“# HIM: “What operating system do you use?”
# ME: “Linux.”
# HIM: “No, I mean what version of Windows do you use?”
# ME: “… Linux?”
# HIM (now talking to me like I am a child): “No, you see, an operating system is Microsoft Windows 98 or XP or Vista. Which kind of Microsoft Windows do you have on your com-pu-ter?”
# ME (now DESPERATE for an opening): “I have Microsoft Windows Linux.”
# HIM: “Linux? When did they come out with that?”
# ME: “They didn’t. I was kidding about the ‘Microsoft Windows’ part. Have you heard of Apple, MacIntosh, iPod?”
# HIM: “Oh, so you’re saying that you have an Apple?”
# ME: “No. But now that we have established that there exist two computer companies, Linux is yet a third computer company.”
# HIM: “Oh.”
# ME: “Linux.”
# HIM: “No, I mean what version of Windows do you use?”
# ME: “… Linux?”
# HIM (now talking to me like I am a child): “No, you see, an operating system is Microsoft Windows 98 or XP or Vista. Which kind of Microsoft Windows do you have on your com-pu-ter?”
# ME (now DESPERATE for an opening): “I have Microsoft Windows Linux.”
# HIM: “Linux? When did they come out with that?”
# ME: “They didn’t. I was kidding about the ‘Microsoft Windows’ part. Have you heard of Apple, MacIntosh, iPod?”
# HIM: “Oh, so you’re saying that you have an Apple?”
# ME: “No. But now that we have established that there exist two computer companies, Linux is yet a third computer company.”
# HIM: “Oh.”
—
An actual conversation I had with my kids’ bus driver when we got on the subject of computers.
3 years ago