Fanboys…. They are what makes companies last through ups and downs and through thick and thin.
Its a very interesting topic to post about. Basically, fanboys are just a group of people who admire a company to such an extent that they believe it can do no wrong, and are oblivious to everything else.
The best and most widely alluded to example is Apple. Most Mac users are Mac fanboys. They believe that, no matter what, Macintosh is better than Windows and Linux, that the PPC Big Endian architecture rocks Little Endian, and that, no matter how high of prices Apple charges and how slow of a PC they get in exchange, Apple is God.
I’m not going to say that I *cough, cough* disagree with them or think they are a bunch of single-minded lunatics, but what started out as a Mac-only phenomena has compounded to cover almost all the other popular companies out there.. All but one.
As of now, fanboys can be most clearly seen in the followers of Google, Firefox, Apple, and Linux. Linux fans tend to be more objective, realizing that Linux is not (at the moment at any rate) anywhere near as easy to use or adopt as Windows, but they live for Linux, and will never badmouth it. At the same time though, you have many Linux users who respect Linux, but are far from worshiping it. A decent mix.
Google!!!! Now, that is something else. The newest kid on the block, it has gained ground and worshipers like no other. No matter what they make, what they invest in, who they hire, what technologies they champion and scoff, to these Googlians, Google is King. This takes on a double meaning, since it is now eternally clear the Microsoft and Google are the two Gladiators in the playground, domineering over the rest. In essence, to be a Google fanboy is to hate on Microsoft forever.
Firefox is a more mysterious affair. You have people that swear by Firefox, and would never leave it for Microsoft, yet they are aware of its shortcomings..But, get this, they are proud of them! Ask any Firefox fan about the UI, and they will admit it doesn’t ship pretty, but they are proud owners of a browser that cares more about works than looks.
At last, is Microsoft. Fan-less I’m afraid. Over the years, though Microsoft has proved its worth over and over again, I’m afraid that to the followers, it has hurt too many companies, broken too many laws, and is unworthy of their trust. That doesn’t (of course!) mean that no one uses it, after all, it is still the first name in computers and technology. But it doesn’t have a group of followers who will go with it to the ends of the earth, fending off attacks left and right.
Where does that leave Microsoft??? Well, Microsoft has thus far proved its worth, earned its name, and secured its rank. A couple of years ago, no one would have guessed that it would ever teeter above its self-dug grave. Yet today, it has surely witnessed the power of fans, followers, freeware, and open-source. Today. Microsoft could do with followers, but so long as it keeps going straight and steady, it will always have a chance.
I can understand why some people might like Apple, and might even like it a lot. However, as for liking Microsoft, you seem to like it more than you admit you do. As far as their fan club (or lack their of) goes its understandable. When you are known as the most dominate force in the market place, everyone would like to see you fall. (People always want to see the biggest ones fall.) As for Linux, I think you are right. It seems that while there are the crazyed fanboys out there, for the most part they are really not as obsessive as *cough*Apple*cough* ones. But really, I guess my whole point here is that while being a ‘fanboy’ is really nothing bad in my books, people need to realize that when its comes down to it, the most important thing we can have is choice.
I tried to be more or less un-biased in this particular post, but now its long since over, so I can give you the facts 😀
I love Microsoft, and I think they are doing a great job; especially with their regard for consumer happiness (Read: Anti-DRM stance) but I am not one to claim that they have not/do not commit any evil like some *cough* Google *cough* Fans will say..
But at the same time, I multi-boot between various Linux distros, Windows flavors, and Mac OS X.
They all have their merits, and as you said, in the end we have the ability to choose. 🙂