By Seb Janacek, 5 February 2007 12:35
COMMENT
Despite the desirable, good-looking products, Apple often manages to put more than a few noses out of joint. Today Seb Janacek looks at the most common complaints about the Mac maker.
Much like Marmite, people seem to either love or hate Apple. In the time silicon.com has been reporting on the company, the comments received on Apple-related stories are always the most animated and the most polarised in their views.
In a two-part column, Seb Janacek will look at the best and worst aspects of Apple - as inspired by years of reading silicon.com and forum feedback on the company.
Here we begin with the 10 worst things about Apple. We'll be bringing the 10 best things about the Cupertino company in part-two of the series, so stay tuned.
So running from one to 10 in no particular order and aggregated through no scientific method whatsoever...
1. The 'reality distortion field'
The infamous 'reality distortion field' refers to Steve Jobs' ability to work onlookers into a frenzy of excitement over the most ordinary of products. Jobs' usual line, that no one does it better than Apple, is all-pervasive in its marketing.
However, it's no secret many of the innovations Jobs swoons over in his keynotes are already embodied in other technologies. And sometimes the endless, effusive claims of "revolutionary" or "super-cool" products just start to grate. Example: "This is the most beautiful bottom of a computer I've ever seen," he purred at the 2002 launch of the 'anglepoise' G4 iMac.
2. The iPod
The best selling MP3 player has taken on iconic status ever since it was first launched in 2001 and today dominates the market, easily seeing off the latest challenge from the Microsoft Zune with a record-breaking quarter of sales.
But the device has long been dogged by accusations of dodgy battery life, defective mechanics, easily scratched or cracked screens and a general lack of longevity. Most of the silicon.com editorial team have got through at least one iPod each.
It's probably best not to mention the alleged worker abuses at the company's factories. And given their ubiquitous nature, the once cool white earbuds are now distinctly run-of-the-mill.
3. Style over substance
The translucent Bondi Blue iMac initiated Apple's much-trumpeted departure from the Beige Brigade and a return to good times for the struggling company. The criticisms of style over substance and form over function have followed the company ever since.
Certainly since the company upgraded to Intel chips and left the slower G4 and G5 chips behind, Macs have gained parity in the MHz wars with Wintel machines. However, the old arguments persist over why a consumer should buy Apple kit at 'premium' prices when you can pick up an equivalent spec Dell at half the price.
4. The iPhone
Some say the latest device to come out of Cupertino is a classic example of 1 and 3. It's a phone that does email, web browsing and plays music. "Three revolutionary products in one," Jobs said to the San Francisco Macworld attendees last month.
It's pretty and it has an innovative interface but a clutch of mobile devices have been offering the same services for the last year or so at a fraction of the price. And it doesn't arrive for another six months or so. And when it does there will be just one operator to choose from. The latest example of Steve Jobs snake oil?
5. Arrogance
Even its fans would have to admit that Apple can often come across as a pretty arrogant company. For instance: announcing the iPhone on a worldwide stage when the trademark to that name is owned by Cisco. Openly scorning Vista at its last developer conference. Jobs putting the Mac clones out of business by demanding much higher royalties.
And let's not forget regularly refusing to comment on most articles other than those that relate to its product launches - a particular frustration to tech journalists.
6. Litigation, litigation, litigation
For a company that can appear so friendly, Apple certainly does take a lot of legal action - even against those who are perhaps its most loyal fans: people who run rumour sites and write blogs.
The world will not soon forget how back in 2004 the company took legal action against rumour site Think Secret for disclosing software and hardware details, and filed a series of lawsuits against a number of (unknown) individuals for disclosing company secrets about an unreleased product called 'Asteroid'.
Its recent moves to take legal action against any company daring to use the word 'pod' in a product name aren't doing it any favours either.
7. iEverything
The first iMac started the trend of using the 'i' prefix in product names. The 'i' originally stood for 'internet' and was a reference to the iMac's focus on getting users up and running online in the least amount of time possible. Now we have iCal, iChat, iDVD, iMovie, iPhone and many more consumer-targeted products sporting the prefix. Jobs was even 'iCEO' while serving in an interim role. It's all a bit too iMuch and cutesy.
8. DRM
Songs purchased at the iTunes store are encoded with Apple's FairPlay digital rights management software which prevents them being played on more than five computers or any number of iPods - and ensures they won't play on any MP3 player other than Apple's own.
Parties ranging from music software maker Real to the French and Danish governments have objected to this and lobbied to force Apple to open up its DRM so iTunes music plays on any device. While Apple's approach is neither surprising or unique, it's an issue that no doubt will continue to provoke considerable amounts of negative sentiment towards the company in years to come.
