You Know You're an Apple Fan Boy When�

Unlike most technology companies, Apple has a nearly cult-like following as well as a growing user base. So, how do you know when you’ve gone from casual Mac user to hard-core Apple fan? Here are 15 signs that you might be a fan boy.

1) You spent your entire summer visiting Apple stores across the country and/or you go to the Genius Bar just to hang out on weekends.

Apple’s retail stores have been a success because they offer users a unique experienced to experience Macs, learn, play, and hang out. The result has been a great chance for many to share their passion for all things Apple in ways that were previously limited to a handful of Mac User Groups (extra fan boy points if you’re a member of a MUG) and events like MacWorld Expo.

As great as the Apple Store experience is for longtime Mac users and consumers alike, if you find yourself there just to hang out more than once a week, you might want to consider finding some other pastimes.

2) Your preferred outfit for work or presentations is jeans and a black turtleneck.

The Steve Jobs look for keynotes is an iconic part of both his persona and Apple. It’s synonymous with exciting announcements, innovation, and “one more thing.” It’s also a pretty comfortable outfit – but not all of us can pull it off, particularly for major presentations.

3) You can be found frantically checking every available liveblog during an Apple keynote or press event.

One liveblog is okay, two is fine, even three or four isn’t too bad (I can usually be counted on to check at least a few if I’m not attending the event). But if you have two Apple Cinema Displays filled with multiple Safari or Firefox windows and are rapidly checking every one as soon as it refreshes, you may need to take a deep breath and tone it down.

After all, you’ll probably be watching the QuickTime stream once Apple posts it later that day.

4) You named your first child Lisa and/or pine for the experience of owning an Apple Lisa.

First off, you know you’re a true Apple buff if you know that supposedly the Apple Lisa was named after Steve’s first daughter without me explaining it. Pining after the Lisa (or an original 128k Mac) is a little obsessive, but since Apple ended up burying most of the Lisas in a landfill in Utah (extra points if you already knew that), it’s understandable that true computer fans of all stripes might want to play with the Mac’s predecessor.

However, if you’re naming your children after any computer product, you may want to consider your priorities just a touch.

5) You feel slighted if Apple releases a new product and you missed any rumors about it.

If you’re a true Apple fan, this should happen to you very rarely. Most of the Mac rumor sites unearth information about new products long before they ship – often leading to massive speculation around the blogoshpere and sometimes in the mainstream media.

But every once in a while Apple manages to keep something truly secret – catching its fans and customers off guard.

6) You’ve modded a Mac (or iPod or iPhone). Extra points if you put the guts of a recent Mac into a vintage Mac.

Modding has been a part of Apple culture since the original Apple I and Apple II, which lent themselves to upgrades of all kinds.

In more recent times, modding Macs with custom cases, turning dead Macs into classic Macs (or Apple II floppy drives) have become common pastimes for many.

The efforts are often impressive – but clearly prove you’re an Apple fanster and not a casual user.

7) You collect vintage Apple computers, peripherals, software, and MacWorld memorabilia.

Apple hardware is often like the Energizer bunny – it just keeps running, sometimes long after it’s capable of handling any modern Mac OS releases or software.

As a result, it’s natural to want to hang onto these functioning pieces of Apple/tech history. And let’s face it, occasionally using a Mac Plus running System 6 can be a fun trip down geek memory lane. But, if you’ve run out of closet space, filled your attic, or need to park your car outside because you’re garage is too filled with old Macs, you may have a little bit of a problem.