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!

If you are a true fan and user of Apple products, you always shout it. It’s like a secret handshake.

Many people are stuck on acronyms. They assume any short word they are not familiar with is one.

Hell, I'm just tired of reading about Nasa.

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.

I am tired of spellcheck/accucheck !

Doesn't it stand for Military Armament Corporation?

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.

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.

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. *

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.

I GUESS I DON’T UNDERSTAND. MAC OR MAC, IT’S ALL THE SAME TO ME.

Which is really part of the problem.

Without cheese it's just noodles.

Military Airlift Command.

I think they coined it early on circa 1941.

Military Airlift Command

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?

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.

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.

I call all of their products Crapple, I am the lone PC, Android guy in the house

Kinda like a ROTH IRA I guess.

I think they do it just for spite.