Michael Congdon
Rhetoric 105
Cody Caudill
14 December 2011
What type of “computer” are you?
Computers are everywhere. Nearly everywhere you look in the modern world, you can
see something that uses a computer or some kind of technology. NASA uses computers to track
satellites on their way to the far reaches of our solar system, and mothers use baby monitors,
enabled by computers, to make sure their loved one is doing okay through the night. I myself am
very interested in computers; it is part of the reason why I chose to become an Electrical
Engineer. It is because of this that, when we started our Ethnography of the University guided
research project, I decided to focus my attention on computers. Specifically, I wanted to know
why someone would choose one computer over another, and what some of the most important
factors are in that decision. I also wanted to know if certain majors here at the university
required their students to own a certain brand of computer.
First, I believe it is important to define exactly what is going on here with this great
debate. The two biggest competitors in personal computer business are Microsoft and Apple.
Microsoft primarily produces and supports its Windows operating system, specifically made for
PCs. PCs are made by a number of other companies; HP, Acer, and Gateway are a few
examples. Apple produces its own operating system; the latest version is called Lion, and its
own computers; called Macs. When going by the literal definition of PC: personal computer,
Macs technically are PCs, but they are generally never associated with the name. There is even
another piece to puzzle, and that would be Ubuntu Linux. Like Microsoft Windows, Ubuntu
Linux doesn’t have its own line of computers, but instead can be installed on a number of
different computers. Generally, users will have both Windows and Linux on the same computer,
divided by a partition –or division- in the hard drive of the computer, allowing the user to choose
whether they would like to open one operating system or the other (however, this feature is only
available on startup). It is worth noting that Apple has a program on its Macs called “Boot
Camp” that allows users to have a similar setup to a partition and be able to run their Mac
operating system beside Windows (like a partition, only one operating system may be operating
at a time within Boot Camp).
The Chronicle of Higher Education conducted a survey of incoming college freshmen
and found that 84% of them own laptop computers (Student Use). This is a remarkably large
number, which made me wonder what the most popular type of computer is with college
students. I was able to find out through a survey of my own making that most incoming
freshmen own PCs. I will admit, less than a dozen students participated in the online survey, but
I still felt that it had a manageable grasp on the topic. Other things I asked in the survey were the
person’s major, and whether or not it required them to own a certain brand of computer. I also
inquired of any possible brand loyalties, how they would describe their lifestyle as it pertained to
their computer usage, what they look for in a computer, and why they bought the computer that
they did. When first I saw the results of the survey, I was somewhat disappointed. I greatly wish
I had been able to have a bigger response than I did, so that I may have had a broader scope of
this topic. However, I was still able to pull a fair amount of information from the results that I
had received. What I discovered from the survey is that there is not really definable set of
factors that would decide the computer someone buys, basically because each person is different
and is going to have different preferences for their purchase.
Another thing I pulled from the essay is that there isn’t a major here at the university that
requires its students to have a certain computer, although it seems that several majors highly
recommend a certain type of computer for the convenience of being able to install the programs
specific to its coursework directly onto the students own computer. For example, many of the
CAD (computer aided design) programs used by the engineering programs require PCs, although
there are PCs available in the library for use by students free of charge. Likewise, the school of
architecture seems to lean towards Macs because of certain programs that are based on Apple’s
OS. Most of the people that participated in the survey owned laptops, and almost all of those
were only casual users. Their primary use for their computer would be to check their many social
networking sites (such as Facebook and Twitter), receive and send emails to friends, other
students, and professors, as well as basic word processing for classes and general browsing of the
internet for self-amusement. Also, almost every student had a loyalty to a certain brand, always
the brand of computer that they currently owned. This was very intriguing, and led me to believe
that many students bought their computers based upon preconceived notions for or against a
certain brand.
