Why Can't the Computer/Gaming/Mobile World of Users be "Friends" ?

Last Monday (Aug 19th) an article came across my radar on Cnet titled

Android or Apple? How about agnostic?

To basically sum up the article, the Author was attempting to address another published article stating that "Half of top iPad apps either unavailable or not optimized on Android", and how this detail does not play as a factor when he choses his devices.

This article, and it's almost predictable "Us-vs-Them" battle of platform supporters in the comments,  actually lead me to a very deep pondering question.

The Human Species likes to considering ourselves individuals, in fact we have the capacity to make choices in everything, from how we eat to what shows we watch on TV, to how we dress and ESPECIALLY to what works for each of us Technology wise.  So if Individual choice is such a fundamental right to us Humans, why is it that day in and day out we see people ready to linch up other people because they prefer iOS over Android, Windows over Mac, Xbox over Playstation (or any of the I'm sure thousands of examples that could be plugged in here…like Coke or Pepsi) ?

As a Web Designer, I actually have to look at this debate from a completely different view point.  The content that I create for my clients needs to be able to reach EVERYONE, and that means that it does not matter if the person accessing that content is using Windows 95 or Windows 8. Android (any of it's flavours) or one of the last 2 to 3 supported versions of iOS, they expect this content to display for them properly.  And while, in my personal life, I do prefer Apple products, as I do a lot of graphics and audio work (area's that Apple has supported quite well over the years), I have found myself actually recommending to friends to go with a Windows machine if they are into PC Gaming or just looking for something they can word process and surf the Internet on. same goes for Mobile Phones as well.

Why do suggestions like this actually happen when asked my opinion, that is simple, because the first question asked to them before an opinion is offered is "What do you need it to do for you?" Maybe, just maybe that is something we all need to ask before jumping in to try to sway someone to our personal way of computing.