Anybody else here NOT like Apple?

[Telp]

I think their quality control has gone to hell within the past few years, and it seems to me that they're focusing on the iPhone more then anything else these days. But I guess they're just out to make money like everyone else.

We want Woz back . Anyone? Anyone?!

 

[northy124]

Actually, they do. Here's some pictures. Just hope you're home when yours catches fire.?

Yhup, I was lucky it was just the white thing that goes into it and it was just melting (not yet at fire), got a burnt bed cover though and Apple tried to make me buy Apple Care and were telling me to sod off basically when I complained, decided that the MacBook I have is my last Mac.

 

[daneoni]

Apple Inc

Makes:

-Pretty, premium-priced, underspecd hardware
-Innovative software

Has a superiority complex...loves to tell you what you can do

Needs to re-evaluate it's priorities IMHO

Not as endearing to me as it was in its PPC G4/G5 & 3G iPod/iPod mini days. Now just another greedy, megalomaniacal corporation, which makes some half-decent tools...just like the rest of them

 

[NoSmokingBandit]

I've had 3 PPC G4 Macs and all have been rock solid. No problems and I could go weeks without restarting. And, apps hanging? Never seen it on my G4's. Seems that after the intel switch, I've encountered so many hardware/software/firmware problems it is defeating... Not to mention the frustration with getting service now that it seems as though EVERYONE owns a Mac.
I roll my eyes at anyone who has made a genius appointment because they didn't know how to restart their ipod.
When there are those of us who have real problems that can't be fixed with the first page of the "troubleshooting" guide.

Remember the keynote speeches in the PPC era? They would brag about how much more awesome the PPC chip was than the Pentium. They would focus on performance and specs, they would show you that the mac is meant to get stuff done. After the Intel switch the keynotes are all about shininess, how thin the hardware is, or what material its made out of. Apple doesnt push performance any more, they just want everyone to buy something thats aesthetically great.

Odd because alot of people say its worth paying extra for a mac because of the great customer service. I had a Dell with a bad temp sensor, so i called them up. They said they would have to order the part and they will call me when it is in. Two days later they called me and said the parts were in and set up an appointment to get it fixed. The very next day they sent a guy to my house to fix it for me, all i had to do was unplug the tower and put it on the kitchen island.

 

[ordo1980]

You keep mentioning that you think OS X is superior and that you would even pay a premium not to use Windows again. But it seems contradictory - early in the post you say Windows has never given you any problems. So can you describe any ways where OS X is superior?[/QUOTE]

Not really contradictory. Just that I have used OS X and the way it handles installs and uninstalls is much cleaner IMO. No issues with registry as far as I could tell. And of course, the whole not worrying about viruses, etc., etc. But as I said, windows never has given me a problem in the sense that I know how to manipulate registry, clean it, and I have solid security software on my computer so never really had any major problems in that area too. I'd pay the premium to never have worry about all those issues is what I meant.... not have to worry about registry, not have to worry about viruses/spyware/adware/etc., etc. In those regards, OS X would seem superior. With the outrageous prices of macbooks, though, I'll probably stick with a windows machine. As I said, I just need a reliable computer to last 3 years. Probably will go with something like that toshiba I linked to in my last post, looks like a solid computer.

 

[Topher15]

What I like about Apple:
- The excellent OS.
- Fantastic industrial design.
- Great ads/image.

What I don't like:
- Overpriced. I'm willing to pay more for a better OS and hardware (fortunately I've never had an issue with any Apple hardware, aside from a crap Mighty Mouse) but the cost is usually more than is justifiable.
- Less options (e.g. the jump between the Mac mini, the iMac, and the Mac Pro is way too big.)
- The 'Apple spin' to justify what they do. (Our customers love glossy. Oh really? Consumer cameras are all USB, etc.)
- The iPhone/iPod taking over Apple.

I think that the fanboys (this includes most from the iPod and iPhone crowd) have taken over. Well, actually, they did a long time ago, and I have been less than satisfied with Apple's products for a very long time. It's finally close to be completely over.

