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It was classic, I laughed a lot!

And it's good that you can laugh as well Paul, being one of those fanatics yourself. After all, you own more (m)Apple products than many of the people you label as "fanatics". I love that irony.

That doesn't qualify as "irony." But I do buy a lot of Apple products. Buying them doesn't make you a fanatic. It's like porn: Hard to describe, but obvious when you see it. Clearly, I'm not an Apple fanatic. Actually, I'm not a fanatic about anything I can think of. Oh, except the truth.

you lost me with the porn comment!

Or is the porn you, ahem, know of, so insane that words alone cannot describe?

just kidding ;D

I think the Simpsons nailed the Apple-user mindset.

But how does this happen?

How can people literally fall in love with a product that is so much more expensive than its rivals?

How can a growing number of people ditch what they're used to, and then seem delighted with their new choice?

How do people come to crave any new item from this company?

How can a company, in ten years time, come back from being "dead" to being within a year of surpassing Microsoft in revenue?

From this very own forum, we know it's not the value. We know it's not the innovation. We know it's not the elegance. We know it's not the simplicity. We know it's not the shoddiness of the competitors' products.

All I can figure is that it must be all those lying ads.

And the huge problem with that, for Apple, is this:  When the iCabal finally come to realize that the expensive product they bought doesn't have as much value, isn't as innovative, and isn't as elegant and simple as Apple's ads suggest, this lovefest will be over.

Now ... any ideas when that might be?

"any ideas when that might be?"

not soon enough

I'm not surprised that the WinJihadists jumped all over this. But the fact is, it is some funny stuff.

At least this show skewers everyone. That's a lot different than, say, a SuperWebSite that dings Apple for "deceptive" advertising while completely ignoring the reams of evidence in the Windows "Vista Capable" debacle.

"I make a fortune off you chumps and I've invested it all in Microsoft!"

Thus confirming Bart's "underachiever" status yet again.

I'm devastated.  Because of the SImpsons, I'm ditching my Macbook Pro and my Mac Pro, Logic and Final Cut, UNIX and Xcode, and buying a Dell running Vista.  Thanks Bart and Lisa for helping me see the light!

Good to see that the Simpsons have managed to make some rejoinder about Apple since the much-celebrated Microsoft "I'm a PC" blitz has fallen on its face. Where Seinfeld fails, the Simpsons succeed. Who knew?

I'm on record as laughing at the oh-so-overdone faux outrage on this site from the "lying" Apple commercials----which are actually just using humor to make a point about Microsoft---so I can laugh at this too.

Kind of sad that this matters so much to Paul. Its just a comedy show, and like Colbert and the Daily Show, they make fun of everything....

Apple's commercials are not funny anymore - those lies lead to dramatic distortion of the market. It's not fun anymore.

And @lotsamystuff: I CAN laugh about TRUE fun about Microsoft. But you should really finally realize what kind of a brainwashed fanboy you are and try to get back from the iWorld to reality.

Oh quit the arguing everyone. Let's focus on what's really important.

What is this crazy porn Paul is into?

chipwinter: that's exactly why they fall in love with it. if all-that's-apple would be cheap, no one would mention it.

Hilarious.

They took a shot a while back too in the 90's.....

Episode:Homerpalooza

Homer: There can only be one truly great festival a lifetime and it's the "Us Festival".

Gen X Clerk: The what festival?

Homer: The "Us Festival"! Geez! It was sponsored by the guy from Apple Computers.

Clerk: What computers?

Lmao

"What is this crazy porn Paul is into?"

:-)

I was wondering what a tech geek would consider to be porn.

LOL! Well done.

I have a friend who ditched his XP machine for a $2,000+ Mac machine, and paid the "geniuses" $100 to move his photos and music onto the new machine (which took the geniuses 2 days). Oh..so..smart.

Meanwhile I'm still adoring Windows Media Center and my Rhapsody To Go player and acct!

robertsjoe-style post-of-the-day:

blogs.zdnet.com/hardware

"Apple now recommends that users install antivirus software on their Mac systems. Well, have you?"

support.apple.com/.../HT2550

Uncie Stevie says you gotta have it.  It must be so....

