[Vote] Who is seriously think about to go away from Apple?

[0098386]

Windows systems are becoming more locked down too though.

It is, I've got Windows 10 on my MBP and 7 on my iMac. After tweaking 10 you can make it nice and open.

I think my worry about OSX is that it'll become a full blown version of iOS with apps that you can only buy from the MAS. I don't think that will happen any time in the foreseeable future, mind you. But then I further worry that if I get too ingrained into the OSX/iCloud culture that it'll be difficult to move out of it.

 

[0958400]

I love Apple, but I have also become increasingly frustrated.

1) the short product cycles cause too many problems: they cannot keep up with quality and software (best example: iPad Air 2, I've had three(!) defective ones, another example: El Capitan loses Wifi every once in a while. No one knows why.

2) Apple loses touch with localization where others do better, the main focus is the American market, which is fine by me, I love America - but lots of features are lost worldwide and leave out a major portion of Apple's consumers.

3) the focus seems to on consumption: a little bit of Photos, a little bit of music - but they seem to have lost the pros which rely almost solely on Adobe now.

4) Accessability: the iOS iterations have become less and less accessible with "hidden" functions no one knows of. The times where you didn't need a handbook - are over and that is a step in the wrong direction.

5) loss of focus: too many models, too many items makes it hard to create stability.

6) competition: while it may be easy to ignore competition for a while, this is a dangerous path. e.g. amazon offers with their Music Library over 250'000 songs, Apple 100'000. There's no justification for being in the disadvantage and losing out to amazon - losing some of the biggest customers to them.

I love Apple, but in some ways it has lost its ways. They seem to listen but they have a big problem: it doesn't seem to be about aesthetics, making live easier. It seems to focus on making a cut. While that is valid and I wish them all the best with the money, I'd just hope someone with a vision would come up and streamline its product line.

Not frustrated - but disillusioned about a company that has so much more potential and that seems to lose a bit of their advantage for the sake of showing off something "tidbit new" every year.

 

[Tech198]

I'm neutral.... I can use Windows, and be just as secure as a Mac...

 

[Isamilis]

Apple is still acceptable for me, while not great anymore. Their direction on OSX and iOS, and also locking their hardware to be less customizable are not my preference, however the products are still able to serve my needs - at least still better than the others (while not great like before).

 

[ShikariMR]

Being no gentleman, clearly, I elsewhere described my experience with Windiws 10 as "running blindfolded through the London sewer system." I continually find with Apple iMac that there is invariabhly a logical straightforward answer to what I want to do. I accept my need/availability for help via Mac Forums as the biggest bonus of all.

With Windows I time after time tried to follow advice given on the net ( there are no contactable human beings within Microsoft that I ever discovered) reputed assistance pages, or the click-ons or the "Simply..." (Yeah, right!) measures propounded that never ever actually came up.

You do I suppose have companions (only a cad would say 'fellow sufferers') aplenty in the Microsoft population - like a bloke up the road who has a room full of old drives, mother boards, ancent mice and keyboards, but why they were discarded usually becomes apparent quite quickly if you go for it.

Why did i not buy a totally new Windows PC? Because I had a Mac coming back home, and if I wanted to spend new computer money, there was only one real choice. But I do insiost that the headaches were almost 100 per cent due to the Windows 'controlling' mentality, as against the iMac equivalent.

What I do find invaluable is the number of options that work so easily on a Mac - to state just a few: iA, Scrivener, and (dare I mention Amazon.uk?) simple straightforward free Kindle access onto the PC. ALL of the muck ups that have occurred on iA for example were entirely my fault What kind of dummy does not know the difference between Print, and Print Plain Text ... well I do now, and I apologise unreservedly for all that bad language on the way to finding out.

There are acres of apps avalable on Apple that have no relevance to me whatsoever. How could it be otherwise? But I have yet to have anything inflicted on me by Apple as a compulsory Must Have because some boy genius at a faraway HQ was sure I ought to want it. Can't say the same about the other lot. As for deleting or ceasing anything whatsoever once I signed up accidentally to a Microsoft account... just do not ask!

