I hate (U.K.) Macs

The Brits have a way with irony, especially at the left-leaning Guardian. Apple (AAPL) has launched a blitz of  "I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC" ads in the U.K. that mirror the U.S. version but feature the stars of a British sitcom called the Peep Show. The blitz triggered this blistering reaction from the Guardian's TV reviewer (and BBC4 TV presenter) Charlie Brooker:

"I hate Macs. I have always hated Macs. I hate people who use Macs. I even hate people who don't use Macs but sometimes wish they did. Macs are glorified Fisher-Price activity centres for adults; computers for scaredy cats too nervous to learn how proper computers work; computers for people who earnestly believe in feng shui.

PCs are the ramshackle computers of the people. You can build your own from scratch, then customise it into oblivion. Sometimes you have to slap it to make it work properly, just like the Tardis (Doctor Who, incidentally, would definitely use a PC). PCs have charm; Macs ooze pretension. When I sit down to use a Mac, the first thing I think is, "I hate Macs", and then I think, "Why has this rubbish aspirational ornament only got one mouse button?" Losing that second mouse button feels like losing a limb. If the ads were really honest, Webb would be standing there with one arm, struggling to open a packet of peanuts while Mitchell effortlessly tore his apart with both hands. But then, if the ads were really honest, Webb would be dressed in unbelievably po-faced avant-garde clothing with a gigantic glowing apple on his back. And instead of conducting a proper conversation, he would be repeatedly congratulating himself for looking so cool, and banging on about how he was going to use his new laptop to write a novel, without ever getting round to doing it, like a mediocre idiot...."

The joke seems to have gone over the heads of at least a few Guardian readers, judging from the  comment stream. For the full Brooker piece, click here. For the British Apple ads, click here.

Comments

[Bruce]

Just took a look and can understand why the UK ads didn't go over well. It's because they suck compared to the US versions. Why didn't they just use the US versions?

[New mac user]

Last year I switched to a mac. I hated the fact that it had only one mouse button but I got used to it now. But I love the fact that I don't need to reboot the machine for months. Also the fact that I had all the memory at my disposal (I hated PCs for memory leaks - particularly IE).
I still wish mac improves accecessbility UI.

[Sharon]

Just to clarify, you can (and I do) use a two button mouse with a Mac. There is a lot of support for the second button within the OS and applications. Not sure why Apple doesn't make a two button mouse but I've been usng a Logitech one (with my Mac) for years.

[Bob Gordon]

It is obvious that this gentleman has ONE never used a mac for an appricialble amount of time. Or he is scared of it.(I have seen this alot with PC IT guys.) or TWO he is being paid under the table by PC manufacturers. To fein hate and contempt for a product that has enhanced many lives. Like we mac users say. You get a mac to do work or you get a pc to learn how to get it to work so one day you can get some functionality out of it to do your work.

[Jack]

Mac's do come with two button mice now. It may "look" like a one button mouse, because it is a solid shell covering. You can configure it as a one or two button mouse... See here:
http://www.apple.com/uk/mightymouse/
The corded version comes with the iMac.

[eaamon]

I love mac for never rebooting but once a month. (if I want to.) who needs a two button mouse when one does the same. just learn to hold the mouse button down and after a few seconds the window that the second button opens automatically opens for you...
it is so nice to have a "smart" computer!!!
just think every copy of windows that comes out is a copy of the apple OS that is about 5+ years old.

[Nick Richards]

What I hate are mindless TV presenters who waffle on needlessly wasting my time spewing forth drivel. I would suggest that if you really want to use a computer you use a Mac; if you like to tinker and fixit it and spend oodles of time configuring, reconfiguring and fuming that your CPU won't recognize your mouse, your monitor, your printer or keyboard, then certainly go ahead and give Bill Gates even MORE money. Mr. Brooker has obviously sat in the make up chair one time too many as all that crud they slather on him has clearly clogged whatever brain -CPU- he has.
To my way of thinking, "Those who want to work and look busy use MS, those who really want to work and get things accomplished use Mac."

[the_flood502]

You gotta love mac users... as soon as you say you hate them, you work for Microsoft. - earning quite a fair bit for endorsement of their wonderful products ^^ (<-- has vista is much better than any mac OSX)

@eaamon: you obviously use macs... the CPU doesn't detect what drivers you have... and it certainly doesn't matter what CPU you have to use a mouse.

Hated the adverts, hate mac os...

# Can get viruse
# Do crash A LOT!
# Poor program support
# Slow
# Ugly Looking

played on a mac for about 2 hours at a friends house... hated it immediately. such a horrible looking computer with a horrible looking operating system

first question i asked was... "what games you got"... his face dropped. lol

just bought a iMac off ebay to install linux on for £44.98 lol it's the only good thing for them and then later i'll take it apart and sell it piece for piece on ebay.

/End