Why do people buy Apple products?

[Michael Goff]

I mean, the list of negatives I read around here grows every day it seems. If MacRumors is to be believed, Apple:
-doesn’t innovate
-is poor value for the money
-is overpriced
-is led by somebody with no vision

Given all that, I have to wonder why anyone bothers to buy anything from the company. It just doesn’t make any sense.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

You are more likely to hear complaints than praise and this forum is a testament to that.

Imagine if every customer who was thrilled with their purchase came here and posted about it?

On the subject:

I love my Mac Pros
I love my MacBook Pros
I love my MacBook Air
I love my SE
I love my iPad 2018 w/ Pencil
I love my Time Capsules
I love my AirPort Express

I love macOS
I love iOS

 

[Benkers]

I truly love how everything connects so easily...

No Wi-Fi? No problem. I carry my phone around all the time - with two clicks I can use my 4G hotspot.

... and the same goes for other Bluetooth devices, such as my AirPods. Need to watch a video on my Mac? Not a problem. Initialise a bluetooth connection and done. No need to pair everything all over again.

 

[Krayzkat]

I don't believe in blind loyalty, like some stone age tribesman worshipping a god.

Just because people have or like Apple products doesn't mean they shouldn't complain if there is something wrong.

If Apple never had people who complained, they would just became a 'spoilt child'-like company, and it would never continue it's quest to innovate or get better.

 

[Plett]

I am really into self loathing

 

[LeeW]

the list of negatives I read around here grows every day it seems

Negative people post more than positive people, it just happens that there are more negative people on this forum than most.

The reality is that the bulk of Apple customers are perfectly happy with what they have, don't care who Tim Cook is, don't wake up regretting how much they paid for their Apple device as they are too busy using it.

Poor value for the money? Subjective.

Overpriced? Compared to what? You will always find something much cheaper, moderately cheaper and a bit cheaper. But if you are trying to make a point on these forums about price, members find the cheapest alternative to compare. Yes there is the 'Apple Tax' although when you are a position as strong as Apple you can have a tax named after yourself.

Listen to you, nobody else, is it right for you and can you afford the device? If you buy it and it does what you expected, then that is all you need. The exception to that are the things that do attract negativity with good reason, the MBP keyboard issues for example.

At the end of the day if you listen to many people on this forum you will never buy anything. It's one of the worst I am a member of.

And remember, Apple is not everything, the PC with Windows 10 should not be overlooked these days, come on leaps and bounds. You always have options.

 

[Wandering Wastrel]

I dislike some choices that Apple has made. Not all, just some. Their products still mostly serve my needs.

The primary reason I buy Apple though, I must admit, is because I hate and loathe Google and Microsoft with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns.

 

[AidenShaw]

The primary reason I buy Apple though, I must admit, is because I hate and loathe Google and Microsoft with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns.

At least you have a rational reason....

 

[LeeW]

I use my Mac Mini primarily for web development, whilst I don't hate Google or Microsoft with the white hot intensity of a thousands suns it simply provides me with the best environment and tools to get the job done quicker. Getting things done quicker is worth an Apple Tax.

 

[Porco]

To paraphrase the famous quote about democracy, I buy Apple products because they are the worst, except for all the others.

(Only half-joking).

 

[Perene]

I am not buying from Apple anymore. And this time I really mean it.

In the last years I sold the ATV 4, the Airpods and prior to buying my current IPP 10.5 I had two IPPs 9.7 (from 2016).

This IPP 10.5 + Smart Keyboard for it and my 1st gen Apple Pencil are the last items I bought from them. No intention of investing now or in the future.

The fact the alternatives are c.rap doesn't mean Apple isn't flooding the market with overpriced junk.

I have listed my reasons in other posts/threads, so I won't bother repeating them:
https://forums.macrumors.com/search/6562150/

I never used a Macbook and have no intention of buying one, it's so expensive that I prefer to stick with my PC, which nowadays would also cost me a lot of money to upgrade, and frankly I don't see the need for this, too. Take 4K monitors, for example. We already have 5K and 4K@60 Hz may be considered outdated, despite representing most models out there.

5 years from now we will all be using 8K monitors and by then they will all be cheaper than 4K these days

So why bother? It's always the same stupid game.

Anyway, since Apple doesn't intend to invest in their tablets by listening to us I don't recommend spending more than US$ 400, which is the cost of the 2018 (9.7) version.

It's a waste to pay US$ 1K for a product that has been crippled on purpose and when there are reports of major quality control issues. Even a dongle sold by them (that I would consider essential) was not exempt from criticism:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-headphone-adapter-wifi-interference.2155178/
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ne-adapter-draining-a-lot-of-battery.2156206/

 

[LeeW]

5 years from now we will all be using 8K monitors

I have 2 BenQ GW2270H monitors, mounted to the wall to give me more desk space, cost me less than $170 for both of them a few months ago, they are great, very clear and I am happy with them. No interest in 4k or 5k, or at least I don't believe having seen them in action that I appreciate them enough to pay the money.