Of course,it may all be me - but then who else can I be in just one rencarnation?

 

[grahamperrin]

I decided to abandon Apple products whilst testing pre-release OS X Yosemite.

I stopped using an iPhone, began using a YotaPhone 2 with Android.

I'm gradually moving from OS X Mavericks, to PC-BSD.

No regrets.

 

[Wildkraut]

Well if Microsoft manage to build a great Pen for the next Surface Pro 5 I will probably change back to MS after using Apple for approx. 13 years.

Windows 10 works great now.

Im tired of...
... senseless iOS software limitations (greedy control freaks)
... of bad late quality of software and hardware
... outdated hardware releases
... non upgradeable devices
... OS X is also getting worse with every release
... thinner thinner thinner over the rest attitude
... less interfaces e.g. USB
... and much more

To me Apple is nothing special anymore, like once they were.
But I also miss upgrading and customizing my hardware e.g put more RAM exchange CPU or replace GPU, add another internal HD for raid, etc.

Their Pro stuff ain't Pro anymore.

 

[ActionableMango]

I love Apple, but I have also become increasingly frustrated.

1) the short product cycles cause too many problems

Over in the Mac forums, we're actually complaining about the long product cycles:

• Current Mac Mini, 2 years old.
• Current Mac Pro, going on 3 years.
• Current MacBook Pro (non retina), 4 years old!!!

I'd argue that they need to spend a little less time on the iDevices and a little more time on the Macs, but who am I kidding, we all know where the big profits come from.

 

[kazmac]

I'm sticking around. Sure I am frustrated as all hell about the software bugs and how they put 2010 iMac into retirement (after almost 5 and a half years, not to mention iPad killing software bugs) but my 2013 27" iMac is running pretty darn well on Yosemite and ditto my iPhone 6s on 9.3.1. I loved the iPad Pro and iPad Mini 4 (budget and a not quite right fit with university did not allow me to keep these.) The pencil is terrific, it was so hard to give that up but after school who knows?

I truly hope Apple gets up off their designer laurels and gets back to taking their time with the software. I'd probably go back to owning all of those products if they did.

 

[hiddenmarkov]

Leaning to a return to windows. Apple has about 2 years (3 years of use on the 2015 rmbp, ROI met to me at that point, will go for 4 probably) to show interest in professional software again. IE. show they care about FCP more than they do now. It and some text editors are my only mac os only applications. Rest are windows ports that look and work the same on either mac os or windows. text editors I can switch. left Ultredit/studio after years of use...I don't think it will have hard feelings when the prodigal son returns lol.


And while I haven't tried avid yet (hate adobe, not an option), I can get used to it like I have everything else to replace FCP. Insert the tower not built yet will be NVidia based...cuda support says hi.

hardware wise....I maybe being odd want the electronic anorexia to stop. lets stop taking away stuff to get skinny. Or if taking away stuff...replace it with something, or not boost the price. from 2011 to 2015 I lost an optical drive, an Ethernet port and the shell got smaller. Less parts, less metal to the case...and I pay more? then I have to buy this as externals to replace for the double dip. I need optical, and I need wired internet connection at times.

Example of add something when stuff taken away. Since apple fired up new phones based on 5 case left overs I'd be happy to see this setup. dig up left over shells from 2011, use the space for stuff instead of the optical. Better mobile graphics card setup and/or cooling improvement.

Or since the most common modification for the 2011's and earlier was to pull optical drive, get drive duplicator kit, stick in second drive lets have the apple MBP SE. Use 2011 frame, 2 drives from factory and a special installer start up.

Option 1: raid 0
Option 2: raid 1
option 3: 1 drive system disk 1 drive storage.

I don't mind weight or even beefier fans (read louder) for performance gains.

Top dollar for a good all internal raid based mbp....shut up and take my money.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

Nope. Never ever ever. I use a Windows desktop frequently for games and internet browsing, but I so much prefer OS X. And if you want OS X, an Apple device is really your only option. So it's unlikely that I'll ever move away from Apple, though I'll probably always have a Windows and MacOS device.

