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Picture of fpuhan
posted
I note on forums where technology is discussed, some people refer to Apple's computers as MAC.

Why the ALLCAPS? The original computer from Apple was called the Macintosh, which is a (deliberate?) misspelling of Mcintosh, which is a type of apple. In 1998, Apple shortened the name to simply Mac.

When I see MAC, I think immediately of "Media Access Control" address, which is a unique method of identifying network hardware. Women may also be familiar with MAC Cosmetics, which intentionally spells its name in ALLCAPS. I believe that it's an acronym standing for "Makeup Art Cosmetics," which would be a bit recursive, so it's just shortened.

I'm sure there are other uses for the word, term, initials, or acronym MAC. But an Apple computer isn't one of them!




You can't truly call yourself "peaceful" unless you are capable of great violence. If you're not capable of great violence, you're not peaceful, you're harmless.

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Posts: 2857 | Location: Peoples Republic of North Virginia | Registered: December 04, 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Spread the Disease
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If you are a true fan and user of Apple products, you always shout it. It’s like a secret handshake.


________________________________________

-- Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past me I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. --
 
Posts: 17248 | Location: New Mexico | Registered: October 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Many people are stuck on acronyms. They assume any short word they are not familiar with is one.
 
Posts: 17121 | Location: Lexington, KY | Registered: October 15, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
My other Sig
is a Steyr.
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Hell, I'm just tired of reading about Nasa. Roll Eyes




 
Posts: 9112 | Location: Somewhere looking for ammo that nobody has at a place I haven't been to for a pistol I couldn't live without... | Registered: December 02, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Nullus Anxietas
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Many (most?) people don't understand the difference between a proper noun and an acronym. Nor, for that fact, an acronym and an abbreviation.

IOW: They're illiterate.



"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher
 
Posts: 26009 | Location: S.E. Michigan | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I am tired of spellcheck/accucheck !


Jim
 
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Lost
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Doesn't it stand for Military Armament Corporation?




ACCU-STRUT FOR MINI-14
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Posts: 16267 | Location: SF Bay Area | Registered: December 11, 2003Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
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I am somewhat obsessive about using the proper spelling for product and organization names; i.e., if I’m not sure how the company or group spells and capitalizes it, I look it up. Of course, some of them are inconsistent themselves and then I stop fretting about it, but at least I make the attempt.

A couple of other examples I am personally familiar with are the “high IQ” society and amateur radio: It’s Mensa, not MENSA, and ham radio, not HAM. On the other hand, it’s TASER (as in Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle), not taser or Taser.




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47366 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Nullus Anxietas
Picture of ensigmatic
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quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund:
On the other hand, it’s TASER (as in Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle), not taser or Taser.

Until and unless it becomes noun-ized, as have radar and laser.



"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher
 
Posts: 26009 | Location: S.E. Michigan | Registered: January 06, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
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quote:
Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Until and unless it becomes noun-ized, as have radar and laser.


Yes, until then. And not before.
Plus, neither radar nor laser started as the name of a commercial company’s product. * Wink

I was actually a little surprised to see that “TASER” is evidently not claimed by the company to be a trademark. The ® symbol does not seem to be associated with the term anywhere. If it had, that would not prevent popular use of the term in referring to other company’s CEDs, just as other trademarked terms are commonly used, but it would presumably prevent a different manufacturer from calling its product a TASER.

* And speaking of inconsistencies. On the company web site, the term is in all caps almost everywhere, but I did find “Taser” once.




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47366 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Bunch of savages
in this town
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I GUESS I DON’T UNDERSTAND. MAC OR MAC, IT’S ALL THE SAME TO ME.


-----------------
I apologize now...
 
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Which is really part of the problem.
 
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H.O.F.I.S
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Without cheese it's just noodles.



"I'm sorry, did I break your concentration"?
 
Posts: 1513 | Location: Above water | Registered: September 16, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Who else?
Picture of Jager
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Military Airlift Command.

I think they coined it early on circa 1941.

Military Airlift Command
 
Posts: 2568 | Location: Phoenix, Arizona | Registered: October 30, 2000Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Krazeehorse
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quote:
Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Many (most?) people don't understand the difference between a proper noun and an acronym. Nor, for that fact, an acronym and an abbreviation.

IOW: They're illiterate.

Illiterate or ignorant?


_____________________

Be careful what you tolerate. You are teaching people how to treat you.
 
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אַרְיֵה
Picture of V-Tail
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quote:
Originally posted by Krazeehorse:

Illiterate or ignorant?
These two descriptors are not mutually exclusive.

In fact, the frequently go hand in hand. Like Hansel and Gretel. Or bacon and eggs.



הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים
 
Posts: 30546 | Location: Central Florida, Orlando area | Registered: January 03, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Freethinker
Picture of sigfreund
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quote:
Originally posted by Jager:
Military Airlift Command.

I think they coined it early on circa 1941.

Military Airlift Command


That is a good link, but it clearly states that although the history of predecessor organizations dates back to 1942, it wasn't called MAC until 1966. I still remember when it was MATS.




6.4/93.6

“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.”
— Plato
 
Posts: 47366 | Location: 10,150 Feet Above Sea Level in Colorado | Registered: April 04, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
No, not like
Bill Clinton
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I call all of their products Crapple, I am the lone PC, Android guy in the house



 
Posts: 5302 | Location: GA | Registered: September 23, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Shit don't
mean shit
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Kinda like a ROTH IRA I guess.
 
Posts: 5734 | Location: 7400 feet in Conifer CO | Registered: November 14, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Little ray
of sunshine
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I think they do it just for spite.




The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything.
 
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