9. Environmental record
Apple has a particularly poor record on changing its manufacturing and packaging processes to reduce the impact on the environment.
A recent Greenpeace report rated it the worst offender on a list of PC companies including Dell, HP and Sony, saying: "Apple fails to embrace the precautionary principle, withholds its full list of regulated substances and provides no timelines for eliminating toxic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and no commitment to phasing out all uses of brominated flame retardants."
Though Apple may set trends in product design, it is behind the curve when it comes to eco-awareness.
10. The lunatic fringe
We're not talking about the vast majority of Mac users, who as research has proved are more intelligent and cooler than their Wintel counterparts. We're talking about the lunatic fringe. The ones who rant and rave at any perceived insult to their beloved company. The loons who do the company they purportedly support no favours with their outpouring of vitriol against any article that dares to criticise the company, its products and, above all, its CEO. Keep an eye on the Reader Comments section below, there'll probably be a couple along before long.
Stay tuned for the next column in this two-part series which takes the counter-position and celebrates all the great and good things Apple has achieved since its launch in the late 70s.
Comments
There are 67 comments. Join the discussion
1. anonymous
<1. The 'reality distortion field'>
It is easy to market good products. Microsoft is the King of Marketing. They actually convinced millions of people that viruses are a way of life. How many companies are making tons of money by selling anti virus ware?
<2. The iPod>
It's the software (iTunes).
<3. Style over substance>
In answer to your Dell question, how much is it worth to you not to have your $500 crash every time you add a new program? Your $500 cannot run OS X.
<4. The iPhone>
This one you answered yourself: "it has an innovative interface"
It's not the hardware, but the software.
<5. Arrogance>
Cisco's rights to the name are being challenged. But if you did any kind of research you would know that.
<6. Litigation, litigation, litigation>
Apple is the only company that actually innovates. Gates found a legal loophole that allowed him to make Windows 2.0. Never again.
<7. iEverything>
And MyComputer, MyPhotos, MyEverything isn't childish?
<8. DRM>
If one buys a CD, there is no DRM. Burn your songs to a CD and you remove the DRM from iTunes bought songs if you must play them on your Dell Ditty. Is that so hard?
<9. Environmental record>
Nobody cares what materials are used in cars. Why just Apple products?
<10. The lunatic fringe>
Just about every Mac user has used a Microsoft product. Very few Windows users have never touched an Apple computer (including this author). Maybe there is a reason for the fanatism.
Maybe they are better.
2. Tickles Bamboo
Leaving aside the glaring errors this article makes about the reasons for moving to Intel chipsets and the price of Macs, one is left pondering why it has become so fashionable to bash Apple?
Where are the articles about the 10 best things about Macs?
The answer is, possibly, that praising Apple won't win you as much attention as bashing Apple will.
I see Charlie Brooker's Guardian blog piece entitled 'I Hate Macs' is doing the rounds this morning and no doubt topping the Guardian's daily traffic charts. The irony is of course that the piece carries Apple ads, so even the anti-mac zealots are doing Apple's work for them.
[Ed. Note: This article clearly states silicon.com will soon be publishing an article about the 10 best things about Apple.]
3. anonymous
Hello, hopefully I am not one of the nut jobs you mentioned previously, however I have a major gripe with your article:
Go to Dell's site and configure any system to the same specs as the Apple systems. Apple's machines are cheaper than similarly configured systems at Dell. Apple's LCD displays cost more but nothing else does.
4. anonymous
I completely agree with this article, although you miss one, Jobs ability WOW the crowd with utter non-sense, such as we said we'd move to intel in 12 months we did it in 7 months! as if to say we did it quick than expected, as if were ment to be wowed by this!
5. Keith McDaniel
I have to chime in on a pretty large factual error in your article - the apple computer is NOT twice as expensive as an similarly configured dell. In fact, many times, the Dell is more expensive. ZDnet (not exactly the epitome of tech blogs, but still reputable) posted an article in Dec. of last year on this exact topic, and the Dell was over $500 more expensive: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Burnette/?p=211
There was another report, that i can't find right now, that did a similar study with a wider range of the Apple line and more PC manufacturers, and came to the result that PCs were 11% more expensive than a comprable Apple.
6. Ken Cheng
I told myself to hold my peace until the 2nd-part of the Minority Report was released, but what the heck, here goes:
<1. The 'reality distortion field'>
The RDF is only applied at the MW or WWDC keynotes. How does this apply at other times of the year? When does the average consumer get exposed to the RDF?