After viewing the results of my survey, I wanted to find out what some of the
characteristics of a person were that would use each type of computer. Basically, I went around
my dorm and took note of the operating system that my neighbors were using. What I found was
that those who sought the ease of use and convenience tended to lean towards Macs, as well as
people who primarily used their computers for playing or editing music, and viewing and editing
pictures. People who were more “technologically inclined” seemed to have a partition of
Windows and Ubuntu on their computers. Windows was more of the middle ground between the
two, as well as attracting students who played more demanding and in-depth games on their
computers. One student in particular had a massive desktop that they could interchange the
components of as they wished to upgrade their computer. Obviously this make their computer
amazingly fast, able to render a frame per second rate in video games far beyond anything
capable by the hands of my desktop. I was disappointed to learn that this feature is not available
on Macs, which are a one-time deal where you only get what comes in the box. There aren’t
really any options for customizability like there are for Windows based PCs.
While I say that it was only people who were more technologically inclined that used
Ubuntu, I don’t mean to say that it is a more difficult operating system. The operating system
itself is as simple and user friendly as any other, it is just the process of partitioning the hard
drive and installing Ubuntu onto that drive that would require a more tech-savvy persona. Also,
according to Neil Randall from PC Magazine, Linux would be a great operating system for
businesses, and it would only have a few drawbacks. One potential drawback he mentions
would be the necessity of tech support for the post-upgrade issues that could arise. However, he
says that “If IT support is already in place, installing free versions of Linux desktops makes good
financial sense, especially since Linux is less susceptible than Windows to malicious software
and thus requires less attention to such issues.” He also recommends that users partition their
hard drives to run Linux and Windows on the same machine, because running Linux on an
entirely separate machine may become a hassle.
Even though I was able to learn all this information about the different computers and
operating systems, the things I learned still failed to really shock me. Every company is going to
focus its advertising in areas that it knows it will have the biggest viewership and impact. They
will also want to try to adjust their campaign to adapt to marketing strategies taken on by other
companies that may be giving them an edge. Apple has had a wonderful time with its “Get a
Mac” ad campaign which featured two men on a (usually) blank white background. The first,
dressed in casual slacks and a tee shirt, would say “Hi, I’m a Mac” followed by the second,
dressed in a formal business suit, generally burdened with some type of object, would say “And
I’m a PC.” After this introduction, a satire debate would ensue, aimed at pointing out the faults in
Windows while playing to Macs strengths.
While everyone may have their own opinion on the matter, some of the only things that
can resolve debates are cold hard facts, so I set out to find a direct comparison of a Mac and a
Windows based computer. What I found was an article written by Glenn Derene, Senior
Technology Editor for Popular Mechanics Magazine, a magazine that I enjoyed reading for many
years due to its constant updates on current technologies, comparisons of leading technologies. I
found it interesting, and exciting to say the least, that the folks at Popular Mechanics had
actually conducted a study by comparing two similar machines. The tested an iMac and a
Gateway PC, by asking a group of people ranging from experts to newcomers to the
technological world to set up the machine out of the box, set aside their preconceived notions,
and compare each computer for what they're worth. They tested startup and shutdown times, as
well as the boot times for numerous other programs common to both machines. Although the
Gateway was the clear winner in the performance category, in favorability, the race was much
closer. This finding led me to wonder why in the world anyone would want to buy a Mac if PCs
were so much faster. Perhaps Apple had discovered a winning combination of user-friendliness
and performance. I also wondered if the aesthetic qualities of the computer itself would draw in
customers as much as the computers inner workings.
I wanted to find out if there was a correlation between the aesthetic properties of a
computer, and a user’s conceived notion of usability or user-friendliness. In my search I found a
study conducted by Sangwon Lee and Richard J. Koubek. They found that a person’s perceived
notion of the aesthetic qualities of the device that they were using had a profound impact upon
that person’s rating of the usability and user-friendliness of that particular device. They went so
far as to graph the relationship between perceived usability and aesthetics, as shown in the
following chart.