;)

"I was wondering what a tech geek would consider to be porn."

Well, Leo Laporte in the latest Windows Weekly says watches are geek porn.

I tend to agree with Paul in that discussion that porn is geek porn.

Repeating the caveat from where Wae originally posted the Mac antivirus post:

PLEASE, Mac people, do NOT read this as "install multiple antivirus utilities on your computer". Running more than one AV utility at a time tends to cause real problems. Note that one AV and one anti-spyware is OK since they do different things and don't fight each other.

@mike:  read my response on the other article.  it's a newer post, so i'll maintain discussion updates there.

Good to see Mac users can laugh at themselves. Can't wait to see this from the other side as well.

"Actually, I'm not a fanatic about anything I can think of. Oh, except the truth."

A fanatic typically consumes but doesn't produce. So we don't have a way of knowing.

OT:  Is Pogue a Apple fanboy?  

www.davidpogue.com/.../fanboy.html

Fun stuff by Simpsons as usual.

Since when do you have to pay geniuses to do work for you ???? Never heard of that among total noob friends friends who visited them many times ...

"How can people literally fall in love with a product that is so much more expensive than its rivals ?"

You're right that's why people love their Taurus much more than other love watching and touching their Aston Martins...

Hmmm let me guess... who would have dared to call Pogue a Fanboy ???

Back on topic, the Simpson's Mapple Store video has been pulled. The link now says "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Twentieth Century Fox "

"Nobody has ever called me a TiVo fanboy, Sonos fanboy, BlackBerry fanboy, or Google fanboy."

And for good reason.

"And it goes without saying that the Apple bashers don’t notice when I praise Microsoft for doing elegant work, as I did when Windows Vista came out."

....and we all know where that went.  <insert YouTube links here>  (THAT'S his defense??!?)

"And it goes without saying that the Apple bashers don’t notice when I praise Microsoft for doing elegant work, as I did when Windows Vista came out."

Yeah, those were all backhanded compliments. He said something to the effect of, "Vista is elegant because MS has finally copied Apple well."

Very funny episode.  Of course Paul the Microsoft hack (or is it flack?) for the ages would post this to "his" blog ASAP.  

So utterly predictable.

Waethorn,

It's interesting that even in the article reporting on Apple's advising their users to install antivirus, the author closes with "Personally, I can’t be bothered to install any on the Mac mini we have here" (and then says he might on a machine that did heavy email)

It's amazing that an actual columnist's advice is essentially "it's worth doing but I can't be bothered" or that anybody these days thinks that you only can get malware via email.

"Of course Paul the Microsoft hack (or is it flack?) for the ages would post this to "his" blog ASAP."

Last time I checked, it was "his" name that came up on a WHOIS record for this site.

Instead of maintaining your own blog, which is now defunct, you'd rather b*tch about this one.

"So utterly predictable."

@ johnpapola:

"Very funny episode.  Of course Paul the Microsoft hack (or is it flack?) for the ages would post this to "his" blog ASAP.  

So utterly predictable."

Yeah, as predictable as JohnPapola, the incorrigible Apple apologist keeps dropping in whining about Paul, while repeatedly gasping how utterly useless and biased this blog is [against Apple.] Why do you keep coming back after declaring that you were done with this site?

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"Why do you keep coming back after declaring that you were done with this site?"

He's a glutton for punishment.

I saw the episode.  It was one of the funniest episodes I've seen in a very long time.  Just when I thought that The Simpson's was just about played out they put out an episode that is laugh out loud funny.

What's even more funny is the comments about the episode by the winjihadists.

Here are my favorites

1. Paul's comment, "I'm not a fanatic about anything I can think of. Oh, except the truth."  I don't know what's worse about this comment, the fact that he doesn't see his own bias, or the fact that some on this site actually believe him.

2. Gorath, and Shark 47.  Paul's comment is an allusion to the Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, who when asked to define Pornography said, "I know it when I see it." Thus, Paul cannot define a fanatic, he just knows it when he sees it.

3. Chip Winters Comment  

But how does this happen?

How can people literally fall in love with a product that is so much more expensive than its rivals?  Well for starters it is only about 20% more expensive than a Windows rival.  Yes, Apple doesn't compete at the bottom of the market, get over it.  Since the average Apple user uses their Mac longer and has fewer problems they feel the premium is worth it.