<2. The iPod>
While iPod has a high profile, all the reliability reports on Apple products indicate that Apple has a better repair record than its competitors.
<3. Style over substance>
Please run a comparison spec-by-spec with a Dell. Almost all comparisons I have seen, and done myself, have the machines very competitively priced.
<4. The iPhone>
The iPhone is not a spec sheet, its magic is in how it does what it does, the UI.
<5. Arrogance>
The Cisco lawsuit is debateable on the merits. Until it has been adjudicated, how can you pass judgement?
<6. Litigation, litigation, litigation>
Apple is hardly the most litigious company out there, but unless it affects consumers, why is this an issue?
<7. iEverything>
This is one of the 10 "worst things"?!? Isn't this just frivolous?
<8. DRM>
Burn a CD, re-rip to any format DRM free. Isn't this just a minor nuisance, designed to placate the music labels, without which, Apple's breakthru agreement with the 5 majors would never have happened. I love how a good has been turned into a bad, let alone a 10 "worst".
<9. Environmental record>
Well, let's take a closer look at the Greenpeace report, shall we? You didn't, so how can you know whether their report is credible? The US Environmental Protection Agency has a report citing Apple as a corporate environmental leader. So, this point is debateable.
<10. The lunatic fringe>
A strawman argument raised by anyone who wants to take a jab at Apple, without defending their comments rationally. Just call the critics, "the lunatic fringe".
Is that really the "worst" ten things about Apple? Methinks Seb doth protest too much.
7. HG
One worst thing about Microsoft and community: their Apple obsession.
Mac users don't obsess about themselves. We go to developer's conferences or MacWorld and we're are no more zealous than the Windows crowd at a Bill Gates keynote at CES.
The Windows camp needs to get over their Mac-obsession complex.
8. Fecal Extrusion
As predictable as the sun coming up every day...
You said people would come to the rescue of the almighty Apple's holy name and reputation to flame your article.
FIrst comment did exactly that.
Gotta be careful what you say about Apple. All those psychotic Apple worshippers will quite readily KILL anyone who says anything even remotely negative about Apple or Steve Jobs.
Oops, I probably have a bounty non my head now.
9. anonymous
Ha ha ha - "We're not talking about the vast majority of Mac users"...
and yet they still fall over themselves to leap to the defence of the holy Apple...
Steady folks, you're starting to dribble.
10. anonymous
"Songs purchased at the iTunes store are encoded with Apple's FairPlay digital rights management software which prevents them being played on more than five computers or any number of iPods - and ensures they won't play on any MP3 player other than Apple's own."
Gee, at least I can play my Microsoft PlaysForSure music on my iPod...oh wait, nope.
Well, I can put PFS on a Microsoft Zune right? Oh....I can't?
I guess I'll rent some songs on Napster for my iPod...not supported?
Well, I'm SURE iTunes is Mac only...wait, it's cross-platform, like the iPod itself?
Gee - that is certain convenient and less restrictive than ALL the other players.
/it's called fact checking
//try it sometime
11. anonymous
And as predictable as the sun coming down everyday. . .
Is the Apple anti-fan who then comes out of the woodwork to criticise the Apple fan for being arrogant and small-minded without realising that by his post he is also demonstrating his own arrogance and small mindedness.
12. anonymous
Aye sire! There certainly are a few diehard Mac zealots left, methinks, but what puzzles me the most is the obsession PC-users often demonstrate when it comes to all things Apple!
Sometimes it is enough to mention one of their products in the company of PC-users and there is a veritable flame wall on the rise! Hahaha!
Don't you find it a tad ridiculous to waste such a lot of time on what you otherwise consider an insignificant platform with little or no merit? Why so upset?
As for the famous RDF, yes, I too have become a little suspicious about those who claim that such a phenomenon exists and that its origin is Mr. Jobs. From time to time I have had to use PCs with various flavours of Windows installed and I cannot say I have been much impressed. I honestly hope that Vista is better and way more secure as all this malware is a nuisance to us all, also Mac- and Linuxusers as we all live in the same world.
But what I cannot understand is that anyone can find it quite normal that one company shall dominate almost every computer in the same, old world mentioned above? If you don't find it normal, wouldn't your hearts jump with joy and pleasure for every other player to join the game? Instead you get all upset and provoked by them?
That seems like a highly distortioned field of reality to me...
13. anonymous
Show me a Dell that specs the same for the half the price. Whatever PC boy.
14. Joe Robbins
Truly an idiotic article.
...mostly unquestioning repetition of the standard anti-Apple canards. Trolling for traffic?