Whilst I dropped $1,600 into a new Mac Mini I have more specific needs that work well with it to justify the cost as well as knowing how many years I will keep it. I aim for 5 years and like to consider the annual cost, so $320 pa, I am really ok with that, I spend more each year at Starbucks on Coffee.

 

[theluggage]

Given all that, I have to wonder why anyone bothers to buy anything from the company.

...because MacOS and iOS are still, overall, nicer to work with than Windows and Android, and that counts for a lot. Its a hassle to move. I've used Windows in the past, still use it occasionally, as well as Linux and probably would have switched back last year if (a) the Surface Book I bought hadn't died, (b) my circumstances hadn't changed to make an iMac, rather than a powerful laptop, a better choice and (c) it was my last shot at an educational discount. Would still have preferred a mini-tower, though.

Also, though, many "complainers" here are just holding Apple to the high standards they've set in the past. They're supposed to be better than the competition - and they charge for the privilege: at these prices, a sense of entitlement should be included in the box along with the Apple stickers and the cleaning cloth.

However, if Apple keep pushing their prices higher and higher, narrowing down their range to the biggest-selling items only and skimping on Mac development so that there's always one or two models out-of-date, then more and more people are going to reach tipping point. I think the stock markets are on to that one now, though.

 

[redheeler]

I mean, the list of negatives I read around here grows every day it seems. If MacRumors is to be believed, Apple:
-doesn’t innovate
-is poor value for the money
-is overpriced
-is led by somebody with no vision

Given all that, I have to wonder why anyone bothers to buy anything from the company. It just doesn’t make any sense.

There is some truth to these points, especially when it comes to the laptops and the inflated prices of this year's iPhones, so I opted to keep using my existing hardware instead of upgrading.

I have no desire to switch to Android or Windows though, and would much rather stick to iOS and MacOS as well as the Apple build quality, even if that means only being able to justify preowned hardware or new hardware used for 4+ years (iPhone) or 6+ years (Mac).

It's sad, but the value of Apple laptops has gone down over the last few years as the price has stayed high. We haven't seen anything innovative like the 2012 MacBook Pro with Retina Display again either.

Edit: The 5K iMac is one of Apple's few remaining good-value good-price products (IMHO), and one of the best all-in-ones for the price even setting software aside. If, that is, they would refresh it with this year's hardware and not increase the price abruptly...

The Mac mini isn't overpriced, but the base model is poor value. For $799, Apple couldn't give us an i5 at the very least?

 

[gnasher729]

I mean, the list of negatives I read around here grows every day it seems. If MacRumors is to be believed, Apple:
-doesn’t innovate
-is poor value for the money
-is overpriced
-is led by somebody with no vision

Given all that, I have to wonder why anyone bothers to buy anything from the company. It just doesn’t make any sense.

That's because everyone knows that

- only trolls say that Apple doesn't innovate
- only trolls say that Apple products are poor value for money
- only trolls say that Apple products are overpriced
- only trolls say that Apple is led by somebody with no vision.

and millions and millions of people don't let trolls dictate to them what they should buy.

 

[Strider64]

While I agree Apple is overprice, I feel you get what you pay for. No one forcing anyone to buy Apple and one can always go the PC route. I was a PC person for 30+ years and they are still good computers. Heck, by computing standards PC hardware is definitely faster. However, I went with the Apple route the last 5 years simply because I find it easier getting to doing my work and I find Apple products to be very reliable (knocking on wood as I type the last part). Anyone buying any computer for "Value" is a fool, I buy a computer, iPhone and iPad for productivity.

 

[LeeW]

Anyone buying any computer for "Value" is a fool, I buy a computer, iPhone and iPad for productivity.

Indeed but that is the one thing that persists on this forum, value. It is more important to have an i7 that you don't need and will never utilize than a perfectly capable i3 that you will still never fully utilize. But Apple should give you the i7 for the same price of the i3, cause, value..

 

[benjo765]

I mean, the list of negatives I read around here grows every day it seems. If MacRumors is to be believed, Apple:
-doesn’t innovate
-is poor value for the money
-is overpriced
-is led by somebody with no vision

Given all that, I have to wonder why anyone bothers to buy anything from the company. It just doesn’t make any sense.

I consider myself reasonably impartial by the standards of a long-time Apple user.
To me some of those assertions seem unfair; some of their items are poor value for money, but not all. HomePod was found to have such expensive components in it that is quite aggressively priced. A lot of the value also depends on how important to you things like the products industrial design is (usually second to none), screen quality, the ecosystem, service support and UI. User satisfaction is still extremely high, and it is not credible to dismiss that entirely owing to brand infatuation.