How can a growing number of people ditch what they're used to, and then seem delighted with their new choice?  

Because what their use to frustrates the snot out of them.  They are tired of viruses, spyware, and problems.  They are tired of products that don't really work.

How do people come to crave any new item from this company?

Apple has taste, Apple actually invests money in how the product looks.  You may think its a waste but to millions of consumers how a product looks is important.  Further, Apple is a master of the media, buy withholding information they create free publicity.  Microsoft announces every product ten years in advance and then when they fail to deliver, the look like fools.  Apple doesn't make this mistake.

How can a company, in ten years time, come back from being "dead" to being within a year of surpassing Microsoft in revenue?

Simply put, ten years ago viruses and spyware were simply a nuisance.  Now they are a plague.  Apple has capitalized on this plague.  You may think that this plague is due to MS popularity, and you might be right to some extent, however the whole reason that Vista was so late with many fewer features was the fact that MS had to pull engineers off of Vista and put them on XP SP 2.

From this very own forum, we know it's not the value. We know it's not the innovation. We know it's not the elegance. We know it's not the simplicity. We know it's not the shoddiness of the competitors' products.

This statement cracks me up.  Yes, if I only read this forum I would think the same thing.  Well guess what, there is this huge world out there with a diversity of opinions that diverge significantly from Paul, Wethorn, and Mike.  Guess, what some of those opinions are actually astute and correct on occasion.  

All I can figure is that it must be all those lying ads.

Yes, it must be those ads.  I would argue that ads can effect buying decisions in the short run, however a product that is truly substandard will eventually succumb to the market place of ideas.  Keep in mind that if Apple failed spectacularly to deliver on its promises of a better computing experience than the ads would stop working.  

And the huge problem with that, for Apple, is this:  When the iCabal finally come to realize that the expensive product they bought doesn't have as much value, isn't as innovative, and isn't as elegant and simple as Apple's ads suggest, this lovefest will be over.

Yes, Apple proudly going out of business for nearly three decades.  The reality that you fail to grasp is that most Apple customers are in fact very pleased with the product they have bought.  Most Apple customers feel that the added cost brings added value.  Most customers actually think that the product is elegant.  Please head on over to consumer reports and check out the customer satisfaction surveys.  Please go over to consumer reports and check out the number of complaints for defective Apple products vs. HP or Dell.  You'll find that year in and year out, Macs are the highest rated personal computer.  

Now ... any ideas when that might be?

Yea, see above Einstein.

Regards

Joe Dokes

@joe dokes. Oh, I see. I've never even heard of Potter Stewart, and I don't really care.

My comment was in jest. Humour.

It's kind of hard to explain humour, but I know it when I see it.

"It's kind of hard to explain humour, but I know it when I see it."

joe-dokes's comment is full of it.

e.g.:  "Yea, see above Einstein."

In reciprocating sarcasm, I can easily say:  "Pot.  Kettle.  Black."

OK....I hate to ask an OT question...

What is or is there an equivalent of Time Machine for Vista?

Thanks

"It's kind of hard to explain humour, but I know it when I see it."

I doubt you - or anyone else - recognizes even 30% of all humor as such.

not only have you said it, you even typed it as well.(unless it was the helper cat in exchange for a cheezburger)

"Since the average Apple user uses their Mac longer and has fewer problems they feel the premium is worth it."

Yes, just like a couple of my friends who moved from $500 laptops to $1600 iMacs and found that they had fewer problems on the Mac.

"Oh, I see. I've never even heard of Potter Stewart, and I don't really care."

Me neither. :-) Guess I haven't been in this country long enough.

"OK....I hate to ask an OT question...

What is or is there an equivalent of Time Machine for Vista?"

Depends on what you want. There's Previous Versions and then there's the backup. Time Machine, from what I've heard, is more powerful and has more GUI "gimmicks"  or "deliciousness", depending on which way you look at it.

"I doubt you - or anyone else - recognizes even 30% of all humor as such."

It does seem like gorath understands 100% of humour, though.

"Pot.  Kettle.  Black."