15. anonymous
Great way to kill all the critisism towards your article:
"The loons who do the company they purportedly support no favours with their outpouring of vitriol against any article that dares to criticise the company, its products and, above all, its CEO. Keep an eye on the Reader Comments section below, there'll probably be a couple along before long."
The truth is that there are Apple fanatics out there who will support Apple no matter what. But there are also lot of false claims about Apple which should always be corrected (like your claim about Macs being twice as expensive as Dells). Lot of people make false assumptions about Macs because they've never used them. People correcting these false assumptions aren't always fanatics.
16. anonymous
You do have many valid points on your article.
1. That reality distortion field is ridiculous. I don't think it applies to the average Mac user but more to the journalists covering Apple events.
2. The iPod does have its issues but the bottom line is: overall the device is more pleasant that anything on the market. Hence the positve press
3. Sytle + Substance: Apple's products are normally beautiful and effective at what they are supposed to do. If you were a Mac user you would understand that concept.
8. DRM - The company has a right to protect a market it took mainstream. I don't see anyone asking Bill Gates to make the source code for Office or Windows available for the world to see.
10. There aren't any Apple loonies. Apple fans a normally more critical of the company than any other group. Those who may be erroneously called loonies are the ones who take offense at uninformed, misguided blokes who make ridiculous statements like points 1 - 10 above. Other examples: there is no software for the mac; Macs are expensive etc etc etc.
17. joe belkin
The problem we macs users (it's fine to call us a cult - whatever) is that for a place called silicon.com - you repeat a lot quotes and assertions from others without following up to see if any is true.
Going down most of your list - like your #3 assertion is seriously flawed, not only is EVERY company including all Pc manufacturers realizing that style represents substance now but also factually, virtually every comparable comparison reveal Macs to be competitively priced or even in some cases, 40% less than PC's with the same specs but again, let's just make assertions without any backing backs.
A problem most of your list falls under - or again, for a placed called silicon.com, not up to speed of the business world of the 21 century. What CEO hasn't claimed their products are the best ever? Like #5 & #6 - what company isn't arrogant? And you feel companies need to hug you more? This is a capitalist marketplace - people will get their feelings hurt, fired and bankrupted because of decisions they make or don't make - maybe it was arroagnt of Virgin to claim they woul eat Apple's lunch over the mp3 marlet only to fold up shop 11 months later? But isn't that just business? Or suing people - name one company making more than $50 million dollars a year that has never sued or been sued? IF Apple is wrong like the blogger case, the courts will decide - if they are right, the courts will also decide. Every issue has two sides (Cisco's phone was literally a PHOTO of a box with an iphone sticker covering the original name - manuals or website unchanged) but again, for a place called silicon.com, you don't seem to know much about technology.
Leading into #4 - maybe the phone is not for you but to be at a place called silcon.com nad dismiss because you can already envision all the technology would be like claiming Shakpeare is crap also because all he's done is rearrange the English alphabet - but again, the bigger question is that for a place called silicon.com, you can't appreciate an attempt to try something different from old foundations? When it comes out in June, you might not like it but to dismiss it out of hand before you have seen or used it?
I could go through each one of your numbered list but again, Apple fans/cult heads or lunatic fringe have one common complaint - comments or assertions based on "a report" somewhere as 100% factual and without any agendas - that you simply repeat as truth without testing it or verifying it YOURSELF. Would you swear on your life on for example, the assertion that every Mac costs more than a comparable equipped Dell or HP? Or pergaps not even as dramatic - do you have proof? It shoudln't be hard - 10 minutes spent online right? That's all we're comapining about - assertions based on incomplete, incorrect or non-truths.
18. anonymous
Just about everything here is wrong. You made yourself look like a fool. A fool with major insecurity issues.
19. BillH
Possible explanation re: the Mac faithfuls
propensity to defend Apple: It's the company that enabled them to do things they hadn't expected to be able to do.
Possible explanation re: the windows dogged determination to defend the Windows environment: Unwilling to give up computer maintenance skills they worked so hard to acquire.
20. macbones
rated it the worst offender on a list of PC companies including Dell, HP and Sony,
Apple was one of the 1st companies to discontinue the CRT. No cregit there? Apple last twice as long as a PC, therefore, less impact to the environment, no credit there? Apple got a "silver" rating from the EPA- no credit there?
Up here in upstate NY folks across the countryside are heating their homes with dirty outdoor boilers that are <50% efficient. One boiler likely is as dirty as ten thousand iPods over the course of one year- the alternative to this is a 90-95% efficent traditional model. Where is Greenpeace on this one? Busy crying about iPods to make a big splash as opposed to a big impact.
