaper, nicer seats, better stereo, handles better, more miles to galleon and i'm genrally better than you. I'd think he was stuck up his own arse.
      • dafragsta, on 01/17/2008, -4/+5No idea why you are getting dugg down, you nailed the duality that douches are pervasive and not exclusively Mac users. Linux users are often douches too.
        • UKsHaDoW, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1I'm not really bothered. If it costs less. The op is to bragging that its better, and then using the cost to get away with it. If i said but iPod had scrollwheel, looks good, and easy to use. People would jump on me saying thats it for rich bastards who don't how to spend there money.
      • badenglishihave, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1I don't think anybody in this thread ever said they were a better person than an iPod user. In fact, iIf you're going to look down on somebody because they own an iPod you probably have some real problems. When I describe why I like my player to my iPod friends it's because I really think they might like what I have. It is my opinion that Apple is ripping people off in certain cases. I like to help my friends.
    • ozid, on 01/17/2008, -33/+27@badenglishihave

      wow i'm glad my friends aren't pricks like you. thats the snobbiest thing i've ever heard.

      you're like one of those guys who corrects people when they say "Porsch" instead of "Porsch-a"
      • arbulus, on 01/17/2008, -8/+8You have it backwards: It's Porche, not Porsch-a.
        • bowe, on 01/17/2008, -0/+17Poorsh is the American pronunciation, and is fine unless you're in Germany trying to buy one, but Porsh-a is actually correct.
          It's like how American's always say Brooshetta, when in reality it should be pronounced Broosketta.
      • CatsAreGods, on 01/17/2008, -3/+12Au contraire, it's the people who wants everyone to know they have a gen-u-wine iPod that are more likely to be the "Porsch-a" snobs.
        • UKsHaDoW, on 01/17/2008, -5/+1no not really. Most people buy iPods. Because thats the norm.
          Its more like to be someone with the audio player that has there "surprier" audio quality, then those iPod fags.

      • badenglishihave, on 01/17/2008, -1/+3Yes I really do have a friend like that. Granted he's a snob about everything, but I've heard similar comments from other iPod owners.

        And I do say "Porsh Eh" but I don't correct people when they don't =)
    • TheIinLive, on 01/17/2008, -28/+6none of those formats seem appealing to me. FLAC kills space and battery, I only use it for class albums (like the beatles and hendrix). and wtf is vorbis and xvid? just use a real format, nerd.
      • clondike7, on 01/17/2008, -2/+13ogg vorbis is arguably one of the best music formats out there. and xvid is pretty much the most popular video format. wmv and mpg4 can kiss my ass.
        • WiseWeasel, on 01/17/2008, -8/+2Real men use h.264 (AVC) and AAC... There are some excellent open source encoders/decoders for both.
      • arbulus, on 01/17/2008, -2/+9Why the hell are people like this? A real format? The Ogg formats (Vorbis and Theora) ARE real formats, but they are open source formats, unlike MP3 and others which are proprietary formats for which you must pay royalties.
        • InorganicMatter, on 01/17/2008, -7/+1They also pale in comparison to AVC/AAC. ;)
      • skyshock1, on 01/17/2008, -0/+9You fail at trolling.
      • Bootes, on 01/17/2008, -8/+4XviD is only used for pirating movies. OGG is an open source audio codec, except that it's used by basically no one. Having more supported codecs is always great, but I wouldn't care if my MP3 player couldn't play OGG.
      • badenglishihave, on 01/17/2008, -0/+3You are on Digg. You, sir, are most likely a nerd.

        Interesting that you're here and you don't know what XViD is... perhaps you should leave ;)
    • neonfunk, on 01/17/2008, -14/+19mac users have sense of superiority, pc-ers cite to prove superiority...
      *whistles down the street*
      • WiseWeasel, on 01/17/2008, -13/+3Maybe Mac users develop that sense of superiority with all that extra time on their hands, from not having to deal with a norm of crappy solutions that don't work, or don't work well... Maybe it comes from thinking their personal time is valuable... : P
        /smug
        • orgazmo, on 01/17/2008, -1/+11All those games sure do eat a lot of time :(
      • badenglishihave, on 01/17/2008, -5/+4Funny, all I ever see now is people bashing Vista. Why is that? Oh yah... because Apple switched to Intel processors and they no longer make proprietary hardware. Good job to Apple dumping ALL PC users in the Vista melting pot.
        • gh0st3000, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2The day Apple stops making proprietary hardware is the day they go out of business.
    • diggrim, on 01/17/2008, -2/+8This PA makes so much sense to me (but none of my iPod-using friends): http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2003/05/28
      • DreKor, on 01/17/2008, -0/+8I prefer this one. http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2002/07/12
        And no, I don't have a problem with any body's hardware / software choice or how smug they become. Toys are fun, and I accept that. Find the ones that make you happy and go for it.
      • Karmavs, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2and apparently not to anyone who has any kind of MP3 player at all.
    • InorganicMatter, on 01/17/2008, -15/+3My iPod Classic's H.264/AAC support blows all your crappy open source formats away. ;)
    • lnxfi, on 01/17/2008, -15/+3I have an iPod. I like it very much. It play's my MP3s and my movie files. Well, that's about all i really care about. Also, you should be glad to have any friends at all with your attitide.
    • jlewicki, on 01/17/2008, -2/+11I've had my iriver h340 for over 4 years now. I've upgraded and replaced the battery once, upgraded the hdd to 60 gb, and installed a freeware OS on it (rockbox) http://www.rockbox.org/ .