Ah, Waethorn, the only one more predictable than Paul himself.

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"Waethorn, the only one more predictable than Paul himself."

You mean like Mackie lies?

You did say you were done with this site and wouldn't return after all.

Delmont,

Actually, Vista Business Edition and Vista Ultimate comes with a really nice back up program that is as good as Time Machine, but as Shark 47 said, not as pretty.  

The Vista Home Basic and Premium versions come with a couple of utilities that can help you back up your information, but nothing as complete or idiot proof as Time Machine.

Gorath sorry I missed you attempt at humor.  That being said, I think the Supreme Court is kinda important, and it might be useful for you to know where some of our colloquial phrases come from.

In this case, Potter Stewart's comment is interesting for a number of reasons.  First it show the extreme difficulty the Supreme Court has had in trying to define pornography (The legal definition which would allow both the Federal, State, and Local governments the ability to criminally punish purveyors of obscene material, not the common definition of porn which is naked people doing it.)

Believe it or not, during the late sixties through the seventies the Supreme Court actually had a screening room in which they would watch adult material to determine whether a movie was obscene or not.  Allegedly during another case a justice stood up, pointed to a particular act depicted on the screen and yelled, "that's it!"

I think the, "I know it when I see it." idea is particularly problematic when it comes to first amendment issues, since it means that the court is unable to define any clear boundaries for artists to stay away from.  The result of the this could be a chilling effect on artistic expression.

Regards

Joe Dokes

Great episode. It's about time the media's honeymoon with Apple was ridiculed.

"Clearly, I'm not an Apple fanatic. Actually, I'm not a fanatic about anything I can think of. Oh, except the truth."

No, you're not a fanatic. Hater, yes. All those anti-Apple posts clearly point to that. Microsoft apologist, yes.

Taken seriously as a Microsoft blogger? No. Look at the pingbacks on this post: community.winsupersite.com/.../500-million-in-advertising-did-i-use-the-jump-the-shark-joke-already.aspx

@mikegalos: "It's amazing that an actual columnist's advice is essentially "it's worth doing but I can't be bothered" or that anybody these days thinks that you only can get malware via email."

When will you listen and learn? Because one doesn't need to install it. Because it wastes time and money. Because OS X is more secure than Windows. Because OS X without anti-virus software is more secure than Windows with anti-virus software running. Not to mention what a useless piece of crap (even more so) Windows Vista would be if you ran it without anti-virus software.

And what will Paul say if next week the Simpson's skewers Microsoft?  Somehow I think he won't be as excited.

It's not like there's nothing to work with.  I can see a Best Buy salesman saying, look at all your "choices" here, and then Homer says, "but the screen looks the same on all of them"

"Clearly, I'm not an Apple fanatic. Actually, I'm not a fanatic about anything I can think of. Oh, except the truth."

Spoken like a true believer.  

Paul is a fanatic about some things - one is pointing out and hyping anything remotely negative about Apple.

When it comes to the subject of Apple, Paul always reminds me of the hypocritical closeted gay republican that skunks gay rights.  There is no way that he isn't a fanboy.  He went to the apple store at 4am on iphone 3g launch to get one for the love of god.  He has more apple products than Steve Mobs. I suspect he needs psychological help for this self-loathing love/hate relationship he has.  It's fascinating.

Shark47 said:

""I doubt you - or anyone else - recognizes even 30% of all humor as such."

It does seem like gorath understands 100% of humour, though."

Joe-Dokes said:

"Gorath sorry I missed you attempt at humor. "

An American (at least I think so) not understanding british humour.

Now, there's humour, right there. ;p

As for the supreme court, I really couldn't give a rat's.

Likewise for obscure colloquialisms.

If I was an international spy or something, then maybe I'd have need to fully understand these local terms. But I'm not, so I don't.

I understand enough of them to laugh at Family Guy, and that's enough for me, thanks.

Anyhoo, as amusing as this Simpson's episode was, I don't think the series is as good as it has been in the past. It might just be my tastes changing, but I'm not enjoying the show as much as I have.

