2007-03-13

PC vs Mac

The following excerpts are from an English translation of Umberto Eco’s back-page column, “La bustina di Minerva,” in the Italian
news weekly “Espresso,” September 30, 1994.

..”Insufficient consideration has been given to the new
underground religious war which is modifying the modern world.
It’s an old idea of mine, but I find that whenever I tell people
about it they immediately agree with me.

“The fact is that the world is divided between users of the
Macintosh computer and users of MS-DOS compatible computers. I am
firmly of the opinion that the Macintosh is Catholic and that DOS
is Protestant. Indeed, the Macintosh is counter-reformist and has
been influenced by the ‘ratio studiorum’ of the Jesuits. It is
cheerful, friendly, conciliatory, it tells the faithful how they
must proceed step by step to reach–if not the Kingdom of Heaven–
the moment in which their document is printed. It is catechistic:
the essence of revelation is dealt with via simple formulae and
sumptuous icons. Everyone has a right to salvation.

“DOS is Protestant, or even Calvinistic. It allows free
interpretation of scripture, demands difficult personal decisions,
imposes a subtle hermeneutics upon the user, and takes for granted
the idea that not all can reach salvation. To make the system
work you need to interpret the program yourself: a long way from
the baroque community of revelers, the user is closed within the
loneliness of his own inner torment.

“You may object that, with the passage to Windows, the DOS
universe has come to resemble more closely the counter-reformist
tolerance of the Macintosh. It’s true: Windows represents an
Anglican-style schism, big ceremonies in the cathedral, but there
is always the possibility of a return to DOS to change things in
accordance with bizarre decisions; when it comes down to it, you
can decide to allow women and gays to be priests if you want to.
..

“And machine code, which lies beneath both systems (or
environments, if you prefer)? Ah, that is to do with the Old
Testament, and is talmudic and cabalistic…”