What is the Mac lifestyle?
A 2008 Mindset Media study found that Mac users tend to be “more liberal, less modest, and more assured of their own superiority than the population at large,” and that those who consider themselves “highly open-minded are 60 percent more likely than people in the general population to have purchased a Mac” (Block, 2008). Mac users also tend to be more eco-minded.

Mac User Characteristics (click image for more detail).

 

The idea of the typical Mac user is demonstrated with Justin Long’s character of the Mac in the “Get a Mac” ads. Long is young, casual, and creative. He refers to his photos, videos, music, blogs and other creative projects.

 

Justin Long (Mac) - Typical Mac User (click image for more detail).

Further, past Apple ads suggest that a Mac user is a non-conformist. He is unique and willing to try something new or unusual. He is creative or artistic. He is revolutionary and a free-thinker.

 

 

How Apple furthers the lifestyle idea
The idea of the Mac user as a non-conformist and an artist began with the “1984” ad and has been reinforced in subsequent advertising campaigns;  both “Think Different” and “Get a Mac” support the theme. Users who consider themselves non-conformists have always gravitated towards the products, and Apple has wisely responded to that idea by continuing and fostering the artistic community with their advertising campaigns and aesthetically-pleasing, minimalist products.
Even Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, can be seen as a typical Mac user. Consistently seen in a black tee-shirt and jeans, he is seen as a casual, cool technophile in comparison to Bill Gates, his nerdier Microsoft counterpart.