Only the crew making the Simpsons would have the audacity and the cajones to take on the legions of fanatical Mac fans. The quite typical reactions of the resident Mac fanatics is hilarious. Infact, reading the responses by john, roberts, lotsa, joe, and the gang is like watching someone laughing but sweating nervously at the same time. They finally see what we all see. The hypocrissy and the fanaticism of the Mac fans, but they are laughing nervously because they don't get it.

Perhaps the Simpsons episode is like a suppository for Mac fans. Like my children who fight suppositories, they refuse to acknowledge there is a problem. It is a painful reality to those that perhaps some of you are a little to obsessed with one company. Its just a machine. Get over it. It reminds me of Keith Olbermann's worst persons on October 3rd. National Review Rich Lowry's comments on Sarah Palin coming off like soft core porn.

"A very wise TV executive once told me that the key to TV is projecting through the screen. It's one of the keys to the success of, say, a Bill O'Reilly, who comes through the screen and grabs you by the throat. Palin too projects through the screen like crazy. I'm sure I'm not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, "Hey, I think she just winked at me." And her smile. By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America. This is a quality that can't be learned; it's either something you have or you don't, and man, she's got it."

Sometimes you gotta call a spade a spade. This simpsons episode calls it like it is. Thanks Paul. I enjoyed this one. Keep up the good work.

"I'm sure I'm not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, "Hey, I think she just winked at me.""

I saw that wink and thought, "That stupid pandering ***". But that's just me.

"By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America. This is a quality that can't be learned; it's either something you have or you don't, and man, she's got it."

Oh, come on. Only the most idiotic partisan would see it that way. And only a WinJihadist would compare it to an Apple joke on The Simpsons. Get over yourself.

lotsa,

Take the suppository. Chill. Get a life is so appropriate here.

Later.

@subzerohitman721: "The quite typical reactions of the resident Mac fanatics is hilarious. Infact, reading the responses by john, roberts, lotsa, joe, and the gang is like watching someone laughing but sweating nervously at the same time. The hypocrissy and the fanaticism of the Mac fans, but they are laughing nervously because they don't get it."

Sweating nervously? What dream world do you live in? I found it amusing. Like someone else said, next week they take the piss out of Microsoft - so what? It's funny, because that's what The Simpsons do. They make fun of America in almost every episode. What does that mean? Are Americans sweating nervously? No, because not many are wrong enough to interpret things like you do. It's funny, they make fun of everything and everyone.

What about the episode with the Bill Gates character on the show that went around harassing people and being evil. Did you sweat nervously when you saw it because you knew you like a company that is evil? No. Did Paul post about that episode like a giddy school-girl having her first crush on a boy? No. That would mean he's fair and unbiased - which he's not.

"What about the episode with the Bill Gates character on the show that went around harassing people and being evil. "

From your description it seems like they were mocking the "Bill Gates is evil" crowd.

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@shark47: "From your description it seems like they were mocking the "Bill Gates is evil" crowd."

Homer is running his own internet business and Gates and his goons come in make threats, trying to trash the joint. Now, Gates is a scrawny nerd, so it's the best he can do to be intimidating that makes it funny. The joke being this skinny nerd is such a menace. Which in real life, he was. MS is evil, remember?

The episode can be found in its entire on hulu.com.  

Gorath,

For whatever reason I didn't realize you were British.  I went to school in London and enjoyed it greatly, got married and Scotland, and have relatives who live in Wales.  

Thus, I was chastising you for the wrong thing.  I believe that most Americans don't understand some of the key aspects of how American democracy works.  One of the fundamental functions of our Supreme Court is to protect the higher law status of our Constitution.  Thus, when a Justice of the Court utilizes a gut feeling to describe the limits of the constitution it is very disquieting.  In contrast, the British system has an unwritten constitution in which Parliament is sovereign (In the US sovereignty lies with the people.).  Thus, Parliament can effectively make ANY law and the only recourse the people have is to vote the ruling party out of power during the next election.  Now tradition does act as somewhat of a check on the powers of Parliament but Parliament can and does make substantial changes to fundamental laws.  Thus, while our Bill of Rights of 1791 enjoys higher law status, your English Bill of Rights of 1689 has no special status and any act of Parliament can over-ride the English Bill of Rights.