      And I can now:
      -play almost any audio codec (FLAC, ogg, ...)
      -play games such as doom
      -game boy roms
      -videos
      -use a built in microphone
      -use a built in FM receiver

      for over 24 hours per charge
      • Shiftgood, on 01/17/2008, -9/+3Sounds like you have a sense of superiority. Do the people posting on this not realize the irony?
        • badenglishihave, on 01/17/2008, -1/+5Most Apple users I know act superior without backing it up with any specs. I've never seen anybody show me that the iPod is technologically better than any other player.

          I realize most people don't read tech specs and that a good GUI is much more important to the general consumer. But there's no need to act like you're king of the world just because you own a certain brand of player.
        • SiNN4R, on 01/17/2008, -2/+7He just sounds like someone talking about a nice piece of hardware he owns. I detect no smugness about him somehow being superior because of it.
        • gh0st3000, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1The difference is one is saying theirs is better because it has several more functions and costs less, and the other is saying theirs is better because it's shiny.
      • kmartshopper, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1If only rockbox sported a 3d interface of some sort... It was the interface that made me take it off my Sansa...
      • spargett, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2FM receiver? Creepy.
    • fmaxwell, on 01/17/2008, -28/+23I own an iPod. Why? Because I've owned players by Sandisk, Creative Labs, Archos, Diamond (Rio), and at least a few that slip my mind right now. And they all sucked compared to the iPod. The iPod's quality of construction, user interface, and mechanical design blow them away. The analog electronics are a lot better, too.

      As to the "image thing," my iPod spends most of it's life in a storage compartment in my car hooked up to my Alpine head unit. Because Apple had the foresight that other manufacturers lack, there's a connector on there that speaks a documented protocol, allowing manufacturers to control the units with head units that they create. Thus, I can access anything on my iPod using the head unit in my dash.

      Apple owns the market because they offer the most appealing products. And, no, I have never owned an Apple computer or other product, but their iPod kicks much butt.
      • ozroy, on 01/17/2008, -10/+7That is exactly why I bought mine as well. So it can do nothing but keep my music collection in my car.
      • jsuther, on 01/17/2008, -7/+5Same here, I bought an Alpine Nav system deck and a 160GB Ipod at the same time. You could even say I I bought the ipod because of its "openness" and ability to work with other hardware. I also have a sansa clip for the gym and not a Ipod shuffle. Form factor determind that purchase. I would have bought a ogg player if I could have found such a little one. I still rip to flac first and consider flac the master format for all my music. I convert to apple lossless for the ipod and 128bit mp3 for the little sansa. If the ipod connector wasn't a defacto standard and there was a real standard, I would have picked up the first 100GB+ flac player I could find.
    • andycr512, on 01/17/2008, -4/+8I think this comic sums it up nicely... http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2003/05/28
      • dynamojoe, on 01/17/2008, -7/+2So an iPod is inferior to a Discman?
      • andycr512, on 01/17/2008, -0/+3Sorry, didn't mean to re-post what someone else posted. I even looked to make sure nobody had, so I don't know how I missed it...
      • Karmavs, on 01/18/2008, -2/+2And it does so for the fourth time in this thread!
    • retrolab, on 01/17/2008, -4/+6Not all Apple fans own - or even like - the iPod. I like my Zen and try to preach it on all my ipod-toting friends.
      • Numbski, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1How do you manage a sufficiently large library with a zen? I thought it was just drag and drop? I used to think d&d was sufficient, but I've since decided a database-driven solution is far faster, and more flexible. Does the zen have something similar?
      • kentifer, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1My Zen broke too often, so after the warranty was up, I sold it.
        Anyone know a good rugged player?
      • YumYumKittyLoaf, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1My zen micro photo stopped charging, I guess i need a new battery... or it's dead. Won't even turn on when it's connected to my computer. I doubt it's broken because it wasn't charging correctly, and ran out of battery life and hasn't turned back on again.
        They are nice players though.
    • blinktude, on 01/17/2008, -2/+7long before iPod came out with a color screen, my iRiver H320 had color screen, radio, recorder, movie playback and etc. much better than iPod
      • Robbothehood, on 01/17/2008, -3/+4and a 2 inch screen, and a smaller HDD, and a larger form factor.
    • johnnyutah001, on 01/17/2008, -12/+1oh thank god it plays OGG VORBIS *rolls eyes

