The "Bashing" of the Mac

I don't know about you, but I have had my fill of Mac bashing. Since Apple announced its (admittedly) enormous losses earlier this year, one magazine after another has decided to take its shot at Apple. While Apple has deserved some serious criticism by industry writers, I can't get over how negative the articles have been.

Take for example Business Week's "Death of an American Icon" lead article several months ago. Numerous other examples could be cited, such as the Wall Street Journal's coverage (it uses Macs) and network television's coverage of Apple's woes.

Long-time Mac users know all too well the company's tremulous past. If your a recent Mac convert, try reading "The Accidental Millionaire: The Story of Steve Jobs" or "Insanely Great: The Life and Times of Macintosh, the Computer That Changed Everything." It is easy to see had it not been for Jobs and the Mac, there probably would not be an Apple Computer today.

I guess what bothers me most is the dismissal by large number of computer users of the Macintosh as a viable platform. I have found, by large, this category of "Mac Basher" has not used nor understands the Macintosh. If anyone ever questioned the Mac platform as being viable, they should talk to small and large businesses that use it (and believe in it) exclusively for high-end graphics and video production.

Apple has made its bed hard, so it is understandable that the company would at some point go through major upheaval to survive. I have never known an Apple retail outlet that did not have its share of customer relations problems. For whatever the reason, Apple dealers just never seemed to "get it" when it came to dealing with its bread and butter. Folk liked what they saw so much they, like I, overlooked arrogant attitudes of salespeople and bought Macs anyway.

When the first Power Macs were introduced I recall visiting the only authorized Apple store in Memphis, Tennessee, to see a demonstration. I was particularly interested in the machine's capability to run Windows applications, as the organization I worked for at the time ran "Bill's Boxes" almost exclusively. Upon asking a salesman for a demonstration, I got the abrupt answer: "Why the #$@*! would anyone want to run Windows on a Macintosh?" My answer: "For one thing, I work for a company that has 60 DOS machines!" It is this type of attitude that lost the interface war for Apple. If Apple would have not stood on its laurels for so long and licensed its OS, there is a good chance many of us who must settle for Windows 95 at our workplaces would be running System 7 or 8 or whatever today.

I believe in Mac technology, enough so that I have upgraded extensively this year during Apple's darkest hour. In the end, it is loyal Apple users that will continue to make the Mac OS a viable alternative to the Windows onslaught.