In terms of superiority one could argue that the parliamentary system used in Britain is arguably more democratic than our presidential model with a clear higher law which creates in effect a dual layer of democracy.  The British System can be much more responsive to public opinion, while the American system arguably protects the rights of individuals and minorities better.

As for understanding British humor, I generally think I'm pretty good, obviously I fell short on this particular joke, could be that it wasn't in fact funny. ;)

Subzero Hitman,

Do you actually believe what you write?

I watched the episode and as I've already said, it was beyond funny.  It was one of the best episodes I've seen in several years.  Paul et al is correct it did skewer Apple.  What is most funny though is the various reactions of various winjihadists on this website.

Wow, taking on the icabal would actually create fear amongst Matt Groening and his writers at the Simpsons.  Really?  

Wow, that Apple Fans saw this and laughed "nervously."  What as though Apple were a religion and the Simpsons were somehow attacking our core fundamental beliefs.  

Wow, that Apple Fans are unaware of the "Steve reality distortion field."

The show simply mocked and satirized the more extreme aspects of both Corporate Apple and its customers.

What's really funny, is that not a single Apple fan has said that the show was slanderous or libelous.  Not a single Apple fan has said that it was particularly offensive in any way.  Not a single Apple fan has even said it was unfunny.  Not a single Apple fan has said they will now stop watching the Simpson's.

How have Apple Fans reacted, let's see they have a sense of humor.  They also realize that they or other Apple Fans sometimes act irrationally, and they understand SATIRE.  Clearly the humor lies in the fact that the Simpson's greatly EXAGGERATED the foibles of Apple and its fans.  

In reality I've seen every aspect of Simpson's satire exhibited by various Apple Fans and the company from time to time, seeing every one of them played out to the extreme in 90 seconds is FUNNY.  

For example, the recent Apple ad in which PC spends all his money on advertising rather than fixing Vista was considered slander by many of the members of this site.  Yet, the larger truth, the truth that Microsoft has Billions of dollars and yet, Vista has floundered for nearly two years while Microsoft first denied any problems, then belatedly said that this was part of the normal upgrade cycle, then finally admitted that there were problems but they were solved.  And finally has stopped advertising Vista and now simply advertises Windows.  

Thus, the basic truth of the Mac ad, Vista was broken and Microsoft couldn't, wouldn't, or just didn't care to fix it is a truth that MS can't seem to dodge.

Regards

Joe Dokes

"Thus, the basic truth of the Mac ad, Vista was broken and Microsoft couldn't, wouldn't, or just didn't care to fix it is a truth that MS can't seem to dodge."

Somehow you found a way to go from a Simpsons episode to bashing Vista. Way to go, sir.

"lotsa,

Take the suppository. Chill. Get a life is so appropriate here.

"

I'm sure his might mouse have beared the brunt of his iLovin. Stevenotes on infinite loop and lotsa kleenex.

For those that missed it, It's on Hulu.com

The test to this is whether you watch something like this, and even being on the receiving end of the joke, you laugh anyway.  I haven't seen the episode yet (as much as I hate to say it and as a very long time fanboy that can easily quote old episodes nearly verbatim, the Simpsons have jumped the shark a while ago) , but I'll be sure to watch it.  

The key is to be funny, not mean, and contain some truth.  Reminds me of the Microsoft iPod packaging parody.  It is something I've cracked up laughing about and saved it for future viewing.  It's funny, contains a bit of truth, and is not mean.  Seriously, if anyone is offended by this, even when Paul brings it up, you really need to breath some fresh air sometimes.

@Joe,

Wow. Thanks a lot Joe. Your reaction was exactly what I had in mind and you ended up proving my point. You coudn't take a little jab or a little criticism. So now you come at me with false outrage and it just comes off as lacking humor, grace, or any ability to roll with the punches.

Instead of hitting me back with a joke or anything, you got mad and took personal offense. No maliciousness or intent to personally offend was insinuated in my comments.

You guys seriously dish it, but can't take it. So like I said before, chill. Don't take it too seriously. Its just one persons opinion.

My friends and I bat around Windows and Mac jokes yet nobody takes offense. Everyone here does. Unplug from your Mac and take a deep breath. Go get a beer, or a drink. See a movie or something.

Later.