On “FanBoy” as a 4-letter word
Apple bashers love to dish the “fanboy” insult to anyone bearing iDevices.
My definition of an “Apple fanboy” is one who blindly and proudly consumes Apple products, blogs, keynotes, etc…, in an obsessive manner. The word blindly is insulting, not the word “fanboy.”
Apple customers, in general, are a fussy bunch. They are obsessive about high quality products with great experiences. They are also critical about devices which don’t live up to their expectations. These are not “blind followers.”
The fact that Apple generally creates amazing user experiences, doesn’t mean we are blind to bad products. We may be members of the Apple cult, but we aren’t ignorant.
I consider myself a loyal Apple customer – even after terrible customer service experiences. I’ve invested in a profusion of their products. I also hate the Mighty Mouse, the new iPod shuffle, and the fact that you can’t register an iPad without another computer.
This “fan” is not a “fanboy.”
About Josh Walsh
Josh Walsh is a Managing Partner at Designing Interactive. He's also an award winning designer, author and speaker on the topics of User Experience Design, User Interface Design and Usability Research. You can follow him on twitter at: @joshwalsh
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Steve Jobs
Thanks, Josh for these kind words. I’m always on the lookout for new priests in the coven. I think you will go a long way in leading people for us. Your even paced assessments will not go unrewarded. Expect a gift in the mail on June 24th.
June 14, 2010
Nate Klaiber
You are just a fanboy in denial. It’s ok, I understand
June 14, 2010
anonymous coward
This is a really interesting topic. I could probably be accused of being an Apple fanboy, but in my mind it seems reasonable – I mean they almost always make such awesome products. At the same time I can sort of see how I’m seduced by the aesthetics and presentation, and how I’m probably trying to justify all the time and money I’ve invested into my relationship with Apple…
I don’t care, there’s still nothing like watching a fresh keynote video…
June 17, 2010