Use a Mac? You Probably Want a More Expensive Hotel Reservation

Mac users make poorer choices with their money... make sense. :) Just kidding Mac users.

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In space, no one can hear a tree fall in the forest.

Speaking of paying attention to users owning Macs or Window computers to better market them better, check out who else is paying attention to YOU.

www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/all/

Oh, allow me to elaborate a little to the above link.

"The NSA Is Building the Country’s Biggest Spy Center".

Umm the NSA job is to spy on things. I would be more worried if the NSA was building the largest bridge or something not related to their job.

First, Mac computers are just boring to me. Second, as a consumer or user and being marketed is extremely old news. Finally, I added what is being built for the NSA, since it seems kind of related to the article in the invasion of privacy, simuliar in the manner of marketing companies do all they can in creating data bases, so they can sell to us later.

If, you read the whole article about "NSA SPY CENTER" being built, you realize and find out, it is in fact spying on everyone in the USA and as much as possible everyone else, if you are gulity of something or not.

But, since it generated very little comments, I can only guess people at large do not care... "sad little sheep".

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Every day is a new day!

Makes sense. People who buy mac's generally do not understand differences in hardware/price ratios and are willing to pay a little extra for that shinny aluminum case.
The same would go for hotel rooms, any type of hospitality service etc...
Just the other day I saw a public library operating about 30 iMac's, which were all loaded with the library's custom OS system and Windows 7. Sure they look nice, but why spend the extra dough on hardware when that 13 y/o kid down the street can cobble together the parts off of new3gg for 1/6 the cost?
Even in a professional sense where I need FinalCutPro to perform my duties at work, I still choose to work on my own "hackintosh" system simply because I didn't have to spend the xtra dough on Apple Hardware.
Also working from a computer repair tech's point of view, people with Apple computers generally come in expecting us to give their machine "the works plus make it run windows in a virtual environment because I read some article that said I should do this"(and old people), while the windows users range from professional businesses who just want their system back online, to crackheads who can never quite pay the full bill for a cleanup after they knowingly disabled their firewall... Maybe I should write a profiling guide for repairs? I'd be rich!

You can tell how sad the lives of pc owners are by how they predominantly spend their time restarting/booting and the remainder commenting and flaming online about how they don't want a mac.

@ Greg N913

You talk about price and hardware while admitting you are illegally operating OSX on a homebuilt computer. And if you try to pull the 'piracy is okay because it's to expensive' that is like saying I will break into someones house and walk through it to save walking around the block. Even if you just open the door, it's still illegal.

And why spend the extra money on a mac? durability, reliability, flexibility, usability, and customer service.

Congratulations on rising above the stereotype and not turning this thread into yet another mac/windows flame war critical_mach, you're clearly here for a higher level of intellectual stimulation I can see.

It kind of makes sense that people who have the sort of money to flaunt Apple hardware are richer in general and therefore want a better quality of hotel. You see lots of business executives around with MBPs, they won't want to be staying in a $15/night motel if they've got a meeting in the finance district the next day! I wonder whether there's a similar correlation between IBM/Lenovo thinkpad users and expensive hotels?

@critical_mach, It's interesting that you group PC owners into two categories of which you actually fit. I own both devices, for separate reasons, the Mac does hav an edge over the PC in some areas, like graphics. PC's on the other hand, just because they can be cheaper, especially when built by yourself, do not necessarily have low durability, reliability, felxibility, usability or customer service. I for one have no need of customer service, and my PC, that I built myself has outlasted every Mac I've owned or even used (and I used Macs when we called them Mackintosh PC's.. how's that for ironic), but on the same note, even in building a PC, I still like the Mac for some things. But I am and uncommon Mac user, and after reading this article will be using both computers when I use Orbit so I can get the best deal at the best hotel.

Also, why just assume that @GregN913 is breaking the law? It is possible to purchase OSx and load it onto a "hackintosh", this practice is both common and legal. And if you want to argue that higher prices = better stuff, OSx is cheaper than Windows, so wouldn't you want to purchase Windows?

@ Critical_mach,

I couldnt help but be amused at your stereotypical and arkane view of Windows owners:
"pc owners are by how they predominantly spend their time restarting/booting and the remainder commenting and flaming..."

And you slanted view of why you think MACS are so much better:
"...why spend the extra money on a mac? durability, reliability, flexibility, usability, and customer service"

I, like ihq2012, use and support both platforms and Windows Servers also. I VM both directions, VMware on MACS and use Windows on MACS,and with VMWorkstation on windows machines, use the MAC OS. Yes LEGALLY.

That said I have WIN7 installed on my main workstation and NEVER reboot it, except for a periodic SW install, the incessant iTUNES updates, or periodically durnignt he 2nt Tuesday udates. Thisis actually LESS than required by MAC updates. They just do it without telling you... Apple rather not be viewed as one with vulnerabilities.

Microsoft's main problem has NOT been the Operating systems, but 3rd party manufacturers like Dell, HP, Asus, etc. MS allowign the true Windows experience in the hands of 3rd party vendors made them lose that control. That has been remedied lately, in the form of the new Microsoft Stores, brick n moartar, and online. In all MS Stores, when you buy a computer, it comes with MS signature OS. This is a clean computer, no trial ware, no other SW that is laied over the OS that duplicates the OS, just a pure machine, that is fast and reliable. I have worked with my clients withthese machines and they are fast. The samsung series 9 for example boots in about 10 seconds. ready. Works.

MACBook Pros, BTW are known as one of the best hardware platforms to run Windows. One set of HW, and drivers.

Now with windows 8 coming out, the same code base for Windows phone, XBOX, Windows8, menas the same APIs for all pltforms with exception of display mods. Apple dont have that, and are scrambling to catch up now. The new Surface is passing apple by also... in fact Apple just annnounced a rushed to market new smaller ver iPAD just to try to compete. But it still dont have a full OS onit so, still useless device in comparison. Win8 runs both Apps and a full OS. While Apple concentrates on a shinier expensive new phone, Microsoft totally rebranded themselves.

On customer support, when i deal with MS suport, it is ALWAYS class A, and the most professional support i have ever dealt with. I have never left support with an unresolved issue, unlike at Apple "Yes we know it is an issue, but there is no solution it at this time". BTW the Microsoft Store in Palo Alto, CA is next door tot he MAC store, whenthe "Geiuses cannot resolve a problem,the send them to the Microsft store.

Take that in light of MS Smart Glass, Sync, and ATT Uverse IPTV technology, apple is farther behind than it realizes. I believe you have underestimated MS and its users All 8 Billion of them... again.

@ Robot,

Thanks for the article link. This is nothign new though, thsi is what the NSA always did. so they jsut announced a new datacenter. Cool. just because everyone didnt flood you with comments means very little. You cannot prove a negative with that. But it is an interesting article. Wired always has the best stuff to occupy my bathroom breaks.

Cheers.