Totally, totally agree. Arrogant people think the iPod is what Apple is all about, they seem to be ignorant to the fact that it started primarily as a computer company over 20 years prior. Then you get people that totally talk crap about Apple whenever you bring up Macs, but they're the very same ones that think they're better then everyone else and flaunt the fact that they have an iPhone - what, do they think it's just coincidence that the logos on the back of it just happen to be identical to the ones on a Mac?

Gotta disagree that the iPod and iPhone lot are worse. Those products are so popular most of those users are not even interested in tech, much less Apple. Just as the typical computer user uses a PC and Windows and couldn't care less about Microsoft. I would guess however that the typical Mac user is more tech oriented, and it's more likely the Mac lot which are worse.

 

[NoSmokingBandit]

- Great ads/image.

I would put the Ads in the negative column. They are just immature fud-based attack ads that get fanboy high-five circles started. Theres only a few ads that tell the consumer anything good about Macs, the rest of the time they are just bashing MS.

 

[Topher15]

I would put the Ads in the negative column. They are just immature fud-based attack ads that get fanboy high-five circles started. Theres only a few ads that tell the consumer anything good about Macs, the rest of the time they are just bashing MS.

Well I was thinking more of the iPod ads, and the older Mac ads like the Switch campaign and Think Different.

I think overall Apple's marketing is superb, even if you dislike the current campaign. I quite like them however, but would prefer something like a Mac version of the iPhone ads.

 

[macuserx86]

It really depends on what you spend I think. I have a ridiculously expensive Mac Pro, and I love it. It can keep up with my insane expectations, but it did cost a lot. I've always had really good experiences with Apple. However, before I bought my Pro, I only had my PB, and that started to shake my faith in Apple. It actually made me start hating Apple a little.
I'm not sure where this is going, it's late and I'm hopped up on Monster and the BBC radio 1 essential mix. I guess my point is, I like Apple and it doesn't really matter if anyone else likes them or not, because I'm all that matters

 

[knightlie]

In that sense, yes, but I'm talking about tweaking hardware. CPU-Z isn't available for a Mac. Most benchmarking apps aren't available for a Mac. ClockGen -- not on Mac.

I love the OS, but not for a desktop rig.

I don't agree that a "desktop rig" means something you have to keep fiddling with. I don't care how many .01 of a Ghz extra my iMac will run at if I fiddle with something, I just want it to be fast enough for what I do, which it is. If you feel that "tweaking" and benchmarks are that important then Apple computers are very much not for you. Some of us, however, detest arsing around inside cases fiddling with tiny cables and switches when all we want to do is use the computer.

 

[geoffreak]

Each company does certain things better than others. For example, Some of the best priced monitors come from Dell, but so do some of the crappiest computers (they break the day after warranty ends). Another example is how Xbox 360 and Halo come from Microsoft, but so does Windows. Apple is no exception with great product integration and OS, and failures like the new iPod shuffle and the lack of a "mid-sized tower".

I'm not a rabid fan of Apple or any company, but I will continue to buy Apple products so long as they meet my needs. My requirements for a computer are (in order of priority):
1) Practical to use - Everything should be logical and exist for a good purpose.
2) Simple to use - I don't want to have to fight the computer software or hardware.
3) Proper integration - all my devices should be able to talk with each other seamlessly.
4) Aesthetically pleasing - for best airflow and performance, computers shouldn't be hidden. I don't want something ugly sitting around for anyone to see.
I'm not saying Apple meets my requirements perfectly, but it is light years ahead of next in line Microsoft. A random Linux build doesn't meet any of these requirements.


If we were to equate computers to cars...

Macs are like Lexus/Acura/Mercedes/etc cars. They get you from point A to point B in comfort and style, with more features in your car than you thought you needed, but end up using everyday. You most likely used to drive a cheaper car, but have since "upgraded". The dealership offers free maintenance for a few years and welcomes you to stop by if you ever have a problem. You are very pleased with your car and think that everyone should be driving one.

Windows computers are like Kia/Honda/etc cars. They are cheaper, but still get you from point A to point B. You may get better performance if you tune it up by paying more money for parts, but this is out of the ability of most people and the vast majority of people won't bother. You won't have the extra features that are offered in the other brands, but you won't realize that they even exist or miss the lack of their existence. You will be prejudiced against those who drive the more expensive cars, thinking they spend more money pointlessly, but your attitude will most likely do a 180 if you drove in one for a week. The dealership sometimes offers free analyzation if you have a problem, but you won't realize that the repair costs will be through the roof until later. You will be, for the most part, on your own after you buy the car. You are somewhat pleased with your car and think that you got a great deal because of the low price tag.

