Periodically, I’ll get an e-mail from some Mac zealot chastising me for writing about such things as actually using old DOS tricks in Windows. I got one of those tedious e-mails the other day from a guy who read my tip about using long file names in the command prompt in his local newspaper.
The e-mail brought a number of questions to my mind, the most obvious being, why does this guy read my column in the first place, when it’s so obviously not about Macs? Second, after reading it, why did he bother to write to complain about it? You have to wonder what motivates people in situations like that. It particularly galled me because he actually bothered to slam me for being a graphic artist who doesn’t use Macs. I haven’t heard that tired line since about 1988. I mean, where do you think Adobe’s sales growth is coming from these days? Methinks they’re selling a whole lot of Windows versions of Photoshop too.
In any case, I politely replied and told him that yes, I do have a Mac here and used one first in 1985, so it’s not new news to me. I have nothing against the Macintosh. I think and have always thought that it’s great. But yeah, I mostly do Windows. So sue me; I’m helping to line Bill Gates’ pockets. Such is life. It’s more efficient for me to go with the flow and create files that are completely compatible with the systems 99.9% of my clients are using.
But with that said, here’s a situation where I don’t do windows: outside. Washing windows on the second story of a house is just plain scary. I’m a short person and getting a ladder in just the right configuration to thoroughly wash the picture windows in our living room is almost impossible. Scurrying up there and contorting myself to clean them is a process I find really, really scary. Visions of being splattered all over the patio dance in my head.
Given that life is short and quite precious, I paid a professional window washing service to do it. They did a fantastic job; our windows have never looked so clean. And I bet they don’t get snotty e-mails from Mac zealots either.