Psychology Faculty Publications

Self-admitted Pretensions of Mac Users on a Predominantly PC University Campus

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-2010

Journal Title

Educational Media International

Volume

47

Issue

1

First Page

1

Last Page

17

Abstract

The present qualitative research study addressed the overall research question of college students' pretention dynamics in the context of a university setting. Thirty-five Mac users were interviewed on a university campus that exclusively supports PC machines. Mac users shared four self-admitted pretensions related to using Macintosh computers. First, participants asserted that Apple brand computers set social trends and that owning a Mac was perceived to make one to stand out positively. Second, Mac users shared their personal views that Macs are superior in technology and that PC technology is simply attempting to mimic Apple's strides forward. Third, Mac users described various perceived social stigmas associated with owning Macs, such as the “artsy” label, the “cool” factor, and common socio-economic assumptions associated with Mac ownership. The fourth dynamic of participants' self-admitted pretensions concerned their tendency to vocalize personal opinions of Mac's superiority, with the aim of “converting” PC users.

Keywords

Apple, computers, Mac, Macintosh, PCs, qualitative research

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