Is Apple becoming Microsoft

[kolax]

I remember using the old Apple IIGS computers in school and they crashed a lot.

Worst thing was just freezing in the middle of typing a document and being unable to recover any data.

Apple definitely isn't becoming Microsoft. They just need to get a bit tighter with their quality.

 

[BullBoyKennels]

First let me say that I've been using a MAC for a year now this month. Now as a former Windows user XP Pro/Vista Ultimate. I have been very pleased with how fast Apple takes care of issues or updates for the OS. Now this may seem odd to those that are use to things moving faster but coming from Windows waiting for ever for any update or drivers it is a blessing to me. I'm not saying that the MAC OS has been perfect cause it's not but what OS is. Yet even the problems I may have had are extremely minimal like hicups nothing major,. unlike the problems I've had over many years using Windows. So maybe I have not been spoiled like most with Apple but it has been well worth the premium & experience switching to MAC. As far as Apple becoming like Microsoft well that's a far cry. Believe me if I put up with Windows since the early 90's then I can give the same time & benefit to Apple. As in just one year they have convinced me they are the best OS out. Oh also I started out with Tiger which was simply amazing.

 

[barijazz]

Apple folks are waaaaay more vocal about bugs, and are far quicker to make a stink.

= summary.

 

[barijazz]

Apple works for it's love of computers. Microsoft works to make money through monopoly.

 

[jackc]

Apple works for it's love of computers. Microsoft works to make money through monopoly.

You're joking right? Apple is a business. Consumers can also gain when companies make money. That's why we buy Macs. The end.

 

[kresh]

Good way to put it. I switched to Mac's in 2003 and now we have six in our household. I'm ready to go back to Windows. I had flawless - and I mean flawless - software experiences with all my Macs until Leopard. The original Leopard install was a disaster on three of my six machines (all are newer Mac/Intel devices, except for one G5 PowerPC). The 5.1 update didn't cause any problems: the 5.2 update is proving to be a worse disaster than the original Leopard install.

What makes me really nervous is that Apple seems like a company that's VERY slow to acknowledge bugs, and even slower to address them. I seldom see interim patches, so I imagine I'll be waiting for 5.3 before there are any fixes to 5.2.

So far I've got one of my machines back to 10.5.1, with three more to go (the update worked okay on two). That's after spending two hours on the phone with Apple, which were worthless: did you try rebooting, did you repair disk permissions, did you reset your PRAM, did you run the maintenance scripts. What's the point in even calling?

My problems so far with Leopard eclipse anything I experienced in nearly 20 years of DOS and Windows; the very reason I switched to Macs - elegance and stability - seems to be slipping away, and I no longer see any point in paying a premium for a system that has lost those advantages.

We have a lot of Macs in our house as well. I have a 24" Alu iMac, my wife has a 20" Alu iMac, my three oldest kids each have 17" White iMacs, the youngest two kids each have eMacs, one Mac Mini in the bedroom connected to our tv. All but the eMacs are running Leopard. We have never experienced the issues some of you complain about. All of those Macs plus an AppleTV, three iPod Touches and a Wii are wirelessly connected to a single Airport Extreme Basestation and we never, ever, have dropped connections.

I hear others also say that they never have issues across a variety of Macs. Are we just luckly? After hearing some of your complaints I am doubly thankful we have had such wonderful experiences!

 

[barijazz]

I've never in my days had problems with leopard that compare with problems in xp or vista.

 

[macintoshxiii]

Apple is slow to acknowledge bugs? Perhaps. How about microsoft who turns the other way and then pressures you to upgrade to the latest and greatest garbage. Even if Apple started to look more like microsoft... Apple still wouldn't come close to making products anywhere near as frustrating and poorly-executed as microsoft. I used Windows for 16 years - every version of it. Windows is crap and most windows-based hardware is crap. Nothing in the world is perfect, but OSX/Apple is better. End of story.

I kinda agreed to what ya saying... however it's a very personal view I suppose? But still Windows is not my cup of tea.... But I support Apple no matter what! I'm Apple for Life....

Apple will sustain its products with beauty, quality and simplicity.... give them time to fix problems. They had grown with the increment of users switch and they couldn't be happier but the point is for those had face much problem with your products could be your own factors not theirs. However just be patient... I guess they need to adjust, adapt to the changes....

I like to say:" Good things come to those WHO wait......."