Linux computers are like hot rods/home built cars. They are only for hobbyists with a large amount of free time. They are really cheap if you just use parts laying around or if you use old parts that were planning on being scrapped. Your car can only get from point A to point B if you make the car's internals work together properly. If you tune everything just right, your car can be one of the best around. Most people will think you are driving a junker as only the people who understand the work you put into your car will appreciate it. You can forget about a dealership or warranty, as you have to do everything yourself. You scoff at the people who drive retail cars because they aren't as skillful as you at building cars. After you are finished building your car, you will post instructions to build it, as your car was built based off someone else's instructions and you feel like you should give back to the community. Despite all that was mentioned above of what could have happened, you most likely stopped building your custom car after realizing how much work it was taking. If you completed your car, you feel like you got an absolutely incredible deal because you don't bother factoring in the time required to build it, otherwise you just feel like an idiot for wasting your time.

 

[dornoforpyros]

Obvious troll is obvious.

Really you come to an apple fan boy forum and post "apple's not so great" just to bait some flame war I suspect.

 

[Shivetya]

How about asking,

Are there people here who do not dislike Windows?


I have never had a problem with Windows, I think it does a great many things very well. I just bought my first iMac on a lark (off of ebay used) and have since found that since I can run Windows on the hardware I get the best of both worlds.

As for not liking Apple, I think their prices and product selection suck and anyone paying MSRP for them should be laughed at.

 

[bob2131]

Each company does certain things better than others. For example, Some of the best priced monitors come from Dell, but so do some of the crappiest computers (they break the day after warranty ends). Another example is how Xbox 360 and Halo come from Microsoft, but so does Windows. Apple is no exception with great product integration and OS, and failures like the new iPod shuffle and the lack of a "mid-sized tower".

I'm not a rabid fan of Apple or any company, but I will continue to buy Apple products so long as they meet my needs. My requirements for a computer are (in order of priority):
1) Practical to use - Everything should be logical and exist for a good purpose.
2) Simple to use - I don't want to have to fight the computer software or hardware.
3) Proper integration - all my devices should be able to talk with each other seamlessly.
4) Aesthetically pleasing - for best airflow and performance, computers shouldn't be hidden. I don't want something ugly sitting around for anyone to see.
I'm not saying Apple meets my requirements perfectly, but it is light years ahead of next in line Microsoft. A random Linux build doesn't meet any of these requirements.


If we were to equate computers to cars...

Macs are like Lexus/Acura/Mercedes/etc cars. They get you from point A to point B in comfort and style, with more features in your car than you thought you needed, but end up using everyday. You most likely used to drive a cheaper car, but have since "upgraded". The dealership offers free maintenance for a few years and welcomes you to stop by if you ever have a problem. You are very pleased with your car and think that everyone should be driving one.

Windows computers are like Kia/Honda/etc cars. They are cheaper, but still get you from point A to point B. You may get better performance if you tune it up by paying more money for parts, but this is out of the ability of most people and the vast majority of people won't bother. You won't have the extra features that are offered in the other brands, but you won't realize that they even exist or miss the lack of their existence. You will be prejudiced against those who drive the more expensive cars, thinking they spend more money pointlessly, but your attitude will most likely do a 180 if you drove in one for a week. The dealership sometimes offers free analyzation if you have a problem, but you won't realize that the repair costs will be through the roof until later. You will be, for the most part, on your own after you buy the car. You are somewhat pleased with your car and think that you got a great deal because of the low price tag.

Linux computers are like hot rods/home built cars. They are only for hobbyists with a large amount of free time. They are really cheap if you just use parts laying around or if you use old parts that were planning on being scrapped. Your car can only get from point A to point B if you make the car's internals work together properly. If you tune everything just right, your car can be one of the best around. Most people will think you are driving a junker as only the people who understand the work you put into your car will appreciate it. You can forget about a dealership or warranty, as you have to do everything yourself. You scoff at the people who drive retail cars because they aren't as skillful as you at building cars. After you are finished building your car, you will post instructions to build it, as your car was built based off someone else's instructions and you feel like you should give back to the community. Despite all that was mentioned above of what could have happened, you most likely stopped building your custom car after realizing how much work it was taking. If you completed your car, you feel like you got an absolutely incredible deal because you don't bother factoring in the time required to build it, otherwise you just feel like an idiot for wasting your time.

good post.