 

[\-V-/]

I decided to abandon Apple products whilst testing pre-release OS X Yosemite.

I stopped using an iPhone, began using a YotaPhone 2 with Android.

I'm gradually moving from OS X Mavericks, to PC-BSD.

No regrets.

Sounds ... exciting ...

 

[Khalanad75]

I have a 2006 intel Imac, a 2008 MacBook, and a 2010 MBP all still running and doing fine. With no need to upgrade due to what I do, I also have no need to feel slighted to leave the apple ecosystem.

 

[TheBSDGuy]

I'm in the "frustrated but staying with Apple" crowd.

I am completely unimpressed with Jony Ive's design work on the OS and the continual need to make the systems thinner for no apparent reason. If he wants to offer some thin units, fine, but don't do it at the expense I/O ports and upgradability. There really are power users that use Macs and they're being alienated...but they're also the most likely to actually need higher end systems. IMHO the new "fire hydrant" Mac Pro is a bad joke compared to its predecessors. The cartoonish appearance of the new Jony Ive OS releases also, IMHO, is not an improvement. I will surely be considering looking at Android units for my next phone.

As far as Tim Cook goes, some of his statements are just plain stupid:

http://bgr.com/2015/11/10/ipad-pro-pc-mac/

That shows a complete lack of understanding of what power users do, not to mention probably making some people start re-thinking the idea of avoiding Macs for long term "real" work.

 

[iRock1]

I've been an Apple user for almost a decade. I started with the iPod Video in 2006. Then came the MacBook, the iMac, my first iPhone and the iPad (both iPhone and iPad have been replaced with newer models at least four times). Also I was a MobileMe user and nowadays use several Apple apps, including Aperture (!!!). I've bought several Apple accessories too. So, at the end, you could say I'm well-embedded into Apple's ecosystem and I have at least some basis or background to give a reasonable and well-argued opinion.

Do I feel Apple is lost? F**k yeah—that's almost a fact and you don't need me to start specifying the reasons. Since Steve Jobs died—and Cook took over, started his politically correct agenda, implemented his soft-management methodology, gave Forstall a kick in the ass and promoted Jony Ive to out-of-control-hardware-and-software-design-super-führer, Apple has been acting in a very, very erratic way, to the point where the quality of some of their products (and important ones, be it on the hardware, software or services side) have become really questionable.

Going back to your question, you mention “Apple” in the title and the poll, but end up asking about OS X specifically. On the other hand, I think your options don't apply for my own personal case.

But I'll tell you this.

Have I, for the aforementioned reasons, seriously thought of leaving Apple? YES. In fact, I'd love to ditch my iPad Air and its sh***y OS9—and perhaps try something like the Surface or any other alternative. I'd seriously consider trading my iPhone 6 for some hi-end Android device too. Finally, I have seriously thought of going Linux over my desktop and laptop.

However, I have some concerns. After all, and considering that everything is still working (to a certain degree), changing platforms is not an easy or without-consequences move.

Right now my main reasons to not leave the Apple ecosystem are:

- Google's sh***y ethos when it comes to privacy and big data (a specially sensitive issue nowadays).
- Lack of support for some of my favorite apps on other mobile platforms.
- Lack of support for any important app on Linux.
- Lack of multi-platform integration (I'll give it's super easy and comfortable to have iCloud working through desktop, tablet and smartphone).

If all of these issues could be addressed, I'd leave Apple right away.

 

[grahamperrin]

… As far as Tim Cook goes, some of his statements are just plain stupid:

http://bgr.com/2015/11/10/ipad-pro-pc-mac/

That shows a complete lack of understanding of what power users do, not to mention probably making some people start re-thinking the idea of avoiding Macs for long term "real" work.

***** bonkers. No, Timmykins, no, no no.

Much of what I do with web-based systems is difficult to do within the constraints of a 19" display; I prefer hot-desking where the displays are around 27". And the drive for me to use such systems is unlikely to end soon.

 

[iRock1]

I'm in the "frustrated but staying with Apple" crowd.