21. flyermoney
'Kay.
Number 7... iEverything, eh? It so makes more sense to slap Windows in front of a product name, it gives more weight and lends such an air of elegance!
Not convinced? Please do take a gander:
Windows Calendar
Windows DVD Maker
Windows Easy Transfer
Windows Fax and Scan
Windows Firewall
Windows Mail
Windows Media Center
Windows Media Player 11
Windows Meeting Space
Windows Mobility Center
Windows Movie Maker
Windows ReadyBoost
Windows Security Center
Windows Sidebar and Gadgets
Windows SideShow
Plus the Windows Media Audio and Windows Media Video file formats.
Yeah. Lot cooler than iCute.
22. anonymous
I always try to go easy on sufferers of infantile penis syndrome, but couldn't you hire someone with a clue to do a little research and fact checking? All in all, high marks for Goebbelsian emotionalism!
23. Dvorak
uh oh, another master baiter!
24. Steve Nagel
Most of this is easily refuted. Why bother?
25. James Bradley
I taught a class in microprocessor applications. One of the assignments I had the students do was to pick a Macintosh model and itemize the built-in capabilities and price it. Then pick any of the PC models that were "so cheap" and compare the capabilities and price what it would take to get it to be equal to the Macintosh in capabilities. The result was that the Macintosh cost less than the PC to have equal/near equal capabilities. I await the 2nd story.
26. I'm not really being serious.
I think God should bring down on you, much fire and brimstone, for even thinking bad things about Apple!!!
How dar you, me and my mates will boycott your site until such times as you personally apologise to Steve Jobs over your Apple bashing statments.
27. anonymous
Like the article.
At least someone will stand up to the Mac zealots and the hype.
Mac Zealots obviously must trawl the web looking for any anti-apple sentiment and then spring into action. The rest of us just don't care that much.
Windows ain't great IMHO, like the iPhone, Vista offers nothing new, just a fancier UI.
If a Mac truly was better in all respects then I and others would buy one, but ask yourself why they remain at <5% market share if that was the case.
The ultimate problem with Macs is that Apple won't open up their platforms. Although this brings some reliability and ease of use, it comes at a price.
Their protectionism is and always has been their limiting factor.
28. anonymous
Lest we forget the megahertz myth? Whatever happened to that snail - oh it's in a Mac . . .
29. anonymous
Boy...this article is a reach. If consumers are willing to pay a bit more for a MAC over a Dell, isn't it obvious why?. It looks better, it works better. OSX is years ahead of Windows. On its best day, Vista is a lookalike OS written in bloatware which will bring even a stout Dell machine to its knees. Does s/w value not register for something? And is Apple unique in wanting to protect its intellectual property and trade secrets? Yes, Steve Jobs is a bit of a showman but couldn't we use a bit more of this in the world compared to the soulless, ivory tower bean counters that inhabit most CEO offices....I'm not buying what you're selling
30. RMW
must be a slow week at silicon....or perhaps you need a few more hits for your web stats.
Quite honestly a shameless (and successful) attempt to hook the apple-ist crazzies....(joke - I know you're all balanced, sane people really - I like macs).
Any chance of some proper editorial content Seb?
31. Marco Marchant
My two cents worth.....I've been a Mac user for over 15 years, have used MS Windows from version 3.11 and own 3 Macs. I have used a Win XP Dell laptop for over 3 years and decided to buy a MacBook pro even though my organisation is all PC based, I still use both and prefer my MBP and yes I can use it in a PC environment with no issues. If I were you Seb, and I was familiar with both operating systems, I'd write an article titled, The 1,000 worst things about Microsoft. Why bother with Apple? They only have 6% of the market share!
32. Steve West
Add to this; the abandonment of Firewire in later model iPods, making useless my Firewire devices bought for an iPod that failed after 7 months; the inclusion of only part of the software on my outrageously expensive 4Gb Nano so that I can put photos on the Nano but not display them on my aged parents TV; the incredibly difficult task of finding out how to fix problems on my Mac Mini - I have to wade through reams of geek speak to find an answer; the logical inconsistency of Apple software - I have to 'Empty Trash' to permanently delete a photo in iPhoto! and many more similar problems. In fact - I'm going to sell my iMac and buy myself a nice, easy to use and maintain PC. And a Nokia N73 phone with a 2Gb mini SD card so I cna listen to music and take and store photos. Free with most phone contracts...
33. anonymous
I just love these articles. It goes to show one thing the Mac and Windows nuts have in common.