Apple works for it's love of computers. Microsoft works to make money through monopoly.

Apple may initial working for passion in Computers but we can't deny the fact that they are making money too! But I still like your saying... MS is making money through monopoly....

 

[barijazz]

Apple may initial working for passion in Computers but we can't deny the fact that they are making money too! But I still like your saying... MS is making money through monopoly....

No, I'm not saying that apple isn't making money. A company needs to make money, but the money is not what drives the company like in microsoft.

I kinda agreed to what ya saying... however it's a very personal view I suppose? But still Windows is not my cup of tea.... But I support Apple no matter what! I'm Apple for Life....

I'm on the same page, I haven't been using windows for 16 years, but every single product I have had by microsoft has been broken by design.

 

[hob]

I've been using Mac OS X for about 5 or 6 years now. I can't honestly say that the release of Leopard has been any more or less trouble free than Tiger or Panther.

Due to the long development time of Leopard, I had totally forgotten what it was like to look forward to a 10.x.x update! Towards the end of my use of Tiger, they seemed to be just for security - but I forgot that 10.4.1 etc. was still adding features!

What I think has happened is that computers have become a lot more important to everyone in all walks of life. Apple could be a little bit smarter by not completely chucking away 10.4 when 10.5 comes out - admitting that there may be a couple of bugs... but as Buddy Kane says, "In order to be successful, one must project an image of success at all times" ! (or "close your eyes and hope for the best" !)

I'm on the same page, I haven't been using windows for 16 years, but every single product I have had by microsoft has been broken by design.

I would say Windows is broken by design - and they fact that they keep building on the same codebase doesn't help ! I hear there are literally millions of lines of code in the Windows kernel that do.... who knows? The people that wrote it left the project years ago, and the developers leftover daren't touch it!

I, for one, quite like Word 2007!!

 

[kolax]

Apple could be a little bit smarter by not completely chucking away 10.4 when 10.5 comes out "

10.4.11 came out after 10.5 was released.

 

[hob]

10.4.11 came out after 10.5 was released.

Well yes, I didn't mean that they were dropping support - just that it was preinstalled on all new machines. Should've made that a bit clearer, sorry.

 

[IJ Reilly]

The surest way to avoid problems with major OSX upgrades is to wait a couple of months for the dust to settle. Apple has always been prone to releasing less than perfect .0 versions, and I think it had to be obvious that Leopard wasn't going to be completely right out of the box. I don't believe this makes Apple "like Microsoft," because it seems to me that Microsoft never really gets it right, even after years of trying. And you have to know Apple will, eventually.

 

[pointycollars]

It was actually a $200 price drop, and I'm failing to see why that's a bad thing.

It makes it obvious that the product was grossly overpriced to begin with if they don't mind dropping the price so substantially.

 

[IJ Reilly]

It makes it obvious that the product was grossly overpriced to begin with if they don't mind dropping the price so substantially.

No, it doesn't mean that in the least. The TV I bought last summer has since dropped in price by $200. Does that mean it was "grossly overpriced" to begin with? Of course it doesn't.

 

[a104375]

theres no way that apple is becoming microsoft because they're products are very good quality at least any product i have gotten from them. much better than anything i have gotten from microsoft

 

[barijazz]

No, it doesn't mean that in the least. The TV I bought last summer has since dropped in price by $200. Does that mean it was "grossly overpriced" to begin with? Of course it doesn't.

Please check yourself into a mental facility because your thinking is completely irrational. You are the only man I've seen to date that compares the price of a phone to the price of a t.v.

 

[dkeninitz]

...because they're products are very good quality at least any product i have gotten from them.

Well, that proves it. Apple must be better.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Please check yourself into a mental facility because your thinking is completely irrational. You are the only man I've seen to date that compares the price of a phone to the price of a t.v.

Nice. Maybe you should take a few moments to explain to little old irrational me how this is so completely different. I'll be very interested to hear this explanation.

 

[GradientMac]

This thread makes me feel like I should never have switched to Mac and I should bring this thing back to Futureshop...

I haven't had any problems apart from my http://www.sierrawireless.com software closing unexpectedly all the time but the same thing happens on Windows. Their software just sucks.

BUT if their QC is just getting worse as time goes on then why should I have switched?

I love Apple but if Apple is turning into Applesoft then what's even the point?