      • badenglishihave, on 01/17/2008, -0/+2I'm very worried for the future of digital audio if people like you keep hanging onto an inferior, 15+ year old codec. Which codec am I referring to? MP3, of course.
        • Karmavs, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1firstly, he never metioned Mp3s. The thing about OGGs is that nobody comes across them unless they seek them out — so supporting the format is mostly worthless. The AAC format is also an open format superior to Mp3 (evidence varies on which of AAC & OGG is better, but they're always very similar), it's more widely supported too.
    • zeejay, on 01/17/2008, -14/+12>> "Me: "No. I do however have a digital media player that supports Vorbis, FLAC and XViD video playback. It costs half as much as an equivalent iPod and has better battery life." "
      I hate to break it to you, but your sense of superiority totally trumps Mr. iPod's.
      • gh0st3000, on 01/18/2008, -2/+0pointing out the technical benefits of a product doesn't make you a smug *****. Acting like a product is better because it just is makes you a smug *****.
        • HeyaBILL, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Yes it does if its unsolicited like the statement in the original post. If I merely ask someone if they have an ipod which is a YES OR NO QUESTION, like the original post, and they proceed to go over every single reason why they purchased a competitors player, it is pure arrogance.
    • mufasa, on 01/17/2008, -6/+1Can you actually get a mp3 player with 80GB for $125 ? (80GB iP Classic is 249)
    • Shiftgood, on 01/17/2008, -5/+14Do you not realize the irony of your statement?
    • pikaboy259, on 01/17/2008, -10/+10Seriously, pot, kettle. Have you wondered why your friends are pompous jerks? Maybe because you're one.
    • ,,|,_, on 01/17/2008, -2/+7This is an honest question so don't dogpile me, what percentage of your music collection is OGG or FLAC?
      • Numbski, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1If my iPhone would support it, I'd re-rip my entire library in FLAC. Sadly, it does not, and to be honest, having a serious unix box on my belt is too nice to give up. :P
        • antitab, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1You are aware of the existence of ALAC, right?
        • zongamin, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1You will die a lonely man.
      • Theycallmetak, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Everything I own is in FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, and LAME. LAME is for the Sansa Express, Vorbis for the (gifted to me as broken) 4G ipod w/rockbox, FLAC for listening at home.
        • antitab, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2I'm really glad you posted that, because it helps to illustrate a point that really, really needs clarification.
          You said that you own music in LAME. Everyone else just says "MP3" when referring to the format – nobody defines MP3 by the encoder that was used to create it, it's simply MP3. The same goes for all other audio standards – you don't say tooLame, you say MP2. You don't say FAAC or NeroDigital or Apple AAC, you say AAC.
          Somehow we've wound up with the opposite situation in video, although it's only a recent thing. MPEG-1 is MPEG-1 is MPEG-1, your video is not TMPG or FFMPEG or CCE.
          However, for some reason, as evidenced by the OP, Xvid is not MPEG-4. DivX is not MPEG-4.

          This leads to statements like "iPod doesn't play Xvid". That's like saying "iPod doesn't play LAME". It most certainly does play LAME-encoded MP3s. Just as the iPod will play Xvid-encoded MPEG-4. The confusion probably arises because MPEG-4 Visual has been traditionally stored in nonstandard containers like AVI. This is akin to putting an MP3 inside Matroska and expecting it to play on an iPod. No, iPods don't support Matroska, or AVI. But they sure as hell do support MP3 and MPEG-4.
          • Theycallmetak, on 02/27/2008, -0/+1Yeah, to clarify, LAME is the codec, MP3 the format, and AVI is one possible container for MPEG-4.

            I specify LAME because not only is it free and open source, it's still in development and contrary to common perception is excellent (though not without faults). FLAC is it's own format (can also be contained within OGG) and Vorbis is the audio codec for OGG. There's only one Vorbis and one FLAC. There are many MP3 encoders. LAME is the best I've found.

