I’ve deliberately avoided posting any more Mac v PC stuff because I’ve had a hard enough time coping with the email. But, I figure I have to post this from my long time Mac Guy:
Jonah,
You know I love the products, but Apple is a fascist company. I should know — I worked there. Even got personally cussed out by Steve Jobs (may his name be praised forever).
Apple products are based on centralized command-and-control. Apple makes the hardware, software, and — increasingly — many key applications (“everything inside the state, nothing outside the state”). The Apple faithful believe that the computing world dominated by Microsoft is bad (if not outright evil) and must be redeemed. If only everyone changed to their way of computing, we would reach computing nirvana. And society would be changed for the better, too. If only. This mythology goes back to the original Mac “big brother” ad.
The company is led by one man, and one man only, and no one else could take his place. Steve Jobs is head of engineering, product marketing, advertising, etc. The employees exist to do what Steve wants because, after all, only Steve knows how to make it all work. Those who work there put up with it because they are proud to be part of a higher calling.
As I said, I love the products. And it’s fine by me for Apple to function as a fascist company, as the employees can choose to work there (I chose otherwise). But don’t ever wish for an Apple government.