Some sigs I've clipped from usenet that I thought were clever. Genesis Zen and the Art of Floppy Ejection . Like I said above, I tend to think that cars and computers are similar in the context of US culture. The initial cost may be higher for the BMW or the Mac, but they come with all the features most people could want, and they last so much longer they're often cheaper in the long run. When you read the magazines or talk to folks, most people have strong opinions.
People identify with the hardware, whether they drive it or surf the web with it.
Sure, I like the fact that the G3 PowerBook I am writing this on is really fast, but I don't really need that much speed for typing or reading email. I could get by with less, I just don't want to. So when someone says you have to upgrade, or that you need the fastest machine made with the newest technology, think about what you want to do with the machine. Most folks talk about the speed of the CPU as if that were the only factor, but the engine's only part of it. CPU speed is like horsepower, it's only one factor that makes the machine fast and nimble.