I have something to get of my chest. And no it isn't about Barcelona's lackluster performance or the inability of AMD to deliver on its grandiose promises, or their dismal yields. Nope. AMD gets a stay of execution for today. Indeed, as the title so concisely states, I'm going to talk about the Prius. And the Mac.

After having a conversation with Magic Fingers I came to the realization that I absolutely hate the Prius. Well, that is a lie really, in truth I rather quite dislike the Prius. As a matter of fact, its not the Prius that I hate, nor is it Toyota that bears the brunt of my abhorrence and foul tempered rantiness. No, its what the Prius stands for. And by extension, what the Macintosh computer stands for. Yes, I know, I'm following the Toms Hardware model of mixing cars and computers, and even though this may turn out to be a cardinal sin (worse than that of speaking against the Mac) hear me out for a bit. I promise this will make more sense than a Shakirou post.

What exactly do I mean by "What the Prius stands for" you ask? Good question. Its not the "environmentally friendliness" of the car that I abhor, even if such can be debated en length to time indefinite and as a true petrol head should give me the willies. No, I'm not one of those people that believes that global warming doesn't exist, nor am I an ecomentalist that believes that the world will come to an end tomorrow if we don't all start driving hybrids. Its the false sense of I'm doing good by the planet that I hate.

The Prius isn't environmentally friendly? Surely it deserves at least an honorable mention in this category you might say with some incredulity. I firmly disagree. Lets take this into perspective shall we? The average gas mileage of cars sold in the United States in the 1980's according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was 23.1 mpg. Not bad you say but we've gotten better. Indeed we have. Now we're up to to 24.7 mpg. Yes, twenty years later and the American market has only seen a rise of a bit less than 7%. A measly, infinitesimal, dismal 7%. Let me further illustrate this ghastly point. The average mileage has gone up 1.6 mpg over twenty years. Which works out to be 0.08 of a mpg every year. So compared to that benchmark that could be outperformed by a Pentium 4 (see? I'm tying in computers. Gotta love it) anything more, at any cost would seem better. And in truth, yes, the Prius is better with its average of 45 to 50 mpg.

But lets take a look at Europe for a bit. The average mileage of cars sold in Europe is 40 mpg. Yes 40. And that's with their 1000 hp Bugatti's 800 bhp Koinegsegg's, the 500 hp Ferrari's and Lambos and glut of Range Rovers and Porches. There are cars sold in Europe and Asia that achieve 75 mpg and can actually carry humans of normal stature. As a matter of fact the Mercedes S class achieves 35 mpg and that's with a giant V8 and the weight of a light cruiser. And by the way, which car do you think won the award for the most environmentally friendly vehicle in Germany? That's right, the big Mercedes. The judges praised the amount of recycled materials used in its production and the efficiently and cleanliness of its engine. How can this be?

Putting aside all thoughts of bias, the Germans are right on this one. The Prius is a hybrid but that battery will die out eventually [read: soon]. And then it will cost half what the car is worth to replace not to mention the environmental headache disposing of all those toxic batteries. And really, the hybrid doesn't really suit the driving style of the average American. We're mostly on the highways or accelerating past someone, times when the gas engine in the hybrid will be working its hardest, and spewing the most pollutants. A hybrid really works best on the shorter, more slow paced roads of Europe and Asia where stop and go is the norm, more so than an American would think.

Which brings me to the Mac. The Prius and the Mac have this in common, in the end, they are little more than fashion statements and signs of a hip culture. Of course they both are actually used by the people who they are really designed for, but the majority use both for the "hipness" and the fact that being environmentally aware doesn't hurt your cool quotient either. Just look at who buys the Prius. Hollywood's elite and the fashion and "socially" forward. Look at who espouses the Mac. The fashionable elite. Its the same pseudo "it makes me different and cool" mentality that drives the purchase of both for many people. Don't believe me? Take a look at a Mac ad. But the reality is that it doesn't. Nor is it any better. Under the hood of a hybrid is a electric motor that is hooked to a toxic battery and a normal "bad for the planet" gas engine. Under the sleek skin of a Mac are the components of a PC.

So in the end, I'm not mad at either Apple or Toyota. They both build exceptional products and both companies play to the market. Nor am I railing against hybrids or is this rant a last hurrah for the internal combustion engine. There needs to be a replacement for the IC engine. We can't depend on gas alone to get us through the next decade. Things like hybrids and electric / fuel cells are steps in the right direction. No. In the end, this is simply a rant against a mindset.