The Cult?s Response

Apple Mac mini gets a warm welcome by Mac fans throughout the world, says Puneet Mehrotra.

"No other computer inspires devotion like a Mac. The largest and most fervent subculture in computing, Mac fans come in all shapes and sizes, but never waver in their dedication. Like fans of a football team or rock band, Macintosh fans have their own subculture, with clearly defined obsessions and rites of passage."
     Leander Kahney author of The Cult of Mac

Like, Leander Kahney, journalist and author of the book "The Cult of Mac", I too have been an Apple fan for years.  My enthusiasm compares nothing to Kahney who wrote this beautiful book "The Cult of Mac". Kahney's career speaks volumes about him. Wired News, senior writer at the legendary Mac magazine Mac week, Scientific American, Business 2.0, and the Guardian. Kahney owns six computers, all of them Macs. From what I can make out he seems to a 'Mac Addict'.

The Mac Addiction

Addiction, understandable. Devotion, perceivable. Veneration, perhaps apprehensible. But all the THREE put together for a machine called the Mac is perhaps isn't graspable by a non-Mac being.

If you thought Kahney with an impeccable record in journalism is a crazy dude to be writing a book on a computer think again. You have perhaps not seen nor heard of the Mac Addiction. Consider what amazon.com has to say on The Cult of Mac page about Mac fans. "Meet fans who get Mac tattoos and haircuts, people who travel across the globe to attend Apple Store openings, and counterculture icons who love the Mac. Discover the realm where old Macs become aquariums or bongs, origami Macs are made out of paper, and where the Macs of the future are envisioned not by suits in Cupertino, but by Mac heads all over the world. Visit the gatherings of the Mac tribe, from the big trade shows to tongue-in-cheek lookalike contests of Mac celebrities. And explore the little-publicized underbelly of Mac culture, including erotic fiction featuring Steve Jobs and the influence of mind-altering drugs on the Mac's famous interface."

The Mini Mac

A niche perhaps doesn't always make business sense. Maybe that's why Steve Jobs thought of extending his cult. Enter the Mini Mac.

Just 6.5 inches square and 2 inches tall, Mac mini provides what you need to have more fun with your music, photos and movies — right out of the box. And it boasts a miniscule price to match: Mac mini starts at $499.

The Cult's Response

Apple Mac mini gets a warm welcome by Mac fans throughout the world.
According to BBC "The release of the tiny, low-cost machine is seen as a good move for Apple which currently has a small share of the desktop computer market. Mac watchers and some analysts say the Mac mini will go a long way to help Apple appeal to the mass of consumers."

Another blog terms it as a "Good buy"

'It's the bravest move they have made yet,' says Jonny Evans, news editor at Macworld magazine.

But the perhaps the one I found most interesting was the one below.

"The Apple Cult Is Dead: Apple lovers: we are not a cult anymore. Some say we are enthusiasts. Some say we are obsessed. There is certainly no doubt that we are loyal. But I hereby declare, we are not the minority anymore." So says Gregory Ng on http://www.applematters.com/comments.php?id=113_0_1_0_C

He ends by saying "Apple is making huge strides in building their brand. It seems that good advertising and more importantly, flooding the marketplace with that advertising is working. And Apple has not compromised their vision and has not abandoned their K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid) mentality. Apple is in the mainstream more than ever before. Let's reserve that 'cult' word for the Linux users"

The Bottomline

Words usually don't do justice in describing the highs of indulgence and addictions. Perhaps this link would do a little justice in showing to what extent Mac lovers can go. http://blog.wired.com/cultofmac/  It will perhaps give you a little idea of the love and devotion Mac enjoys the world over.

Puneet Mehrotra is a web strategist at Cyberzest.com and edits www.MidnightEdition.com You can email him on ebiz333@yahoo.com