One Bad Apple

I've got a double feeling about this whole situation:

On one hand, I like the mobile devices Apple offers. I love my iPhone (by far the best phone I've ever had) and my iPod Classic. They're cool, beautifull, and efficient devices that do what I want them to do and they do it well.

On the other hand, I've worked with an iMac and a Powerbook before and I hated it. Why? Because it's waaaay too constrictive! This goes for hardware as well as software: I want to be able to decide what I put on my machine, because I paid my hard-earned cash for it and feels like a slap in the face when I don't even have total freedom to do as I please with it!

Bottom line (and I'm sure everyone has heard this before): Apple is great if you want a device that works exactly like it should and does what it's supposed to do, while looking good.
However, if you want a machine / device that allows freedom and performs in a matter that you want it to, Apple definately isn't your thing.

What's up with trashing Apple, now that it's become such a great success story? I can still remember the days when Apple had less than a 3% share of the personal computer market. I have owned Macintosh computers for 15 years, now. And every time I use my Mac, it's a joyous experience. I also own an iPod and I love it! Steve Jobs is a genius and has made a tremendous contribution to our digital world. You know you're doing something right when the knives come out of the woodwork! Rock on, Apple!

I've had many computers since the 1st personal computers came out in 1977. I've owned the earliest Commodore PET and Radio Shack Tandy and used the Apple 1, and many other PC's since then to this day. I've seen how the founders of Apple, Steve Jobs and Steven Wozniak, stole many technologies such as icons and the mouse, etc, from other companies, claiming they developed these and other technologies. Lies lies. They claimed so many lies, sucking proud affluent (rich) people into believing that their way-overpriced boxes were something special and better, when they really weren't. The 2 Steves were the greediest, most monopolistic liars on the planet. Jobs is still up to their old tricks and lies, today.

If you don't understand the difference between how Apple does business and how Microsoft does, then you deserve life in Bill Gates' world.

This is old news for me. I realized Jobs was a monopolist when I first heard it would cost $99 to change your G1/G2 iPod battery and you still wouldn't get your own iPod back. Probably would've realized it earlier (from Apple being the only manufacturer of Mac-compatible computers) if I paid any mind to Apple before then.

Be that as it may, they seem to have been the only concern that understood how to integrate the entertainment and computer industry and most recently the telephone. They have simplified and enhanced my music experience, my photo exeperience, my web browsing experience and my phone experience exponentially. As for their computers, I don't have to spend my Saturday mornings rebooting my operating system anymore.

Apple poses no threat to us whatsoever!

http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com

Look! At the end of the day, bar no one everyone is a monopolist. I have to admit I joined IT to make money and not for the goodness of Mankind and charity. I do charity in different ways. The difference between Apple and Microsoft is that Apple really innovates and listens to its users (from a user experience perspective) which is why even during apple's hardest time it still had a bunch of Mac Loyalists. With Microsoft the company never innovated it followed a more "embrace and extend model rather anything else". The only thing I can wish for is that Apple does not loose it's spirit i.e. making hardware and software simple to use and consume. I have worked with Apple computers since the days of the Apple IIe. This is one company that has pushed the envelope of innovation at every sphere. As far as Steve Jobs and Bill gates comparisons go. Steve was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth like Gates and had a more humble beginning than Gates. Which is think is reflected in the way apple designs its technology. Microsoft's leadership has no concept of that.

"Apple owns popular hardware platforms (iPod, iPhone) and operates the only store that can sell music, movies and software programs for those platforms. Apple sets prices and takes 30 percent of the money." That's not entirely true. Music and movies purchased or obtained elsewhere (Amazon's MP3 store, for example) work fine on the iPods and iPhone. It's partially true for the App Store, but note that Apple does not set prices for 3rd party apps.

Further, there's no such thing as an "iTouch"

I direct the Institute for Advanced Studies at Aspen. In March of 2007 it become obvious that we had to rid ourselves of the black hole called Windows and try something we had abandoned many years before. We switched to Apple Macs and all I can report is that we are no longer spending over an hour per person per day chasing after the swiss cheese operating system.

Windows was an absolute nightmare compared to OSx 6.0. Perhaps that is why over sixty percent of all new computer sales in the United States belong to Apple. There are millions and will be tens of millions more refugees fleeing the Windows debacle. Bill Gates blew it and should be held accountable but he seems to have achieved the status of a robber baron. He left a clueless man to replace him in retirement. It is a pity Windows could have been a great operating system instead of a great torment.

Now comes Mr. Lyons warning us of an Apple juggernaut and comparing Mr. Jobs to Mr. Gates. If there is one thing Steve Jobs is not it is Bill Gates. I personally pray that he never becomes anything like Bill Gates but I have to acknowledge that Apple needs to be very self critical in its new and well deserved success. Otherwise the bad attitude of superiority which unfortunately does characterize some of its personnel could cause Apple to fall from its lofty position.