The squeezing of Apple Care lengths and reducing accessibility to the walk-in service, the price escelation seen on Pro line products in recent years, lackluster voice-assistant; all of these things harm value for money and add to the overpriced argument. I do not like that point-of-entry products are still so high - iPhone XR, Mac Mini, Macbook in basic configurations are still unafforable to many, smacking of elitism.

They still do easily make the best laptops, wearables and tablets available. How you choose to value that premium quality is a judgement call. Screen quality matters a lot to me, and I’m squeemish about the privacy concerns that have become more prominent issues in recent years, with Apple positioning itself in a good place on that.

I find the idea that they do not innovate pretty laughable to be honest. They might not present the fireworks of massive product releases as frequently, partially owing to maturation in some areas of consumable technology, but from Face ID to screen rolling in iPhones to AR to chip architectures, wearable EKGs, fall detection — even a cursorary look demonstrates otherwise.
Jury still out on the leadership of Tim Cook. Certainly had the bar set high. Both pluses and minuses.

 

[Rum_Becker]

6 years ago I had an iMac, 2 Mac Mini's, 2 iPads, 2 ATV, Time Capsule, 2 Airport Extremes, an iPhone and a Macbook air. Since then I have switched to other platforms for everything except for my 2012 MacBook Air which is still running great. I use to see value in Macs but now I just don't, ever since they they have made them nearly upgradeable. At the time my iPhone 4s was the best phone out there and I was able to get one for a reasonable price, now I can get an android phone which is 95% as good as a iPhone for what I use my phone for, for a 1/4 the price. That being said I did buy an iPhone 7 yesterday for $2.50 to to give to my son.

 

[goslowjoe]

I do not allow the politics of the industry to influence me. Threads like "If Jobs were alive, he would not allow this..." or "Should Apple get rid of...?" just irritate me.

I use Apple products because for ME, they offer the best value for money. On top of that, my few Apple products are awesome and they can probably do much more for me than I already allow them to. I love technology and what we can achieve with it. Most of all, for ME, my Apple products feel, well, classy. Yes, I know that there will be Windows-based notebooks out there that are also "classy", offer more this and better that, but I am not willing to spend money on an item that will not integrate with the rest of my gear as well as Apple's products do.

 

[AmazingRobie]

software. Period. Its the only thing Apple has that anyone wants which is why they wont open it up to other platforms. If they opened the eula their hardware sales would be insignificant.

 

[Perene]

While I agree Apple is overprice, I feel you get what you pay for. No one forcing anyone to buy Apple and one can always go the PC route. I was a PC person for 30+ years and they are still good computers. Heck, by computing standards PC hardware is definitely faster. However, I went with the Apple route the last 5 years simply because I find it easier getting to doing my work and I find Apple products to be very reliable (knocking on wood as I type the last part). Anyone buying any computer for "Value" is a fool, I buy a computer, iPhone and iPad for productivity.

Not true... there’s not much difference between paying for a cheaper iPad that costs 400 dollars and another that is over 1K. Granted the screen has an anti reflective coating, the camera can record in 4K and you get more storage, and the hardware is better, but all these differences are not worth paying 2-3 times more, since both devices are crippled on purpose.

The whole thing is so crippled that a 12 year old device (iPod) can’t even be plugged into Windows and using iTunes you been able to do a backup and add new files. I had to download paid software for it.

Everything from Apple is ridiculously overpriced and there are even reports of flaws in the new iPad Pros which cost 32% more, like this bendgate controversy and this thread:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-headphone-adapter-wifi-interference.2155178/

Not to mention this issue with the 10.5 (I wasn’t affected, but many certainly were)
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-issue-on-the-pro-10-5.2156440/#post-26839188

I am sorry to say you don’t get what you pay for, if Apple insists with a crappy OS and hardware.

You would be better served paying 500 $ for a random notebook, which has support for many things the iPads can’t provide.

 

[dogslobber]

Given all that, I have to wonder why anyone bothers to buy anything from the company. It just doesn’t make any sense.

You have to consider the alternative opportunity cost. My marriage wouldn't stand up if I forced my wife to use an Android system or computer running Micro-Soft. So Apple helps me stay married.

 

[jeyf]

I got caught up in the 217 MBP keyboard and before that it was something else.
Apple Inc is a 40year old company. Not my concern they are going through a mid life crisis.

of late it has been a continual stream of junk hardware. Considering price, functionality and quality its all mediocre value.

 

[BMcCoy]

Same reason as anyone buys premium products.
Choice.

There will be lots of reasons behind that choice, but ultimately it is a subjective decision to spend money on a product, for reasons that will vary between individuals. It is not an essential. It is choice.

Same as when people buy an expensive car. I don't understand that choice.. an expensive car still just drives from A to B, same as a cheap car. But it is a subjective choice, and there will be lots of reasons for it.
One of the great things about us humans all being different!