Synopses & Reviews
There is no product on the planet that enjoys the devotion of a Macintosh computer. Apple's machines have legions of loyal, sometimes demented fans. The Cult of Mac surveys the devoted following that has grown up around Macintosh computers. Like fans of a football team or a rock group, Macintosh fanatics have their own subculture, with clearly defined obsessions, rites, and passages. Famously dedicated to their computers, many Mac fans eat, sleep, and breathe the Macintosh. Fans who get Mac tattoos and haircuts, people who attend Apple Store openings like they are Grateful Dead shows, counterculture icons who love the Mac, people who turn old Macs into aquariums (or bongs), Ellen Fein lookalike contests, erotic fiction featuring Steve Jobs; it's all here. Technology reporter Leander Kahney exposes all sides of Mac fanaticism, from the innocuous to the insane.
Review
"The Macintosh is more than a computer, it's a way of life. This book is about what it is to be a Macintosh person. It gives insight into the greatest love and loyalties of any product of our era." Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder
Review
"If you want to know what's happening in the Apple underground, talk to Leander Kahney." Eric Hellweg, CNN Columnist
Review
"Mac-heads are already a pretty devoted lot, so it's doubtful that [this book] will make 'em any more loyal. But that doesn't mean it's without serious entertainment value. Kahney...includes 500 pictures of the splendid ways the faithful pay their respects." Village Voice
Review
"This account of Macintosh fanaticism will strike a chord with anyone who's ardently defended (or cursed) an operating system...sure to end up on Quadra-based coffee tables everywhere." Wired Magazine
Review
"Brimming with more than 500 color photos, this fun book won't stay on the shelves long." Library Journal
Review
"The Cult of Mac is sure to warm the heart of your beloved Mac user. It's a fun read." Houston Chronicle
Review
"[The Cult of Mac] is interspersed with trivia and delightful details, and intriguing photos, and is wrapped up in an entertaining style. This is a coffee table book that only a geek might love but it's also one lots of people will enjoy reading." Washington Times
Synopsis
Wired News reporter Kahney surveys the devoted following that has grown up around Macintosh computers fans who get Mac tattoos and haircuts, people who attend Apple Store openings like they are Grateful Dead shows, and counterculture icons who love the Mac.
Synopsis
There is no product on the planet that enjoys the devotion of a Macintosh computer. Famously dedicated to their machines, many Mac fans eat, sleep and breathe the Macintosh.
The Cult of Mac is the first book about Macintosh culture, arguably the largest distinct subculture in computing.
Written by Wired News journalist Leander Kahney, The Cult of Mac is an in-depth look at Mac users and their unique, creative, and often very funny culture. Like fans of a football team or a rock group, Macintosh fans have their own customs, with clearly defined obsessions, rites and passages. From people who get Mac tattoos and haircuts, to those who furnish their apartments out of empty Mac boxes, this book details Mac fandom in all of its forms.
About the Author
Leander Kahney covers Apple and the Mac community for Wired News, where he writes the wildly popular "Cult of Mac" column. Before joining Wired News, he was a senior writer at the legendary Mac magazine Macweek. Kahney has written for numerous publications, including Wired Magazine, Scientific American, Business 2.0, and the Guardian. He owns six computers, all of them Macs.
Table of Contents
Ch. 1 Techno fetishism 4
Ch. 2 Macs and the counterculture 31
Ch. 3 Worshipping the two Steves 47
Ch. 4 Mac tattoos and haircuts 56
Ch. 5 Trainspotting 68
Ch. 6 Mac evangelism 75
Ch. 7 The Mac Web 84
Ch. 8 Tales of Macworld 96
Ch. 9 Macs in Japan 119
Ch. 10 Macquariums 146
Ch. 11 Fantasy Macs 150
Ch. 12 Hardware mods 172
Ch. 13 Paper Macs 181
Ch. 14 Mac collectors and collectibles 194
Ch. 15 Antique Macs 206
Ch. 16 IPod 234
Ch. 17 What makes Mac fans so loyal? 246