Personally I really tire of old Windows diehards ignoring the psychological torture to which Windows users are subjected daily. Apple is currently a breath of fresh air. It will only stay way as long as its ego does not get more in the way.

I direct the Institute for Advanced Studies at Aspen. In March of 2007 it become obvious that we had to rid ourselves of the black hole called Windows and try something we had abandoned many years before. We switched to Apple Macs and all I can report is that we are no longer spending over an hour per person per day chasing after the swiss cheese operating system.

Windows was an absolute nightmare compared to OSx 6.0. Perhaps that is why over sixty percent of all new computer sales in the United States belong to Apple. There are millions and will be tens of millions more refugees fleeing the Windows debacle. Bill Gates blew it and should be held accountable but he seems to have achieved the status of a robber baron. He left a clueless man to replace him in retirement. It is a pity Windows could have been a great operating system instead of a great torment.

Now comes Mr. Lyons warning us of an Apple juggernaut and comparing Mr. Jobs to Mr. Gates. If there is one thing Steve Jobs is not it is Bill Gates. I personally pray that he never becomes anything like Bill Gates but I have to acknowledge that Apple needs to be very self critical in its new and well deserved success. Otherwise the bad attitude of superiority which unfortunately does characterize some of its personnel could cause Apple to fall from its lofty position.

Personally I really tire of old Windows diehards ignoring the psychological torture to which Windows users are subjected daily. Apple is currently a breath of fresh air. It will only stay way as long as its ego does not get more in the way.

Daniel - Hello??!! If you don't want to do business with Apple go elsewhere! You can't do that with Microsoft. Thankfully that is changing, and it is why I switched to Mac computers two years ago and am not going back. I use what Apple has put out - Mac, OS X, iPhone, iPod, etc. because I want to, and because they are superior products to what is out there. Vista?? Don't get me started...

Jeez, there are obviously a few hardcore apple fans here. I like both Microsoft and Apple and can objectively look at both and see the bad and the good. This article simply states the facts, both companies practice monopolistic (I just made a word!) practices when they can get away with it. What's new? Apple is one of many great computers along with a lot of less expensive pc's. Take your pick!

Your comments on Job's health and the negative spin of your past few articles make it obvious that you have become vindictive. What's the matter, did Jobs hurt your feelings? Get over it and stick to reporting facts.

Once upon a time I was a computer geek. I could walk into Fry's Electronics and buy everything I needed to build a computer ground up. Motherboards, CPU's, hard drives, they even have blank curcuit boads an advanced geek could build from scratch. All interchangeable, all sold seperately with a wide variety to choose from. Sure, theroetically you could do the same thing with Apple. As long as you bought their products out of their catalog for 3 times the cost. So whose being more monopolistic? Microsoft, a software maker, whose program can be erased from any hard drive in exchange for any other opperating system except Apple's? Not because Microsoft or even the computer parts manufacturers won't allow it, but because Apple won't allow it. I often question this notion that Apple is better than PC. PC is not Microsoft. PC is every computer hardware and software manufacturer on the planet. Your telling me that Apple is better than everyone in every possible interchangeable configuation? Even the companies that make large scale computer IT networking and database infrastructure with a division that makes products found in PC's? I think not.

Apple makes a fine product, but it's marketing department is the real reason behind it's success. When you buy Apple your paying extra for a chic name brand. I mean really... $500 for a headset? What a hustle!

Daniel Lyons writes "The really scary thing about Apple is that it doesn't just make hit products???it controls entire ecosystems." Then he compares Apple's business practices with Microsoft's monopolistic practices.
What hogwash on so many levels.
As usual, Mr. Lyons gets very few facts correct in his article. I'll not belabor the point by enumerating the differences between Microsoft's illegal, monopolist, anti-trust actions and the smart business, engineering, and customer service strategies that Apple has used. Suffice to say, the biggest difference between Apple and Microsoft is that people buy Microsoft products because they are forced to do so, while they buy Apple products because they like them and they want to own them.
What's "really scary" to me is that Newsweek has hired Daniel Lyons as a tech writer when his track record on tech reporting is clearly spotty, uninformed, and biased. Sadly, his work isn't even entertaining anymore. This article says more about Daniel Lyons and Newsweek than it does about Apple!

Apple is a huge ruthless corporation. But not the for the pot smoking wanna be artists and hippie liberals who are only too willing to be a slave to Apple just so they can trash 'ordinary' PC owning Americans as being uncool.

Embrace, extend and extinguish. Worked for Microsoft and now it's working for Apple. It's not enough to have a good business, apparently, now the ethic of Gates and Jobs and their ilk is to destroy anyone in my way. That may be very good position to take for a military campaign but it's poison for customers of consumer electronics. Monopolies are inherently bad for consumers, no matter how cute their little products are.

My apoloties for my atrocious spelling and grammar. Its very difficult to see this light grey text against a white background while typing.