I am completely unimpressed with Jony Ive's design work on the OS and the continual need to make the systems thinner for no apparent reason. If he wants to offer some thin units, fine, but don't do it at the expense I/O ports and upgradability. There really are power users that use Macs and they're being alienated...but they're also the most likely to actually need higher end systems. IMHO the new "fire hydrant" Mac Pro is a bad joke compared to its predecessors. The cartoonish appearance of the new Jony Ive OS releases also, IMHO, is not an improvement. I will surely be considering looking at Android units for my next phone.

As far as Tim Cook goes, some of his statements are just plain stupid:

http://bgr.com/2015/11/10/ipad-pro-pc-mac/

That shows a complete lack of understanding of what power users do, not to mention probably making some people start re-thinking the idea of avoiding Macs for long term "real" work.

You and several users seem to be missing Cook's point.

He never said that power users should ditch their PCs and move to the iPad "Pro". He only stated a reality: more and more users are using mobile devices everyday to complete their digital needs. And they go with it just fine.

Having said that, I don't see the stupidity on Cook's declaration. Actually, I don't see how is possible to argue against what he said. That's a fact.

 

[grahamperrin]

You and several users seem to be missing Cook's point.

He never said that power users should ditch their PCs and move to the iPad "Pro". He only stated a reality: more and more users are using mobile devices everyday to complete their digital needs. And they go with it just fine.

Having said that, I don't see the stupidity on Cook's declaration. Actually, I don't see how is possible to argue against what he said. That's a fact.

"Bonkers" is a reasonable reaction to the associated January headline, Apple's Tim Cook declares the end of the PC …; also a hangover reaction from July 2014, Apple CEO Tim Cook says everyone should do 80 percent of their work on an iPad, just like him | 9to5Mac.

I can imagine many people using nothing other than a tablet in the future. Maybe a decade from now, a very small percentage of users will do so; many people, but a very small percentage.

Of the many people I know who use a tablet (Android or iOS), none goes without a notebook and/or desktop computer for things that are more difficult or impossible on a tablet. Of those people, a minority are extremely resistant to changes to GUIs in operating systems for the desktop. At an application level, I'm most aware of aggravations caused by changes to iTunes. Whilst I (the onlooker) may find some logic in a change, the end user – in no way a power user – is repeatedly dissatisfied.

 

[Technarchy]

I am shopping for a low cost Windows 10 machine right now, but it's only for professional reasons.

I dabble with Android, as iPhones are generally not as interesting devices these days, but I do have an iPhone 6S currently.

But overall, I fully intend on sticking with MacBooks, iPads, Apple TV's and using my Apple Watch when my iPhone is operational.

Apple just gets more right than wrong.

 

[arogge]

Secondly, @arogge - quoted below - seems to have missed the point as to what Apple is about. This is because the market it aims at is not the "can it do the job reliably and at a competitive price", market. Rather, they aim, and they always have aimed at the premium market.

That's fine, but then I expect premium options. Premium options doesn't mean plugs that only fit a product from a particular year or a case that looks like a trash can. The Cube Mac and the iMac on a swivel were cute and innovative designs, but those were PCs. If I'm to pay a premium for a workstation/server, I want the performance and scalable architecture that supports the high-performance environment, and is preferably something that again says Made in USA. Remember the Xserve? That was a premium product! Unfortunately, Apple no longer seems interested in that sort of customer, nor does it seem interested in lowering its prices on three-year-old products that have yet to be updated. If Apple stopped being so silent and put out a roadmap, I'd at least have something to work with, but I now have to assume that Apple will never come out with a competitive computer product. As for the value to shareholders, the profiteering game only continues while consumers are able to spend (usually borrow) money to keep splurging every year on gadgets for purposes that are not productive. If that market bubble were to suddenly pop, Apple would suddenly not be so valuable, other than the iTunes Store and related services that do provide productivity.