Both systems have their good and bad points - note the hardware is very similar (other than the trendy or dull box) it is only really a different OS.
Personally i have used both and do actually prefer Windoze.
34. Simon
Hmm, interesting article, even more interesting comments !
The usual stuff from some - if Mac was better than Windows I'd buy one. Well all I'll say is this, time and time again I've seen comments along the lines of "I used to use Windows, now it use Mac (or Linux) and wouldn't go back". I've yet to see other than a tiny dribble of people going the other way.
The real reason people don't switch is that they've spent years learning the strange ways of Windows and are scared to try anything else - actually they often find the Mac hard because they can't find hard ways to do things and the easy ways are too obvious to see ! Really, I've actually seen people with this problem.
So what does that tell us ? Well Bill gates has a better RDF than Steve Jobs ? Why else would so many people believe that Windows is anything other than a mash up of broken stuff the've blatently stolen from others over the years ?
iPods are crap ? Well there's a hell of a lot of people who either disagree or at least consider the benefits of an intuitive user experience to be more important. Yes iTunes is a closed shop - but any more closed than Microsofts ?
And as for what's just arrived in teh Wintel camp, Bill shure has cranked up the RDF to make people believe that 'grenade pins' that are purposly built into make the system unstable is a GOOD feature ? A system that (by their own admission) requires more porcessor power to make all the anti-user stuff run than current processors can muster ?
Hopefully the ISO committee looking at MSs application for an ISO number to it's closed office file format will see past the RDF on that one.
Yes, I'm a Mac user (fan if you like), but I'm not going to hold back on some of the things they do wrong. Lack of openness on some of the internals of bundled apps for a start. Want to make extensions for iTunes ? No way man, that's an Apple only closed shop - just like Microsoft really.
But at the end of the day, what makes me an Apple user isn't the OS, it isn't the bundled apps, it isn't Quicktime, in fact it isn't anything you will find on a spec sheet (or feature tick list).
What makes an Apple an Apple is the whole thing. Yes there's loads of neat features etc, but most of them you can find elsewhere. It's the way they are put together that makes it different.
Bit like, anyone can buy in some engines and gearboxes, and nail a few bits of tin can round it to make a car (that's what Windows feels like to me). But it takes flair and an appreciation of how people tick to make a car that 'just feels right' - that's the Apple quality and it's not something you can describe or put on a spec sheet.
Just like the iPhone - there isn't a single feature you can't find on other 'smart' phones. But what the others don't have is a feeling that the features were actually written to work with each other !
35. anonymous
I'm sure most of us can distinguish between apple fans who respond with reasoned comments and facts and those who just write "All this is rubbish and you're an idiot" or some such (the aforementioned nuts).
Looking forward to the "Good things" section, with the possible counterflaming from the AntiApple "nuts". Any chance of a equivalent article pair on Microsoft, just to maintain the balance?
36. anonymous
I wouldn't call Apple users lunatics. We do love our Apple products, however. And after being called losers, weirdos, and being asked "why don't you get a real computer" a dozen times, we tend to get a bit testy and defensive.
Another reason Mac users might seem over-zealous is because we are bit smarter than you *average* PC user. Now don't get your hiney all bunched up, I said *average* PC user. This isn't me being "arrogant", there are many studies that substantiate the fact that Mac users are, on the whole, better educated and wealthier than PC users.
Finally, the number of factual errors that a lot of Mac-related articles contain can be frustrating. Like this one! A similarly specced Mac is nowhere near twice as much as a Dell. Yes, if you are a big geek and comb the internet for special buy-it-in-the-next-ten-minutes Dell pricing you might get somehting like that. But by-and-large Macs are within 100 bucks of a similarly specced Dell.
Was any of that too crazy? Am I a lunatic now?
37. asdf
yup, aPPle is a lot of hype, little else
38. anonymous
This article doesn't hold water. The reasons you have for problems with Apple are unfounded and you should do more research before you publicly bash a company. For example... For a Dell computer with equal specs to any Apple product will cost at least 1/4 more. Dell has "value" products that are nothing but stripped down boxes with less than quality hardware. An example is for a Mac Mini, you will pay $974.00 and if you want a monitor you can add another $200.00 for a nice 19" third party monitor. So you are looknig at a total of $1174.00. For a Dell with all the same options and the monitor is included you will pay $1,515.00. That is almost 400.00 more. Now who's cheaper? And Apple has the superior operating system and support. If you want to double check my compairison here is Apple:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/6054000/wo/cv6mHKV10SMg2pPW1Du8bVYK0XX/2.?p=0
Here is Dell:
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=DDCWBZ3&s=dhs
You need to check your facts.. Most of your reasons are no good.
