More than 2 millions PC users and Apple users took an intelligence test on Intelligent Elite, a site that offers psychometric testing. The results: Users of Apple computers score more than 6 IQ points higher than users of a PC.
The methodology of the research was as follows: During the last two years people from many countries took the MV2G IQ test. This test consists of 315 questions of varying difficulty and of different types (verbal, logical, mathematical and visual). The test was taken as either a Facebook application, a Twitter application or on the website of IntelligentElite.com. For each individual, their profession, their age, their gender, their operating system, and their browser software was recorded. Thus the IQ obtained could be aggregated and correlated to the information collected. One of the most interesting statistics that is visible is the differences between Apple and PC users.
Apple users are using the Mac operating systems, while PC users are mostly using the Windows operating system. Thus the average IQ of test takers with operating system Mac (Apple users) could easily be compared to the IQ of test takers with operating system Windows (PC users). It is clear from the data collected so far, that Apple users are significantly more intelligent: Apple users have an average IQ 6 points higher than Windows users.
Apple users are however not the most intelligent when comparing all operating systems. According to the operating systems the IQ rankings is as follows:
iPad users
Linux users
Apple users
Windows users
The above was exactly the distribution one would expected, if one thinks of the average user of these operating systems:
Who is an iPad user? These are mostly opinion leaders and people who appreciate new technology. It’s not unreasonable to assume that such people, on average, would exhibit greater intelligence.
Who is a Linux user? These are 3% of all PC users that are very often considered “computer geeks”. As we have also determined, this group has a very high IQ.
Who is an Apple user? A person who likes useful technology and has the means to afford it. Often working in creative and professional fields, these people tend to have higher-than-average intelligence.
Who is a Windows user? As Windows is the most common operating system, this group includes everybody except the people mentioned above.
What is a possible explanation for the higher IQ of Apple users? I do not think that your IQ increases as a result of using Apple products. I also do not think that people buy Apple products because they are more intelligent, and thus capable of better buying decisions.
One possible explanation is that Apple computers are about 40% more expensive than Windows PCs. Thus those people buying Apple computers are usually wealthier than people buying PCs. Wealthier people have been shown to be on average more intelligent than people of lesser means. Thus there is a correlation: wealthier – Apple and wealthier – high IQ, thus also Apple – high IQ.
More likely the main reason is that people who use Apple technology work closely with computer in their profession. Indeed, from my observations I see that Apple computers are used extensively in circles of designers and programmers who are using their computer as much as 8 hours per day. On the other hand, people that only occasionally use computers for their work have less incentive to to work on a Macintosh, and their operating system may have been chosen without their input. Information workers who are using their computer for most of their working day very likely smarter than blue collar workers.
Originally Posted by Andrei the 2nd
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I have programmed the most difficult parts of an OS and did it much better than it's done in any linux version. Even if you were Linus himself that doesn't say that much for your IQ I seriously doubt he is even close to mine.
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