A home divided

Well, sort of. Recently, Mike decided he would buy a new laptop since his old Compaq was on its last legs. Valiant attempts were made to extend its life (after a manhandling episode by yours truly while Mike was in Spain and a dead battery). I had told him he could use my ThinkPad since I don't take it to school anymore, but it seemed that he rather be punched in the face than use my "piece of crap computer." (Yeah, well so what if the battery is dead, has only 256 RAM, and has never been able to use wireless...It works. [Well, after it has taken about 15minutes to boot up.]) So he resorted to buying a Macintosh. Now, don't get me wrong. I have used Macs many times before. I use to own one. A very old Powerbook in college (I was so fed up with ClarisWorks that I eventually bought a PC) and used a G4 my first two years in the lab.

I am not a PC crazed supporter. I own an iPod and love it. See?! I am not a complete anti-Macist. What does bother me is their ad campaigns. You know, the ones where the oafy Idiot Business Man (though I have to say, this is what my dad told me IBM acronym meant when I was young), who we will call PC, and the urban geek GenX chic dude, we will call Mac, banter (well, Mac banters while PC kind of huffs [and it looks like he might be a heavy breather!]). I hate these commercials. They irritate me because they really create this dichotomy where the blundering business buffoon is too corporate and Mac looks like he might have a vitamin D deficiency (get checked for Rickets!) but enlightens poor old PC. To be hip and cool is to buy a Mac, to be corporate and outdated is to buy a PC. That's what the message says and people buy it.

But obviously it is a functional marketing ploy. I apparently just don't like it and hence dislike their products meaning marketing does work (in the sense that it evokes strong feelings of association [or dissociation in this case- I also felt this way about Jettas]). I'm being bothered by marketing. SO silly, but every time I look over at his Mac, I can't help but think it looks anemic. To think in terms of food analogies, the Mac is a fresh mozzarella and herb panini while my ThinkPad is a generic burger. So slender and sophisticated, asthetic-gleaming like the heavens, compared to my big dark oafy ThinkPad. But you know what, I like cheap burgers (though my ThinkPad was anything but cheap, but you get the point). Plus you can get all kinds of toppings.

Oh, and my hands are always dirty and so I am afraid to soil the Mac.