39. Hammer of Truth
Well said Ken. Looks like Seb has to go back to community college to finish that degree in journalism.
Ah what the hell, facts don't matter do they Seb?
40. anony mouse
Isn't Seb Janacek an anagram for
Jack as been?
:)
41. Roy M. M.
I just want to say 3 things.
Market share, market share, market share.
42. anonymous
How about 10 UNIQUE bad things?
Minus the iPod, this article could be written about any/every PC/music device/online music seller. It's only intent seems to be to generate hits by baiting the Mac faithful (or 'lunatics,' and believe me, you can find those for other mfrs, too).
If the author could legitimately state that he has had all these 'bad' experiences with Apple, Macs, and iPods that would be a start, but the 'citations' here are about the level of research I would expect from Cosmopolitan, not a publication that purports to be about 'technology.'
43. anonymous
Except that these days if you get an equivalently equipted Dell, you'll find they cost the same.
44. JJ
My problem with the Apple crowd is how they treat windows users as inferior. Or how the commercials pretty much insult anyone who isn't using their machine. People need to quit being dicks and realize that its just something you use to make movies, play games (well, for windows at least), or do work on.
If anyone is truly that attached to a piece of machinery, I hope you enjoy being a nerd the rest of your life.
45. anonymous
A Dell is in fact almost 2X the price of a Mac Pro.
46. Bob Brinkman
Apple may have the portable music market on lockdown, but in the PC world they are a fart in the wind. http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=2
It's really weird to a corporate cult change a tool in to a lifestyle and generate this much noise about it in the process.
Guess we'll see how they do in the phone market, which is already jam packed full of larger companies with products that have more functionality then the iphone at less cost and no provider lock ins.
47. Roy Judd
Ho hum... news a bit thin on the ground again Seb? Still, I have to admit, this Apple/PC ruse always works; I bet you used to poke sticks into wasp's nests as a kid, didn't you? Ummm... thought so.
(Lovingly teased out of my stunning and beautifully compliant PowerBook, in a rare reflective moment following the loss of a couple of hours worth of CAD work on my truculent PC. Brings tears to your eyes, doesn't it?)
48. Justin R
I too suspected Apple of grievous crimes against our failing environment when I saw the headlines on Green Peace's web site. I would suggest to reader of these reports to look closely at what the criterion for these ratings are. Most of Green Peace's criterion was asking the company to disclose future information about their products to reveal a plan of action to remove lead and PVC from their products. We all know Apple well enough to know that they are tight lipped about everything that happens in Cupertino. Apple's silence is the most important reason that Apple has received such a poor rating. Dell received a very high rating because they made promises no one can hold them to to reduce harmful substance in their product. As it stands, the EPEAT gives Apple a "Silver" rating (the highest that has been awarded so far, but not the only) the same as Green Peace's o-so-loved Dell for current environment friendliness. That being said, fact check before you leap!
49. anonymous
An equivilent Dell now costs more than the Mac Pro. Nice try though.
50. Jobs a good 'un
Help, help! I am an Apple Fan, but obviously not enough of one. I clearly should have left my sense of humour at the door like all the rest of the fundamentalist faithful who are jumping to rubbish Seb's cheeky little tirade.
Lighten up guys, or maybe take up some extreme form of religious worship. Oh sorry, you already have!
51. JC
While its wrong to say an apple is twice the price of a Dell, it is still more expensive. One of my friends is what I would call an apple fanboy. He challenged me to build a notebook that was equal or greater in power than a identically priced mac notebook. I decided to take one of the expensive PC makers just to make him feel like an idiot. I went to alienware, aka over priced notebooks. For $2000 I was able to build a better pc at alienware than the $2000 macbook pro. Were talking things as simple as this.
The macbook pro had a 15" screen while the alienware I built had a 17" screen.
The mac had a 6x DVD-DL burner, the alienware had an 8x DVD-DL burner.
They had the exact same CPU.
They had the exact same RAM.
Tha mac had a 128MB x1600, while the alienware had a 256MB x1800.
The mac had a 120GB HDD, while the alienware had a 160GB HDD.
I think I've made my point. For the same price that "over-priced alienware" is a better machine.
52. Scott Silver
<However, the old arguments persist over why a consumer should buy Apple kit at 'premium' prices when you can pick up an equivalent spec Dell at half the price.>
Go to Dell and build an identical machine and the price will be the same or more. I just did it and was quite surprised.
53. anonymous
While there are genuine gripes I have with apple....
1.) Apple Computers are competitively priced.
