You've all thought it at one time or another. Mac geeks and Trekkers
have things in common. If you ask me, Star Trek is the best indicator
of the Mac's success - if Star Trek ever folds and the franchise closes
its doors for good, the Mac is doomed.
You don't see the connection? You will after you read the Lite
Side's
Parallel Universes of Mac Users
and Star Trek Fans
In the Star Trek universe, there are many different races in the
Federation, drawn to membership for utilitarian or philosophical
reasons. In the Mac universe, there are many different kinds of people
drawn to the platform for utilitarian or philosophical reasons.
Mac users are a minority of computer users who stubbornly hang on to
their computing platform of choice even though everyone else tells them
they should have let go long ago. Star Trek fans are a minority of
science fiction viewers who stubbornly hang on to their favorite
franchise even though everyone else tells them it has been surpassed by
any number of supernatural fight-fests long ago.
In the Star Trek universe, there are evil half-organic,
half-mechanical beings called the Borg who want to take over the
universe. Their "prime directive" is simple: Join them or be destroyed.
In the Mac universe, there is an evil computing company (guess which
one?) bent on assimilating every other company - and they are generally
viewed as less trustworthy than they used to be. Nevertheless,
their basic goal remains the same: Join them by being purchased or wait
until you are driven out of business.
In the Mac universe, the floppy drive was abandoned as outmoded
technology and replaced with wireless networking. In the Trek universe,
the rocket was abandoned as outmoded technology and replaced with warp
drive.
In the Trek universe, all the screens are touch-sensitive flat
panels, except the ones you see in older, original series episodes. In
the Mac universe, most of the screens are flat panels, and the ones
that aren't are older, based on original-series models.
In the Mac universe, people line up whenever a new Apple Store
opens, despite the stares and whispers of the people in the rest of the
mall. In the Star Trek universe, fans line up whenever there is a
convention, regardless of the stares and whispers of the unadorned who
pass by on the street.
In the Star Trek universe, there are loud, annoying, lumpy-headed
Klingons, who are tolerated even though they have bad social habits. In
the Mac universe, there are loud, annoying, lumpy-headed rumormongers,
who are tolerated even though they - well, I don't actually know about
their social habits, so let that one go.
In the Mac universe, people get together once or twice a year and
listen to a speaker (it's always the same guy in the black turtleneck,
isn't it?) introduce new products and provide testimonials from people
who are not there. In the Star Trek universe, people get together a few
times a year and listen to a speaker (it's always that same guy with
the New York accent, isn't it?) introduce new movies and episodes and
provide bloopers from past episodes featuring people who are not
there.
In the Mac universe, computers have become more streamlined, laptops
have changed several times, but the basic keyboard layout and menu bar
(even in OS X) have remained the same. In the Trek universe, ships
have changed, becoming more streamlined over the years, but the basic
layout of saucer section with two warp nacelles has remained the
same.
In the Trek universe, people talk to Macs, and the Macs don't
understand what is being said. In the 
Mac universe, people talk to PC users, and
the PC users don't understand what is being said.
The connection should now be obvious. If you've ever been to a
Macworld Expo and a Star Trek convention, the parallels are
uncanny.
One way to test my theory would be to hold a Star Trek convention
across the street from a Macworld Expo - double attendance for
everyone!
If you're a Star Trek fan and not familiar with the Mac, browse the
other articles here at Low End Mac. If
you're a Mac fan and not familiar with Star Trek, browse TrekToday, startrek.com, and Hidden Frontier.
Live long and prosper!