 

[NT1440]

Has a superiority complex...loves to tell you what you can do

You mean, makes products, people choose to buy them. There is no dictating, you either buy their offering or you don't. To make it sound like Apple has some sort of power over you, that you yourself haven't assigned, is disingenuous at best.

 

[rhett7660]

You mean, makes products, people choose to buy them. There is no dictating, you either buy their offering or you don't. To make it sound like Apple has some sort of power over you, that you yourself haven't assigned, is disingenuous at best.

Well put..

 

[djellison]

Are there people here who do not dislike Windows?.

I like Windows and OSX about the same. Both have problems. Both have benefits.

 

[bob2131]

i hate the people who go to apple store at 5am on the first day of iphone release...and take pictures of the store front and then go home and post the pics on these boards telling us about their apple store "experience".

It makes me ......i cant describe how it feels to me. ... it really baffles me.
I dont respect that type of behaviour.

Most apple users are *******
I dont like to be associated with these.

ANyone feel me?

 

[SpaceKitty]

i hate the people who go to apple store at 5am on the first day of iphone release...and take pictures of the store front and then go home and post the pics on these boards telling us about their apple store "experience".

It makes me ......i cant describe how it feels to me. ... it really baffles me.
I dont respect that type of behaviour.


ANyone feel me?

That is really bad behavior? Wow. I did just that to get my iPhone. I was there at 4AM because I didn't want to be there all day waiting in the hot sun. I was home by 8AM and went to sleep for a few hours. I took some pictures to, wanna see them?

 

[RetepNamenots]

I like:
- OS X.
- The hardware.
- The stores, and support.

I dislike:
- The fact that I have to pay a premium to buy a Mac to use OS X - Which I need for my design course at Uni.
- Apple fanboys. The worst type of fanboys imaginable! It wouldn't be very interesting if everybody had the same tastes in hardware or software, would it!?
- The premium pricing. £880 for 6Gb DDR3 SDRAM?
- Charging for software upgrades on my iPod Touch. I paid for the iPod, Apple have my money. Why should I have to pay to upgrade when owners of other iPod models and the iPhone get updates for free?

 

[MorphingDragon]

I guess I'm technically a Pre-iPod Mac user. We had G3s at school and a Performa 5200 at home during primary school. The macs seem pretty lacking now. I miss the G3/4 and younger days, when they were good value for money and really did "just work". I still prefer it over Windows. Yes I've used 7, its too KDE 4 like for me. I keep on trying to find the Plasma button in the upper right corner!!! XD

The iPhone... the iPhone is a bloody cash cow, in exchange for Mac/Macintosh's soul.
TBH Honest thats slightly hypocritical, I want to develop Apps for the iPhone. *Snicker
Cocoa and Objective-C is a wonderfully designed IDE and blows the pants off .NET and C#.

 

[ctucci]

Average Company

It seems that I'm the only person who owns a mac who doesn't think Apple are great and simply rates them as an average company. <...>

Just bought an Imac, at the time, top of the line - after checking out the mini to see what the buzz was about.

4 months later, the Western Digital hard drive went out. I noticed the normal things, slowdowns, slow reboots, general system instability...

I do a LOT of work on this box, so I made a concierge appt for three days later. Instability radically increased though, so I called Apple Tech support, applied for an exception for the price of the support call, was granted it immediately. The tech quickly determined what I thought, hard drive failure, but we partitioned and started a restore to see. Yup, bogus hd.

Through the apple support web site, I rescheduled the concierge appt to the very next day. Took the system in, the tech hooked my Imac up, booted of the diagnostic server, and confirmed for the HD was bad.

In less than 24 hours, I got a call to pick it up. I brought it back, hooked it up to my time machine disk, and about two hours later, had a perfectly performing Imac with all of my apps, data, email, etc right where I left off.