Apple changed the personal computer market by providing solutions for customers who would ordinarily have not considered the purchase of a PC. The company created markets where none had existed, and opened derivative markets that increased its marketability, and that's what made it rich. It's not about "premium" as in a luxury, but innovation that provides reliable solutions that people want and can afford to buy. I moved to Apple because it did provide a competitive solution that was worth the price, being more reliable and enjoyable to use at a price point that I could justify. Although something costing many times the price would have been better, it didn't provide the pleasure of working in the Apple software environment. Today, however, there are comparable options to OS X that run on better hardware than Apple offers, at lower prices and while offering a wider array of options.

 

[Ebenezum]

I'm between "Frustrated and staying with Apple" vs. "Switching to Linux.

Latest OS X versions (10.10 & 10.11) had very little benefits for my needs not to mention too many bugs and idiotic design decisions (example: Disk Utility is complete POS in 10.11). I'm not impressed with the direction Apple has been taking OS X.

I'm not saying the old mantra "It just works" was completely true but Snow Leopard was in my opinion the golden age of OS X, very fast and stable. I'm currently using Mavericks which mostly works. I'm not going to purchase another Mac unless Apple stops producing non-upgradedable Macs and OS X receives beneficial improvements instead of bling and pointless new features (how about working Spotlight instead of current "everything and the kitchen sink" which search everything but won't find local files reliably unlike Mavericks Spotlight).

I have considered switching to Linux but some of the software I use are not available and replacements are inferior in quality. Windows have too many downsides for my needs not mention idiotic telemetry and privacy policy.

 

[iRock1]

"Bonkers" is a reasonable reaction to the associated January headline, Apple's Tim Cook declares the end of the PC …; also a hangover reaction from July 2014, Apple CEO Tim Cook says everyone should do 80 percent of their work on an iPad, just like him | 9to5Mac.

I can imagine many people using nothing other than a tablet in the future. Maybe a decade from now, a very small percentage of users will do so; many people, but a very small percentage.

Of the many people I know who use a tablet (Android or iOS), none goes without a notebook and/or desktop computer for things that are more difficult or impossible on a tablet. Of those people, a minority are extremely resistant to changes to GUIs in operating systems for the desktop. At an application level, I'm most aware of aggravations caused by changes to iTunes. Whilst I (the onlooker) may find some logic in a change, the end user – in no way a power user – is repeatedly dissatisfied.

I'd argue most people, in fact, can do all they need on a tablet. You just might have a different and non-representative sample.

If that many people you know work at tech companies or do office work, that's fine. But here's the thing—there's an entire world out there. And for what I see, that people only browse Facebook, read the news, check their email and watch some Youtube videos. All doable on iOS.

Please notice I'm not saying I'm OK or not with that. I'm just stating how things work today. FWIW, in my own personal case, living exclusively on the iOS ecosystem would be a terrible joke.

 

[jasnw]

I am starting to seriously consider going back to Linux, which is something I never thought I would say. Now, it might be that I will find that Linux hasn't progressed much beyond where I left it for OS X back in 2003, in which case I may have to suck it up and stay the course. However, I have started the research aimed at bailing out. Since I'm neither a content nor an iCloud consumer, I'm sure Ma Apple could care less.

 

[kazmac]

I am really up in the air now. The surprise of finally being able to delete unnecessary and bloated apps in iOS 10, is a band aid, but I am uncertain. Am I absolutely disgusted at the Apple brass being so completely $ and image hungry and out of touch with what some of their customers want, oh yes indeed.

Am I worried about upgrading my 2013 27" iMac and 6s ? You better believe it.

Am I sad as all hell in typing this (on a pc* no less): yes, yes I am.

* A perfectly fine Lenovo ThinkCentre...

 

[C DM]

I am really up in the air now. The surprise of finally being able to delete unnecessary and bloated apps in iOS 10, is a band aid, but I am uncertain. Am I absolutely disgusted at the Apple brass being so completely $ and image hungry and out of touch with what some of their customers want, oh yes indeed.

Am I worried about upgrading my 2013 27" iMac and 6s ? You better believe it.

Am I sad as all hell in typing this (on a pc* no less): yes, yes I am.

* A perfectly fine Lenovo ThinkCentre...

The native apps don't really appear to be bloated and deleting them won't really save much in the sense of space: http://support.apple.com/HT204221