            For a good rundown and a reality check for those spouting codec superiority: http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php
            A little info from some very knowledgeable folks and a few listening tests would probably straighten out the *****.
      • badenglishihave, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2I have over 5500 songs and roughly a third of them are Ogg Vorbis. Most of them were ripped or purchased through the now defunct AllOfMp3.com.
    • Scorch07, on 01/18/2008, -2/+4I am generally an Apple fan, but I do agree with this. It annoys me when people think that iPods are the only type of music player out there. Yes I use a Mac. Why? I just enjoy using them more and like OS X much more than Windows. I realize there are other computers, I just don't like them as much.
      • Velnich, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1One of the only answers I can tolerate. "It's my preference", not "it's better".
        • NotaFanboy87, on 01/21/2008, -0/+0If 'preference' is the case, then only mac users are worthy. Remember, PC users 'tolerate' things, Mac users 'prefer' things.
    • tyywebb, on 01/18/2008, -2/+2Cool, Xvid, sounds nice! I can play gameboy advance and nes games, check the weather, check my email, use google maps, listen to streaming music from seeqpod (searchable) and last.fm, and do any number of other things online. *Farts in hand, inhales deeply*
    • Nickdotnet, on 01/18/2008, -3/+2First off, ALOT of iPod owners are PC users, Apple had the foresight to make their product available cross-platform - something your bragging-ass toy probably didn't do. Secondly, chances are I can't go into a car audio place and ask for a digital hookup to control my Cowon - why, cuz they probably don't make one, on the other hand, many manufactures carry 3rd party hardware that allows you to control your ipod and see its readout on different LED screens. Apple users sometimes feel they are superior because they paid a higher dollar amount for a typically superior product. The same way BMW owners typically feel superior to Toyota owners. Its not something new, and it happens in every market. What gets old is the immature flamers who try to pick a fight with Apple users. Apple people will brag about their product because they believe in them - what do you PC people have to believe in? 45 different non-compatible brands all with their own proprietary software/hardware and fanboys? At least Apple users are uniform....
      • bat-21, on 01/18/2008, -2/+1Foresight my ass. Ipods are only cross-platform because Windows users nagged Apple into it.
        • Nickdotnet, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Riiiiiight....because Apple has a history of giving into Windows users....
    • deadbaby, on 01/18/2008, -1/+11You got it all wrong though. Here's how the conversation would actually go:

      Me: I got this awesome new player. It does FLAC & OGG!!!!!! DIVX TOO!!
      Friend: Oh yeah...... my iPod is white.
      Me: Yeah but it sucks because you can't play FLAC!
      Friend: It has a wheel too.
      Me: YES YES but don't you see! Mine is really a lot better and it cost less. I ordered it on (insert website no one has ever heard of here)
      Friend: Oh yeah I stopped at the Apple store on the way home from work. I got the white one.... with a wheel.
      Me: Oh you think you're so much better than me don't you? I'LL FIGHT YOU RIGHT NOW
      • NotaFanboy87, on 01/21/2008, -1/+0You're retarded. You ate some bad cheese at a young age cuz something is kiling your brain cells. Here's how the conversation would go.

        You: I got this awesome new player. It does FLAC & OGG!!!! DIVX TOO!!!
        Me: Oh cool let me hook it up to iTunes.
        You: Well, it can't do that.
        Me: Why not? That's where all my music and stuff is.
        You: Well, you're just gonna have to change!
        Me: Change? To what?
        You: Well there's this CD that came in the box, it's called Super-Duper Music. It comes with a coupon where I can download unlimited songs for a year!
        Me: How many songs are on there?
        You: 1300, they like Hip Hop.
        Me: Does it work with Mac?
        You: Uhh, no.
        Me: Lemme take a look at this thing. What's that button do?
        You: Well, that's the radio/recorder/stop/on/off/vibrate button.
        Me: Sounds pretty complicated to work with. Does it have a manual?
        You: Yeah, it's like a half-inch thick. Mostly in Japanese.
        Me: How much did you pay for this thing?
        You: About $199. That's $50 less than your iPod.
        Me: My iPod holds 80 GB. Yours?
        You: Well I have to buy the memory, it's upgradable.
        Me: How much did you get?
        You: I got an 8 GB card for like $150.
        Me: So you spent $350 on an 8 GB FLAC player that doesn't work with iTunes, or even Macintosh for that matter. You don't know how to operate it, and it doesn't even play mp3s? I'll stick with my iPod, you're not intimidating me.
        You: Well, it's better!
        Me: Don't give a *****.
    • scorgiman, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2I am a mac user and it still makes me sick to see how many dumb people waste money on iPods when there are pleanty of better players out there. I'll admit I own an iPod, but I only have it because it isn't practical to own anything else when my computer is a mac. I also hate it that people think "iPod" is the same as saying "portable media player" as if iPods are the only device of its kind!
    • protium, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3 I take it you DON"T have a girlfriend?
    • dwninjungleland, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2I thought you were dissing yourself at first... pompous *****.
    • zongamin, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Liar. Name an 80g mp3 player that is 'half the price' of an ipod.
      You are an idiot.
  • pyrobob, on 01/17/2008, -53/+9lawl

