we’ve all seen the clever apple ads where mac and pc are personified. pc  is depicted as dowdy, dull and defenseless. and the mac guy comedically and eloquently displays how he trumps pc in any and every way possible for a computer.  it’s pretty convincing. who wouldn’t want to be the cool mac guy (or in my case, gal) after seeing those commercials? commercials aside, mac owners are legitimately die-hard loyalists. it’s simple, apple makes great computers.
but all this makes me think more about how choosing which brand names to purchase makes a statement to others about who we are as indivduals. through marketing, brands infuse their products with specific idenitites. brand names link the consumer to the identity that the brand has created through marketing. when youre buying a mac (insert whichever brand you want here) you’re buying more than just the computer and the operating system. it also associates you with being stylish and savvy. it even goes as far as making a statement about your lifestyle, political choices, and how much money may (or may not) be in your bank account.
i say all that to demonstrate how difficult it was for me to except the fact that my ibook had finally failed after 4.5 good years. and the hard truth that in this economy, since i was laid-off,  is that i could not afford to make the mac statement about my identity with my new computer.
i am now a proud owner of a hp pavilion!
before making my purchase, i considered what my new pc would silently say about who i am. in the end, the only thing that matters is the true purpose of a laptop to get the job that i want done. i also spent at most one-third the cost at best buy, than i would have spent on a macbook. literally. and the specs are equal to that of what i would have gotten in a macbook. besides the fact, that i will prolly need a tutorial on how to use a pc again, i am thrilled with my purchase.
i could write an entire thesis on the topic of brand identity but since there is not a degree involved at the end of my blogging. i am signing off.
here are before/after haircut photos of my munchkin. meet miles. he’s a 3 year old poo-mutt with tons of personality searching for humans to drive crazy.
~ak
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