[BrianB]

I just watched the MacHeads documentary that came out in 2008. If you think you're obsessed with Apple, wait till you see some of the Mac fanatics in this documentary.

It was really fascinating to watch, and being as obsessed as I am with Apple, I could relate to all the people interviewed.

Also if you are still wondering why you love Apple so much and why you have a passion for the brand, this documentary will help you understand.

If you can get hold of it, i highly recommend you watch it!!!

[Ken Gracey]

O mac heads, I thought you were talking about a Mr potato head movie

[JamieD]

I've been looking for it for a while but have not been able to find it

[BrianB]

Please don't ask me how I got hold of it. Just use your imagination.

[klytia]

Well i just watched Mr Potatao head three times, they didn't say anything about Mac's.....

What the hell are you on about Brian?

[gracer]

Hi forumians,

Ahh you've come to the right place, because I have worked with the director/producer and writer of this doco for the upcoming issue of touch! His name is Kobi Shely and he's a super guy to chat to.

First up, you can watch the film free and legally here - http://www.snagfilms.../title/macheads

Second, the doco is fantastic. I spoke with Kobi to get a better insight of Apple fan culture, which Brian, you will be able to see in print alongside your contribution as a fan yourself!

Kobi is currently working on the sequel to this, which he told me would likely be released next year. Obviously the focus has shifted, as the growth of iOS has literally exploded onto the scene. The sequel will look at the change from Mac to iOS and also the warring battle between iOS and Android.

What do you guys think about the original Mac fan culture and the change that has since taken over? Are you traditionalists, or do you think the direction Apple is heading in now is for the better?

I can't wait to see the follow up, maybe we can call in a favour and get a sneak peek before anyone else?

Got to say my favourite moment in the MacHEADS is when one fan declares "because of Apple I don't have a wife, I don't have a life". Classic.

And if anyone can get their hands on a light show belt in tribute to Steve Jobs (also starring in the film), let me know. My next fancy dress theme is just around the corner

G

[JamieD]

gracer, on 30 November 2011 - 01:25 PM, said:

Hi forumians

I feel that should be spoken by a 12 foot tall shiny robot in a booming voice "Greetings Forumians!" I just love how English is a living language in which we can feel free to invent new words :-)

[BrianB]

Hey Grace, I wish I knew where I could get it free and legally before I did what I did to get a copy.

Anyway... The whole essence behind the doco was that the Mac User Groups are slowly dying as Apple becomes a large corporate and the tight knit sharing community amongst Apple users are dwindling away as the focus goes from the Mac to iOS.

I personally think its all evolution and things change over time. Things can't always stay the same. And besides the Mac Community still exists... Here we are writing on these forums... So I'm not sure if it's for the better Grace, but I still think Apple fan culture is unique and always will be.

I liked the scene when that lady was sitting in a chair at a Mac repair shop with her iMac on her lap, and she was hugging and caressing it like a baby.

I know we have all caressed our Macs at some point, and don't deny it!!

[gracer]

Hey Jamie, Shakespeare made a pretty decent living from coining new words and throwing them into his plays. If it's good enough for him...

Bahaha. I have not caressed my Mac, Brian. I did hit my iBook intermittently during uni (wilderness) years, however.

Also Brian, perhaps you should take Lady Macbeth-style showers tonight and try to rid yourself of the shame of doing what you did to watch this. Just kidding. Sleep easy. I'm telling Kobi!

Don't know if you guys noticed but Andy Ihnatko also appears on the film, the same guy who regularly contributes to the magazine and online. Small world, hey?

G

[JamieD]

Grace, I have nothing against coining new words or terms, I have been known to do it myself from time to time but that's about all of the Shakespearean habits I will take up for now. From what I recall he did have some rather odd habits...

I have never caressed my iMac either, but have been known to look longingly at the MacBook Air and 27" iMac when in stores that sell them...

[BrianB]

So Grace and Jamie, you're telling me you have never run your hand over a Mac.. You know lightly patted it???

I bet you have.

I think I better not say anymore. I sound more like a whacko each time..