    I'm an AppleGeek (I like Apple's hardware more than the generic), but im not like the described ._. I just see it as another OS that is a little more open to play around with (I mean less likely to get software problems that Windows gets).
    • peskypescado, on 01/17/2008, -4/+21I'm sure you aren't. Just like how an overwhelming majority of drivers are "above average drivers."
      • zigspective, on 01/17/2008, -3/+3It's interesting that you cite that study because it's exact reason why this study is completely flawed. It states that mac users have a sense of superiority about their computer products that they use but the truth is that basically everyone thinks this way. That's because unless you have confidence issues or very low self-esteem everyone thinks they are better than everyone else. Everyone thinks that they drive better, speak better, have a better standards or moral codes, have better judgement etc. etc. etc.
        This isn't a mac user phenomenon, this is a human reality
    • GuacamoleSan, on 01/17/2008, -4/+11Yes how could we be so foolish as to label you *rolls eyes*
    • coheedcollapse, on 01/17/2008, -2/+19"another OS that is a little more open to play around with"

      This quote leads me to believe that this comment was posted as a joke. Also, I'm not sure if you know what "generic" means.
    • tattertech, on 01/17/2008, -3/+9More open? 0.o
      • WiseWeasel, on 01/17/2008, -7/+2OS X is definitely more perceptively open than Windows, simply because of the POSIX compliance (it runs all Linux and UNIX software), not to mention the open source Darwin core of the OS. If you know what you're doing, you can mess with pretty much everything in OS X, and customize it extensively. With Automator, Applescript and shell scripting, you can bind together pretty much any bit of software in nifty ways to create custom workflows. Integration of software, between proprietary commercial apps, shareware, freeware and open source CLI and GUI apps is practically unmatched on any other platform (besides possibly Linux, but that lacks in the commercial software department), with a much shallower learning curve, so it doesn't scare off the less adventurous. A full suite of very usable and complete developer tools (XCode) even ships free with every copy of OS X, allowing you to easily tinker with OS X apps, and build new ones. I'm sure many a Linux and Windows developer will have cut their teeth on a Mac OS X machine.
      • Karmavs, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Than windows, certainly. (Is it even worth saying the next part?) than linux, clearly not even close.
    • KaiUno, on 01/17/2008, -6/+11"I mean less likely to get software problems that Windows gets"

      That's because there's hardly any software to mess up the os with. (And us Windows users have iTunes and Quicktime to do that for us.)
      • JoeDiggsIt, on 01/17/2008, -4/+3Hardly any software for OSX, really? That would be like me saying, "Once you get a PC and connect to the internet you automatically get a billion viruses." It's an incorrect statement about something your unfamiliar with. Don't bash things unless you have experience with them, I tend to bash Windows because I've had experience with it and had problems.
    • OnipSemaj, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3I don't get the "open" part. That usually means open source, which Mac is not.
  • clak, on 01/17/2008, -92/+14What's with all the hating? I'm really starting to think that PC users get on their knees at night and pray:

    "Our Father, which art in Heaven. Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us, EXCEPT of course, for those SMUG BASTARDS that have Macs! Please, LORD, DELIVER THOSE BASTARDS INTO EVIL! Let the freakin' VIRUSES rain down on them like Manna from Heaven, O' Dear Lord. And as for Steve Jobs, let his black turtleneck wearing ass be hit by a GODDAMED TRAIN, AMEN!"
    • Chassit, on 01/17/2008, -7/+57A perfect example of the ***** this article is targeting. Thanks for playing moron.
      • clackerd, on 01/17/2008, -12/+1cmon, it was funny. grow a funny bone.
    • coheedcollapse, on 01/17/2008, -4/+56I don't care at all if someone chooses to use a mac. I care when they A) Use it as a status symbol and B) Act like I'm inferior for having a Windows/Linux box.
      • norman619, on 01/17/2008, -16/+5Because we all know Apple computers "Just work" while all others don't.
        • coheedcollapse, on 01/17/2008, -0/+6If I hadn't checked out your history I'd have thought you were serious! I know what you mean. I've heard that line mindlessly repeated in at least a few separate instances.
        • yosempai, on 01/17/2008, -0/+4Dugg for assumed sarcasm.
      • sealbeater, on 01/17/2008, -0/+5I'm surrounded by Mac fanboys (my company uses all macs) but linux + G5 = cool ass machine. Enlightenment and Beryl tends to shut them up
        • norman619, on 01/17/2008, -8/+5Pot meet kettle...
        • clackerd, on 01/17/2008, -1/+4there was a time when merely owning a mac did not make you a fanboy.
        • DaffyDuck, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Enlightenment is still around? I remember playing with that around 12 years ago.
        • Karmavs, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1heh - beryl makes me laugh with its complete Over-the-top-ness. It shuts me up, because there's no point making the argument for subtlety to someone who clearly doesn't understand it.
      • JoeDiggsIt, on 01/17/2008, -1/+4It's funny because more people around me treat my Macbook like a status symbol than me doing it purposely. The general public has turned Macs into a (supposed) status symbol, not the owners.
    • jonshipman, on 01/17/2008, -33/+2We don't have Viruses.
      • norman619, on 01/17/2008, -6/+22You don't have much else either.
      • zeptobyte, on 01/17/2008, -5/+13You don't have enough users for viruses to be profitable.
        • buckrogers1965, on 01/18/2008, -0/+31. Write Virus
          2. Spread Virus
          3. ????
          4. Profit!!!
        • Karmavs, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1pleese — given that the entire Mac Market has effectively no virus protection, a Mac virus would be just as 'profitable' as a windows one.. And given the lack of any, making a mac virus would be far more impressive/noteable
          • shoerob, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1It wouldn't spread. There simply aren't enough people using Macs. If anything, it would have to have the ability to jump to a Windows PC, then back to a Mac.
    • clak, on 01/17/2008, -34/+8Laughing my ass off at the ultra serious, enormously insecure PC users here.
      • shoerob, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3Your a PC user too. You just don't know it. Your PC has been masked in the cover of a different OS.
    • BinaryFragger, on 01/17/2008, -3/+5So, how many Apple products do you own? 3? 4?
    • jabberwolf, on 01/17/2008, -2/+4We cant hate Jobs. He makes money off of retards like YOU.
      Who is the worse, the idiot who leads or the idiots who follow ??
    • fakekevinrose, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1i never knew so much unfunny and fail can exist on the internet
  • samejreltub, on 01/17/2008, -8/+37No surprises there eh ;)
    • Kamujin, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Agreed.

