Monopolizing our Digital Lives

[ugahairydawgs]

I've been thinking a lot lately about brand dependency and how a lot of our lives are reliant on the devices we keep. With that in mind, how does everyone here feel on the subject of whether or not it is a good idea to be completely invested in only one brand?

Take me for example. I have two Mac computers (Mini & MBP), an iPhone, an iPad, two ATV2, and use iCloud for everything other than e-mail. I have all of this and use them because everything works so well together. As such I have bought countless apps for both my Macs and iOS devices and obviously iTunes plays a key role in my media organization.

I know I am not the only one that is deeply immersed in the Apple ecosystem. They make great quality products and we pay a little extra to have the great synergy among devices. But is this really a good thing? Does it benefit us as consumers to be so heavily invested in a single provider?

 

[miles01110]

If you cared that much you'd buy another brand. Nobody is forcing you to buy Apple.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

I'm not necessarily saying it is a bad thing. I'm just asking the question.

Personally, I've gone back and forth on the issue...mostly due to the way they have become so litigious lately. Products are top notch, but the corporate behavior is the reason for the questions.

 

[vvswarup]

I'm not necessarily saying it is a bad thing. I'm just asking the question.

Personally, I've gone back and forth on the issue...mostly due to the way they have become so litigious lately. Products are top notch, but the corporate behavior is the reason for the questions.

You will find that "corporate behavior" with any other company. I've got news for you. It's business. Business is a cut-throat game. Do you seriously think Microsoft is a white knight?

Apple did not wake up one morning and decide to sue. They found that people were piggybacking off of their hard work. You would do the same in their position. If someone ripped off your hard work, you would be pretty pissed about it.

 

[MacDawg]

I buy what works best for me, my work flow and my lifestyle

Apple products do that better than others in most cases
I am not opposed to buying other brands, but I appreciate the seamless integration Apple products have

I use iCloud, but also Dropbox, SugarSync and Evernote

I don't lose sleep over the brand

 

[*LTD*]

I'm not necessarily saying it is a bad thing. I'm just asking the question.

Personally, I've gone back and forth on the issue...mostly due to the way they have become so litigious lately. Products are top notch, but the corporate behavior is the reason for the questions.

Does Apple's "corporate behaviour" make your iPad slower?

I don't give a sweet **** who they sue, to be honest. I just want more great products that are worth getting in line for. That at the end of the day is all that actually matters.

Apple keeps changing the game. Everyone else has the same opportunities, but it always seems to be Apple showing us the way forward - and viably, to boot. Fair play to them. Guess that's why they have the market power they have. It coulda been Samsung or HP giving that "iPad" keynote in January 2010. No dice. It was Apple. It coulda been Samsung or HP giving that "iPhone" keynote in 2007. But again, it was Apple. It could have been Samsung or HP giving us the first viable, user-friendly App Store to round out an already robust software ecosystem. Guess who did it again? Apple.

If you don't want to be so invested in one platform, then tell the also-rans to create stuff that's worth your time and money. Maybe, like Apple, they can actually be FIRST to do something truly amazing (that doesn't resemble a school science fair experiment) and get the spoils that go with it (i.e., money and patents.)

 

[vitzr]

If you cared that much you'd buy another brand. Nobody is forcing you to buy Apple.

And just what have you contributed with this post? Perhaps it's a release of anger?

On topic, I have a variety of ecosystems I use and enjoy. Android, iOS, Linux, Unix, Windows, OS X.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Yes. That's why I try to keep my digital life split up. I'll admit to using Microsoft products right now, but overall I try to keep everything OS and company independent. My computer is whatever brand works for me at the time (I have a soft spot for Dell though), and my phone is whatever I like at the time. I have a few online accounts - hotmail, gmail - to keep everything synced, as well as Mesh or Dropbox for online storage.

I would never go 100% any company without knowing my alternatives in case something happened to said company.

 

[*LTD*]

Yes. That's why I try to keep my digital life split up. I'll admit to using Microsoft products right now, but overall I try to keep everything OS and company independent. My computer is whatever brand works for me at the time (I have a soft spot for Dell though), and my phone is whatever I like at the time. I have a few online accounts - hotmail, gmail - to keep everything synced, as well as Mesh or Dropbox for online storage.

I would never go 100% any company without knowing my alternatives in case something happened to said company.

The OP will probably be good for the next decade with Apple. The others, I'd worry about. As long as Google can keep ahead of the patent boogeyman, they're good to go as well.

 

[elistan]

Does it benefit us as consumers to be so heavily invested in a single provider?

Mostly, yes.
The main advantage is that everything usually works together very well. Your iTunes syncs with your iPhone and iPod and iPad, your universal iOS apps work on your iPhone and iPad, your iTunes purchases play on your iMac, iOS devices and ATV, your BT keyboard works with your iMac and iPad, and iCloud works with your iMac, iPhone and iPad.

The main disadvantage would only be if Apple was the only supplier of consumer computer technology. But they're not - we have Dell, Lenovo, Microsoft, Linux, etc. Without competition it would be much easier for Apple to abuse pricing, customer service, user data, etc. <snl>"We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company."</snl>

One potential disadvantage would be what would happen if Apple closed up shop tomorrow. Fortunately, all the iTunes music has been offered DRM free for a while now, so we would't loose that. Movies are still protected so you could loose your purchases there. Patches and updates would cease being released, but that wouldn't effect your current functionality. Siri would stop working. iCloud would stop working. I'm not sure how the iPhone activation process would work.

But those concerns are fairly similar to what would happen if you had a diversified selection of consumer computing. PC from Dell/Microsoft, phone from HTC/Android, tablet from HP/WebOS (heh), music player from Archos, music from Google - any one of them could close up shop tomorrow, and their particular device might or might not continue working.

The main issue - Google, Microsoft, Apple or whoever could come out with some cool or revolutionary technology that they keep to themselves through patents, etc. This is a disadvantage if you haven't bought in to that particular companies ecosphere. Consider if only Mercedes-Benz had ABS, only Toyota had power steering, only GM had disk brakes and only KIA had stickshifts. At least if you had one of each, you get to experience all the features. Not doable with cars mostly, but it can be done with computer tech.

 

[roadbloc]

Use what works for you. If that means everything Apple, then so be it. I personally like to use a range of technologies, as there is a lot of things I feel Apple falls short on. eBooks, video games and consoles, TV shows and Movies (the quality of the "HD" versions are laughable, never mind the normal quality ones) and lately, catering for the pro market.

They do however, make some great devices. My MacBook Air is unbelievable and my iPhone 4, despite it's annoying restrictions, has been my longest surfing phone (I'm very rough with my devices).

Take no notice of me though, my opinion is anecdotal.

 

[szolr]

I know what you mean. And tbh I confess I've been drawn in to a degree. If I didn't get a Mac first I'd probably have gone Android instead of iPhone. I certainly wouldn't have made so much use of iTunes with films and so wouldn't have bought an TV2.

But if there was a better ecosystem to be immersed in I'd not hang around. Brand loyalty is all very well, but I want products that satisfy my requirements. Apple's do at the moment so all praise to Apple I say.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I like how my Apple computers and iPhones work together. It best fits my needs.