Moreover, in the intervening time, I simply hooked up my mini ( on which I have replicated my Line of Business processes ) and kept right on working.

My cost = 0 ( regular 1 year warranty ). My lost time = 0, because I'm old, have been burned before when leveraging technology, and have the sense to have a backup box.

My Point? EVERY computer can and will fail. It's how you plan for that eventuality that makes the difference. Between time machine and good warranty service and some common sense process replication, this is a good product with good support for me so far. And in the meantime, Leopard on a 3.06 Imac is an undeniably good user experience.

I know some out there have had varying experience with Apple, not saying you're all full of baloney, just adding my .02.

Last, I'd switch to another platform in a skinny minute if the products or service don't meet or exceed my expectations. I ain't married to this platform. I use what works for my business processes. Yup. I said the B-Word in conjunction with an Apple. Parallels in one screen to run mission critical Windows apps, and the main Mac screen handles everything else from images, videos, to connecting to the SBS server via Remote Desktop to tweak, etc.

 

[Morod]

Just bought an Imac, at the time, top of the line - after checking out the mini to see what the buzz was about.

4 months later, the Western Digital hard drive went out. I noticed the normal things, slowdowns, slow reboots, general system instability...

I do a LOT of work on this box, so I made a concierge appt for three days later. Instability radically increased though, so I called Apple Tech support, applied for an exception for the price of the support call, was granted it immediately. The tech quickly determined what I thought, hard drive failure, but we partitioned and started a restore to see. Yup, bogus hd.

Through the apple support web site, I rescheduled the concierge appt to the very next day. Took the system in, the tech hooked my Imac up, booted of the diagnostic server, and confirmed for the HD was bad.

In less than 24 hours, I got a call to pick it up. I brought it back, hooked it up to my time machine disk, and about two hours later, had a perfectly performing Imac with all of my apps, data, email, etc right where I left off.

Moreover, in the intervening time, I simply hooked up my mini ( on which I have replicated my Line of Business processes ) and kept right on working.

My cost = 0 ( regular 1 year warranty ). My lost time = 0, because I'm old, have been burned before when leveraging technology, and have the sense to have a backup box.

My Point? EVERY computer can and will fail. It's how you plan for that eventuality that makes the difference. Between time machine and good warranty service and some common sense process replication, this is a good product with good support for me so far. And in the meantime, Leopard on a 3.06 Imac is an undeniably good user experience.

I know some out there have had varying experience with Apple, not saying you're all full of baloney, just adding my .02.

Last, I'd switch to another platform in a skinny minute if the products or service don't meet or exceed my expectations. I ain't married to this platform. I use what works for my business processes. Yup. I said the B-Word in conjunction with an Apple. Parallels in one screen to run mission critical Windows apps, and the main Mac screen handles everything else from images, videos, to connecting to the SBS server via Remote Desktop to tweak, etc.

GREAT post! Reaffirms my reasons for going with Apple iMac!
BTW, I walked by a North Face retail outlet yesterday. All iMacs in sight, not a single Windows box for their business.

 

[morepower7]

the machines arent about how much faster they are than the competators like it was at the launch of the powerbook G4

 

[three]

What I like about Apple:
- The excellent OS.
- Fantastic industrial design.
- Great ads/image.

What I don't like:
- Overpriced. I'm willing to pay more for a better OS and hardware (fortunately I've never had an issue with any Apple hardware, aside from a crap Mighty Mouse) but the cost is usually more than is justifiable.
- Less options (e.g. the jump between the Mac mini, the iMac, and the Mac Pro is way too big.)
- The 'Apple spin' to justify what they do. (Our customers love glossy. Oh really? Consumer cameras are all USB, etc.)
- The iPhone/iPod taking over Apple.


Gotta disagree that the iPod and iPhone lot are worse. Those products are so popular most of those users are not even interested in tech, much less Apple. Just as the typical computer user uses a PC and Windows and couldn't care less about Microsoft. I would guess however that the typical Mac user is more tech oriented, and it's more likely the Mac lot which are worse.

I much agree with you there, I would like Apple to focus more on Macs once again, and bring out some new Macs to fill in the gaps between the mini, iMac, and Mac Pro.