      You didn't think that the people who bought every dead end technology that Apple sold them over the last 15 years were going to be "normal" did you?
  • lnxfi, on 01/17/2008, -10/+78Let's just file this one under, "Duh."
  • WilliamHBonney, on 01/17/2008, -9/+38yes and by the way the world is also round.
  • monkeyrun, on 01/17/2008, -11/+256how insightful, next survey will find out Linux users think they are 1337?
    • norman619, on 01/17/2008, -6/+7NO WAY!
    • bigsteve, on 01/17/2008, -9/+9You know, I'm kinda glad digg has threads like this every now and again. It allows us adults to calibrate our block lists. Looks like we might find the upper bound on this one.
      • willdelaney, on 01/17/2008, -4/+2You're a good example of the person they're talking about
        • bigsteve, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1Or I'm glad for the opportunity to not hear from a bunch of retards who will spout hate based on what computer a person uses.

          You wouldn't know me if you tripped over me.
          • willdelaney, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1You have left 684 comments

            thats quite a bit
      • jedikv, on 01/18/2008, -2/+4Truth hurts doesnt it?
    • bluepass, on 01/18/2008, -2/+1I am sooo leet.
  • Mr.Gone, on 01/17/2008, -21/+21Wow, this should have been filed under F**king duh!
  • RADI0ACTIVE, on 01/17/2008, -19/+93That could be a headline over at The Onion.
  • norrin, on 01/17/2008, -24/+10So, to sum up the article -- Mac users are left-wing, bi-polar, narcissists.
  • durangotang, on 01/17/2008, -59/+35Why is it that PC users are always clicking on Apple stories and calling us fan boys? It's a bit ridiculous. I don't click on a story that I am not interested in, and deride those who are into it. And now stories like this! People need to get a life.
    • heartcoldfusion, on 01/17/2008, -5/+41According to the article, what you meant to say was, "People need to get a life, even though it won't be as perfectly awesome as mine."
    • Stemnin, on 01/17/2008, -10/+2who is this story really targeted at?

      Look at Tom Cruise's vid the other day, rambling about scientoligists being superior. Why did I click on it? I don't like him, but I do love his movies.
    • astrosmash, on 01/17/2008, -9/+15These guys are always a little extra sensitive and insecure around Macworld time.
    • Pakocino, on 01/17/2008, -7/+14Because the apple fans I know always brag about how apple is awesome and it's annoying me.
      • BinaryFragger, on 01/17/2008, -6/+20And removing the CDROM drive and Ethernet port, then charging $1799 is "innovative."
        • digggggggggg, on 01/17/2008, -12/+3Oh just stop beating that dead horse. Geez.
        • adooga, on 01/17/2008, -1/+8It's not exactly a dead horse, it's a new product. And hopefully not a precedent.
        • JoeDiggsIt, on 01/17/2008, -0/+8Dude, many Apple users aren't happy with the Air, as am I (yes, I do own two macs AND a Window's box.) It is overpriced, lacking in features, and quite frankly, a piece of ***** in terms of what I expect from Apple.
          • yosempai, on 01/17/2008, -0/+2Not to mention the ugly rounded edges.
            And yes, I own a Macbook pro.
      • astrosmash, on 01/17/2008, -1/+7I'm sorry your feelings are hurt.
      • clackerd, on 01/17/2008, -6/+0they're all a bunch of skinny, dough-skinned, emo tools that weigh 87 lbs wet and you let them get to you? you're pathetic.
    • tvon, on 01/17/2008, -1/+2Shh, it gives them something to do. It also tends to keep a healthy supply of irony flowing through the world.
    • BinaryFragger, on 01/17/2008, -0/+21Oh please, Apple fanboys are always "should get a Mac!!" posts to PC articles. It goes both ways.
    • CatsAreGods, on 01/17/2008, -6/+3Typical comment from a fanboi.
      • JoeDiggsIt, on 01/17/2008, -1/+2People who spell fanboy, fanboi, are just as bad as... fanboys.
    • isaactwito, on 01/17/2008, -20/+4I say ***** you pc users out there. ***** ALL OF YOU. Is anyone else sick of how much of ***** everyone without a mac is? As soon as someone says Apple people start attacking them. Is it because you're afraid that you can't play halflife on it? Are you're substitutes for real friends not compatible? Does that scare you? Or is it because you're so ***** awesome? Are you such a l33t haxor with your ubuntu machine that you are blind to the fact that os x has a decent bsd core? Maybe you all just love making people think you're a douchebad, whatever. The point is ***** you, you stupid prick.
      • tehrok, on 01/17/2008, -5/+12apple is fisher price meets ikea, for computers.

