Saturday, September 02, 2006

My Beetle is like my Mac

I promise to stop effusing about my new car soon, but when I was driving home I thought, "I like this car for exactly the same reasons I like my Mac." When I said this to my hubby and my mother, both looked at me like I was insane and said, "Only you would compare a car to a computer." I may be a bit off kilter in my comparison, but I think it is valid.

Both products are intuitive to use. You don't have to read the owner's manual to find what you are seeking. Even driving in the dark in a brand new car was not stressful, because resources were at my fingertips in places I thought to look, and highlighted in multi-colored glory. The Mac is the same. When I finally switched to Mac computers about 7 years ago, I was able to be super productive immediately.

My Mac and my Beetle both have an attention to quality that leads to a sense of dependability. Safety and security is engineered, not added as an afterthought. Quality components are used. Even with the image of stability and quality, both Apple and Volkswagen Beetle give equal attention to style. The lines and angles are soothing. The design and features are intuitive.

Unadvertised cool stuff reinforces the unbelievable attention to detail image. Stuff like:

  • The ceiling installed light above each make-up mirror. On my last cars lights were available on only the driver side visor and the lights on the sides of the mirror caused much glare. The sensor in the rear view mirror that dims the lights of those rude people who drive behind you with their lights on high beam is a perk, not a selling feature.
  • In Mail, Apple's mail application, when you change the size of the date field the format of the date changes. In the Microsoft mail program, the date is just whacked off. Who thinks of such cool stuff?!

Another logical comparison between my Beetle and my Mac is the similarity in their advertising programs. I wonder if they use the same agency. Both use subtle humor and reliance on staunch individualism to create an appeal. It is just plain cool to be a Mac user and a Beetle driver. Though I am not usually hip and cool, quality and ease of use never go out of style. I am proud to have joined the Force of Good.

Now, I promise not to mention my car, again.

5 comments:

mull-berry said...

Apparently you are not the only one. This article is from 2001:

http://www.lowendmac.com/itc/010501.html

P.S. I enjoy hearing about your car.

Anonymous said...

I have very fond memories of a 1973 yellow Beetle. Don't know if you remember that car.... Can't wait to see the new car - What happened to the van?

Wisteria said...

mull-berry, you have a link for everything!! I'm impressed.

Susan, I do remember. My car is a bit nicer, but I bet we could push it quietly up the driveway.

mull-berry said...

Whoa ... wait ... stop right there! "push it quietly up the driveway" ???? When? 2AM? Details, please! Lol!

Wisteria said...

It's not as bad as it seems. My sister's boyfriend pushed his car up the driveway the first several times he visited. He was, apparently fearful of my dad. My sister had me keep watch while she finished dressing. He got to the driveway and then killed the engine and pushed the car the rest of the way. Sis and I laughed and wondered what he was thinking. She finally asked.