2.) The iPhone may share some specs with other devices, but ultimately it has one of the most original designs and user interfaces I have been priviledged to see.
3.) The iEverything arguement is petty. I assume it would be better for them to call all there products ApplePod, AppleTunes like MS or Adobe does with its products.
54. anonymous
I didn't read the rest of the comments so forgive me if this has been mentiond, but:
The factories where the alleged "abuses" (which isnt' even a fair word for what was going on), are NOT "the company's factories". They are just generic manufacturing firms - not owned by Apple at all.
If you ask me that's very important to make clear.
55. Alan Ainsworth
Most commentators who claim derisively that Apple has only 5% market share seem to be under the impression that this makes them an also ran. In fact it puts Apple in the top five PC makers world-wide.
Moreover, when comparing Apple and Dell prices how about a look at their share prices - more accurately, company valuation. As of today Apple $72 bn; Dell 54 bn.
And Sony, that other bastion of style over substance with its sexy but ordinary Vaio, is a mere $48bn.
If I were Pension Fund manager I would be sure to have Apple in my portfolio as well as on my desktop.
56. anonymous
Have you ever in your lifetime heard someone utter the words "I love my PC"
because I haven't, but the statement "I love my Mac, I'll never buy another computer" heard that from a whole lot.
we defend what has supported us and we have grown to love, and we dont create bad press for others because we're jealous, you know, kinda like what you just did in your article.
57. R Pettengill
nice try. as a recovering wintel user I often liken my switch 3 years ago form PC to Mac like this - it was like a divorce: expensive, somewhat painful - but the right choice and i would never go back and often wonder how i was in such an abusive (windows) relationship in the first place.
58. Ian Paterson
Does anyone really care? It is so boring to go through these arguments everytime a new OS or product is released.
MAC or PC they both come from megalomaniacal companies who are to far up their own backsides to actually produce anything useful.
IPod or Zune, it is just an MP3 player in a different box. They did not invent them!
For readability, this article is close to putting ditchwater out of business.
59. anonymous
Not that I needed to prove this, but the guy who said a similar Dell is more expensive is clearly wrong. About $315 wrong. The low end imac with 1 Gig of Ram is $315 more expensive that a dell (And yes I did include the monitor). Poster has clearly never worked in computer sales. Mac have alway been more expensive than PC counter parts.
60. Infernoz
1. RDF is a fair complaint, this inquirer article make is all clear.
Jobs' cry against DRM is a sham
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37492
Apple is a bully scared of competition so they use smoke, mirrors, legal measures and OK hardware to deceive people into thinking that Apple Hardware/Protocols lock-in is better than Microsoft Software/Protocols lock-in. The iPhone is a classic example of this deception.
Get real people Apple are no better than anyone else, if anything their hardware restrictions are even more of an (artificial) limitation, given hardware is a major cost and OS-X could probably run on many PCs, many with much classier cases than the ugly white Apple ones!
61. anonymous
Wow,
Jealously runs deep. The one thing you for got to mention was shareholder value. For example, if you had Apple shares 4 years ago they were worth a measly $13 to $15. Today those same shares are worth in the neighbourhood of $85.
Sorry brother looks like you have a case of sour grapes. Please enjoy Vista and your upgrade path.
62. Doug
very accurate, also what I hate about apple is that the 24 ince imac has a brighter screen than the 20 inch, you need to but high end models to get a dvd burner,.....and a decent gpu!
You either have to buy the high end apple or you have junky hardware.....why dont people mention this fact?
The software that comes with amac is easy to use since it is all made by the same company with the same user interface..
63. Bengie
Oh how true is No 10. They are here in their droves and crying into their beer that someone has dared remark on the true side of Apple.
64. Winstar52
"Your $500 cannot run OS X?"
Which world do you live in? One created by Job I presume.
Check these sites before you next write about OS X and PCs other than Apple's.
http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
http://www.insanelymac.com/
PS: For your info I use both Wintel and Mac machines. They both have their own positives and negatives.
65. Dan
Number 10: Woohoo! They're coming out of the woodwork! Seriously, I like Apple kit, I may buy a Mac Mini if the missus doesn't like Ubuntu on the laptop at home, but guys, chill out!
66. anonymous
Seb you've got too much time on your
hands, get a job (no pun) and get a Mac.
It's O.K.
67. Blaz
How iPredictable the fanboys (and antifans) are :D Talking about Apple is like flapping a red sheet in a bullfighting arena, except here the audience jumps in from the stands ;)
How about using what works best for you, and letting others do the same without falling for the marketing hype?
Humans fight over most petty things...