        you pay more for a chinsey machine that boasts a visual aesthetic that caters to a crowd of people who, for the most part, dont know much about computers. its okay really, but a hint for next time, the block doesnt fit into the ball shape
        • clackerd, on 01/17/2008, -0/+1i'll take the hasbro meets sears alternative. i mean, less smug, right?
        • joncarr, on 01/17/2008, -7/+3Overpriced? Chinsey? Visual aesthetic? for people who don't know much about computers? If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were talking about a Dell, or a Compaq running Vista. Check your stereotypes, they are out of date.

          Apple products are for the most part, price competitive (TCO, look it up), well manufactured, and targeted at users who recognize value when they see it.
          • yosempai, on 01/17/2008, -3/+2I couldn't agree more. I bet tehrok has never used a recent Mac. I met a guy yesterday who said Macs suck because they 'had no 3rd party apps.' Really? Over 90% of the programs I use daily are 3rd party.
        • DaffyDuck, on 01/18/2008, -2/+1tehrok, you have proved to have a suitable amount of smugness to be a Mac user.
      • staxofmax, on 01/17/2008, -1/+4Wow, your post totally contradicts the survey's findings!
    • adooga, on 01/17/2008, -1/+2Oh shut up. I read articles about all kinds of products and I have thoughts about all kinds of things.
  • SOS84, on 01/17/2008, -21/+83Since when did sheep develop the capacity for feeling? Did Jobs mob collectively forget to take their Prozium?
    • katorga, on 01/17/2008, -16/+10How are the users of the ultra-minority platform "sheep". I would think that windows users who make up 90% of the market would be the "sheep". I'm continually told I need to use MS products because everyone else does. The folks who take the less traveled path are always put upon by the majority and continually have to justify their decision, and then they are called arrogant when they do. Sheesh.
      • sporg, on 01/17/2008, -6/+6I really hope someone punches you in the face katorga.
      • heystoopid, on 01/17/2008, -4/+6Then go ask the industrial robot boys which make real things do they use a Mac or a PC and the answer is never a mac because it never came with all the needed ports and was too delicate to survive the rigors in a real industrial environment !
        • SatansSpatula, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3Okay, I'm an anti-fanboy as much as anyone (though I do own a Macbook -- and hate it), but damn, your comment is irrelevant. When the hell do 99.9% of people use their computer under the "rigors in a real industrial environment"?
          Let's talk about the price, speed, aesthetic appeal, software availability, etc of a personal computer. But applicability to a robotic manufacturing environment?
          "Say, how many bales of hay can you load up into that Honda Civic? Pfft, figured as much, piece of crap."
        • Karmavs, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1the answer would also never be anything that any sizeable portion of computer users would want either. Given the example of ports, the only portsMacs lack that PCs usually have are serial ports - and that's hardly an issue. Most PCs, however, don't have firewire…
      • mozzep, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3if you blindly do what someone tells you to do, then you may be referred to metaphorically as a sheep, katorga. As far as the article is concerned, whether factual or not, there is certainly some truth to the claim that when Apple makes a product, people will buy it for no other reason than it is apple. These people might be considered to be sheep.
        • AModlin, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Right, and people that are like "ZOMG VISTA IS TEH BESTEST" aren't? Kay.
        • SatansSpatula, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1@AModin
          Well, probably if you're defending Vista, it's for some sort of a real technical reason, because from what I've seen, the average user hates it.
          And, by the way, if you don't think Vista has some good technology in it (and no, I'm not saying it couldn't be better), then you probably don't have the technical understanding of operating systems, particularly Windows, that you need to make such an assessment.
      • jhaks, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Being a sheep has nothing to do with numbers; it is a behavior.
    • digggggggggg, on 01/17/2008, -5/+6Right. That's gotta be it.