[Ken Gracey]

Brian keep that up and you will go from Fanboy to Fruit Loop

[gracer]

Jamie we should start our own MW forum dictionary of coined terms. What we call Mac caressers like Brian? Hmmm. And yes, I just coined 'caressers'.

I do admit I salivated slightly over my iPad. Love at first sight.

I think we have content for a fan doco of our own!

[JamieD]

A dictionary of coined terms could be a bit of fun, lets see what I can come up with off the top of my head:

Macateer - Somebody who is zealous about the Mac and not afraid to show it, think a concatenation of Mac and Mouseketeer

Appleation - The appeal that Apple products have to us

iPhoney - Any Android device as all they are are bad ripoffs of the iPhone

I'm sure I can come up with more as time goes by, but those are 3 I can think of now.

[Ken Gracey]

Ok i watched 5 minutes of it and then got bored with it and checked back into the real world, lets all take a reality check... a mac is a COMPUTER, its not a cult, its not brain surgery, or a cure for world peace last time i checked.... its just a TOOL, to make your life easier, and to make Apple even richer than they are already

[klytia]

BrianB, on 30 November 2011 - 03:25 PM, said:

So Grace and Jamie, you're telling me you have never run your hand over a Mac.. You know lightly patted it???

I bet you have.

I think I better not say anymore. I sound more like a whacko each time..

So Brian, you pat your Mac

Run your hand over your Mac

Pat the mac

Now the mind goes into over drive as to what else your doing with your Mac.

Did you get into Steve's acid stash?

I must admit that, i do admire the design of the Apple products, might just give one a rub now.....

[JamieD]

Ken Gracey, on 30 November 2011 - 09:25 PM, said:

Ok i watched 5 minutes of it and then got bored with it and checked back into the real world, lets all take a reality check... a mac is a COMPUTER, its not a cult, its not brain surgery, or a cure for world peace last time i checked.... its just a TOOL, to make your life easier, and to make Apple even richer than they are already

True, but as far as tools go it is one that does have a rather zealous following. In many ways how is it so different to grown mean drooling over the latest Aston Martin or Ferrari?

[gracer]

Ken, I get where you're coming from but you could make the same argument about any 'thing' that has attracted a following in society, be it religion, extreme sports or the latest fashion trend.

To most, chocolate is just a food product. But to me, it's my close friend, biggest foe and daily, habitual consumptive.

I have to admit when I first saw the film I thought 'what a bunch of crazies'. But if you look into the sociology behind the the topic and the psyche of fan culture, you'll realise that it goes beyond any Apple product or, indeed, branded object. It's a part of humanity that we're all tapped into.

We all have something that we adhere to, believe in, consume, preach, idolise and, in Brian's case, pat.

Your every day dedication to the forum Ken is a wonderful example of this. To a lesser degree, of course.

The only difference between 'us' and 'them' is the level of fanaticism. The MacHEAD subjects are extremists, no doubt. But if you took a level this high and scaled it down by a few notches, you'd probably end up with an individual that looks a lot like one of us!

We can all look at the fanatics in this film and feel relieved we're not at the extreme that they are, but I doubt any one of us could go cold turkey on Apple today and never look back.

And that, forumians, is addiction and fanaticism personified.

[klytia]

I cannot even watch the film, i think its been pulled off or something is going on as its not working for me at all.

[Ken Gracey]

I guess I am the odd man out grace, wether its a car, a computer , a music group, or even a food group, all of them fit into a few diffrent categories,

#1 that make my job easier, which in turns makes me money.

#2 they fill a hole in my belly, which make me happy.

# 3 I listen to it, and it brings back memories of a miss spent youth.

The forums, our a whole different ball of wax, I learnt most of my tricks on the mac when system 7.5.3, came out and i had a 14.4 baud modem and yahoo had a mac room, we're you could share problems and learn how to fix conflicts, with your mac's extensions, and control panels.

From that point onwards, I have always enjoyed helping other people out, with mac problems, and interacting with like minded people. But, like I said early, I am not as fanatical, as many mac users