Throughout this entire discussion, there looms the “so what” factor, the reason this
matters, its exigence. The obvious answer is that the companies that develop these products
want to know what their customers want so that they can tailor their products accordingly. If a
company ignores the preferences of its customers, they will lose their customers. “The customer
is always right,” if you try to tell the customer that he or she is wrong, then the customer is going
to leave in search of someone that will tell them that they are right and will give them what they
want or feel they deserve. There is also the factor of the consumers themselves. Knowing what
kind of people use what kind of computers, or why people chose the comptuers that they do,
would be able to help someone who is in search of a new machine find the one that is right for
them.
Throughout my research, I was astounded by Apple’s ability to gain complete mastery of
their niche market and exploit it to the fullest extent allowing them to become a massive
powerhouse of technological device market share ownership faster than almost any other
company. Granted, Apple has had its fair share of ups and downs, they have being doing
fantastic in the twenty first century. First, they came out with the iPod, with its sub-species such
as the iPod Nano, Touch, and Shuffle. After the iPod was met with resounding success, Apple
introduced the iPhone, and next the iPad, both of which are extremely popular. Much of this
success is due to the innovative and creative intellect of (the late) Steve Jobs. He had an
indefatigable attention to detail and exterior beauty that others lacked, which is likely why
Apples products were so popular. Not only were they powerful and user friendly, they looked
great as well. You can see this correlation elsewhere as well, one example being web browsers.
While Microsoft’s Internet Explorer may hold a comfortable lead in market share, Google
Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are quickly making names for themselves as being very fast, and
very user friendly, both highly desirable qualities for a web browser.
Rivalries are nothing new to the field of technology either. They have been around from
the start, and companies will be battling for consumer’s business until the end of man. There are
dozens upon dozens of companies that all compete against each other in the same markets. In an
age where technology is constantly improving at an increasing rate, any company that is not able
to hold its own will inevitably be devoured by the prodigious hunger of our global economy’s
intense market. Our technology is improving at an exponential rate, with some estimates putting
it at doubling as fast as every year. Five decades aho, computers were as large as entire rooms,
whereas today we have computer chips as small as the average person’s thumb nail which are
more powerful. Overall, it seems as though the public is fairly evenly divided on the topic of
choosing a computer whether to choose a Mac or a PC. Each side has its own niche, and each
niche is highly devoted to their own side. When I first asked the question "why do students
purchase one computer versus another?" I thought there would be a definite answer. Now that I
have actually gone out and explored the subject, I see there is no possible way that there could be
any one answer why, even if that answer was as generalized as possible. People may have a
loyalty to a certain brand, which is quite possibly the biggest deciding factor of what kind of
computer someone will buy, but even then there are a number of factors that are all considered
by the consumer. While one person may want a high level gaming computer, someone else may
only want a basic laptop so they are able to email their business contacts while on the go.
Because of this, it would be too difficult to categorize and prioritize the reasons behind
someone's purchase. If a company is going to stay competitive in the future, they are going to
need to keep themselves on the leading edge of innovation. Consumers are always going to be
looking for the next best thing to come around, something Apple has learned and greatly uses to
its advantage. However, now that Apple's leader has passed away, it will be interesting to see
how they are able to continue to cater to the "wants" of the masses, or if someone else will come
along with a great idea and take the lead. Although this project has come to its terminus, I still
have questions that remain unanswered. But it is inevitable that any good question will easily
breed far more than can ever hope to be answered. I believe we have only scratched the surface
of possibilities available through technology, and I can’t wait to see where we will be headed in
the future of this technological age.
Works Cited
Derene, Glenn. "Mac Vs. PC." Popular Mechanics 185.5 (2008): 86-89.Academic Search
Premier. Web. 11 Nov. 2011.
Lee, Sangwon, and Richard J. Koubek. "Understanding User Preferences Based On Usability
And Aesthetics Before And After Actual Use." Interacting With Computers 22.6 (2010):
530-543. Academic Search Premier. Web. 14 Dec. 2011.
Randall, Neil. "LINUX You Can Do It!." PC Magazine 26.18 (2007): 70-76. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 14 Dec. 2011.
"STUDENT USE." Chronicle of Higher Education 58.1 (2011): 51. Academic Search Premier.
EBSCO. Web. 15 Oct. 2011.