      In another survey, it has been discovered that most 'PC' users aren't aware exactly where Windows ends and the hardware begins, nor do they care that alternatives, such as Linux, exist.
  • maeon3, on 01/17/2008, -26/+6Hello pot? Yeah this is kettle.
  • wookme, on 01/17/2008, -21/+11superior in stupidity.
  • rstarr, on 01/17/2008, -29/+132Buried for inciting a flame war.
    • bigsteve, on 01/17/2008, -0/+4That really, really needs to be a tag.
    • rootryan, on 01/17/2008, -1/+15***** YOU FAN BOY!
    • yohnstoppable, on 01/17/2008, -2/+26I dugg it for inciting a flame war.
    • endrest, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1How dare ye! I am said smug Mac-user! And I let out a hearty yell when I read this headline, indeed! For it is true, inasmuch I have seen.
      • asauterChicago, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2WTF, the lucky charms leprechaun uses a Mac?
  • Ajenthavoc, on 01/17/2008, -7/+76This goes to show that I'm better than all you apple fanboys with superiority complexes.
    • formergthing, on 01/17/2008, -20/+6A "superiority complex" implies that you have feelings of superiority for no reason other than some kind of mental problem.

      If you actually do use a superior computing platform, and are willing to admit it, that just makes you honest and, depending on how you say it, could make your cocky.
      • Loonacy, on 01/17/2008, -3/+12So you're admitting that Apple users have a superiority complex?
  • lydecker, on 01/17/2008, -11/+34This was the major reason I originally didn't want an iPod, because I didn't like the superiority complex, and I definitely didn't want to grow one.
    • tvon, on 01/17/2008, -3/+55Oh, so you're too good for a superiority complex eh? Is that what it is?
    • CCB0x45, on 01/17/2008, -4/+3I hope that was missing a sarcasm tag.
    • digggggggggg, on 01/17/2008, -5/+2That makes as much sense as saying that the reason why I didn't take the glamorous position of 'Assistant to the Sanitation Commissioner' was because I didn't want to become smug and feel that I'm better than other people.
    • ozroy, on 01/17/2008, -3/+2you are worried that an object will make you change your personality? Word of advice, if someone offeres to give you a free personality test leave quickly, they can probably brainwash you really easily.
    • JoeDiggsIt, on 01/17/2008, -1/+6So... you get a product. You like it so much you think it is superior to other similar products. You tell other people that said product is better than their product. Seems pretty natural to me.
      • jhaks, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Seems pretty pompous to me especially when you don't even know much about competing products.
        • JoeDiggsIt, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1How do you know the person wouldn't know about competing products?
    • SiNN4R, on 01/17/2008, -2/+2That and the fact that they charge you for music.
  • cabooglio2, on 01/17/2008, -17/+38This just in, Cookie Monster likes cookies.

    Duh. I've never met anyone more superior than an Apple user (or "Rotten-to-the-cores" as I like to call them).
    • Zorkon, on 01/17/2008, -6/+5Generalize much?
      I'm an Apple user. I also run Windows XP, Vista and several flavours of Linux ... although I predominantly consider myself to be an Apple user. I don't feel particularly "superior" because I run Apple.
      • cabooglio2, on 01/17/2008, -3/+9Whatever. You think you're soooo cool. You know what "cool" is? "Cool" is being able to load any obscure operating system onto a computer I built with my own hands. I'm currently dictating this into a voice-recognition system that I programmed using Pascal and Basic II. Eat that.
        • Louis11, on 01/17/2008, -5/+3Very . . . uh, cool?

          You should've gotten a Mac :-P
        • CCB0x45, on 01/17/2008, -0/+15How did you manage to write that voice recognition program while you were beating the girls off with a stick?
        • velozie, on 01/17/2008, -4/+1nerd != cool
        • DreKor, on 01/17/2008, -4/+2I'm pretty sure Macs have voice recognition, too. I'm not saying their's is better than yours, it's just another option.
        • novemberdream07, on 01/17/2008, -0/+5and then people wonder why there's the stigma of diggers not getting laid
        • Karmavs, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3Cabooglio2 says "Whatever STOP You think your - BACKSPACE BACKSPACE BACKSPACE BACKSPACE Y O U apostrophe R E so BACKSPACE O O.

          Why do I doubt your honesty? Either way, voice recognition is not cool, or useful, or even a worthwhile project.
    • Hubris, on 01/17/2008, -1/+5Actually we Linux users have a pretty high degree of nose-in-the-air syndrome. You pick on the majority, citing how much better you are. This has been going on since Amiga users felt they were better than pcs...
    • XxLindyxX, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Don't yo