How Steve Jobs made the world a happier place

Dave Sag says:

11:04am | 25/08/11

If you did own an Apple iThing, or Mac however you would understand why we Apple owners are so keen on them.  They work, they look nice, they feel great to use.  They are not ‘just a phone/puter/walkman’ and to say that betrays the ignorance on one who has never used Apple’s kit.  Their software is wonderful.  Try Pages over Word for example and you’ll rediscover just how fun it can be to write.  Numbers is so much nicer to use than Excel, despite missing some features for the spreadsheet power-user (features I have never used in my life). Keynote vs Powerpoint — there is simply no comparing the two, Keynote is so much nicer to use.  Apple gear makes you more productive, without even trying.  And Apple stores… well not having cash registers makes the purchasing experience miraculous.  Get over your anti-Apple zealotry and drink the Kool Aid, it’s delicious.

System 7 User says:

11:20am | 25/08/11

I’ve been a Mac user since 1994. Love ‘em. What I love most is that, for the most part, the tech gets out of the way and lets me do what I want to do. Macs aren’t idiot-proof - the world will always invent a bigger idiot - but neither do I have to possess arcane knowledge of how it works to get my stuff done. A fine example is Time Machine. Backup software has been around for ages, but it’s all so crappy. TimeMachine is great: the world’s easiest backup system that not only takes snapshots, but also saves versions. Seconds to setup, and it works without intervention. Most importantly, file retrieval is dead simple and has saved me many times.

It’s this simplicity and a desire to communicate it with others that comes across as being “evangelical”. I have discovered, though, that if I “sell” a product, people expect me to support it. So now I STFU.

“And Apple stores seem to have a trifle too much of the Revival Tent about them”
The way they clap people who buy stuff in the Apple store is too weird even for me.

TimB says:

11:22am | 25/08/11

http://www.shootingatbubbles.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/cletus1.jpg

adam says:

11:31am | 25/08/11

Dave, calm down matey, I should have also pointed out, I don’t have a puter other than at work, I don’t run a mobile other than work issued ones and I have no interest in any single competitor of apples over another.
However, they are just a phone/puter/walkman. I’ll stick to gateraid thanks

old fart says:

11:40am | 25/08/11

my neice purchased an Ipad within two days the button on the front of it ceased functioning, the whole thing hadf to be replaced.  Apple = Crapple

Matthew says:

11:58am | 25/08/11

Dave, I have used Macs and disagree with you. It’s not wise to stand their and argue that Apple’s is the best and if you haven’t used it then you’re ignorant.

Mac OS X is like buy a car but you’re only allowed to open the doors and sit in it.  Knowing what’s under the hood is pretty much forbidden and if it needs a change of oil then you have to go to the Apple dealer (of which there’s only a couple in your town) and they’ll return it in a few weeks because the mechanics in the store don’t know how to fix it.

I can see why it’s good for some (who wouldn’t like driving a Merc?) but when you realise it’s got the motor of an Echo and you can’t upgrade it and you paid Mercedes price than you start to get annoyed.

Troy Flynn says:

04:04pm | 25/08/11

My first Apple experience was at school with one of the Apple IIE’s which they had in the computer room along with 8 Vic20’s. I have not touched an apple product since. When the iMac came out, I was already self taught in how to build (assemble from scratch) a PC. I liked the iMac’s, but when I found out that they were a closed system and you couldn’t upgrade them the interest died right there. I was not wealthy enough to contemplate either the G3 or G4 just so I could upgrade the machine myself later on.
When the ipod first came out I was interested. Then I read about the restrictions and the proprietary format for music files. To have to go to the trouble of re-ripping my own CD’s into Apple’s accepted format instead of just simply dragging the mp3’s I’d already created onto the ipod meant that I would and never have owned an ipod. I bought a 30GB Creative Zen instead as it supported Mp3 playback and it still works.
I never wanted an iPhone either, but that’s because I hate having to have a mobile phone anyway. Then the problems with the iPhone 4 and signal issues came out and I was satisfied I’d done the right thing in ignoring them. I bought the simplest pre-paid phone I could find.
I just want a phone to be a phone. (Although the camera did come in handy in a bingle in which I had no fault but the other guy tried it on.)
And when a friend of my showed me his iPad, I wasn’t that impressed and neither was he actually. When he found out it wouldn’t allow him to download and install any updates or freeware which didn’t come out of iTunes (another bugbear of mine) , it almost ended up out the window in anger.
ADAM: I agree, they do seem a bit “Happy Clappy” in their opinion of their product which is also a big turn off to me too.
DAVE: I’m quite happy with the recent version of Office for windows. I don’t use a lot of office programs in my home situation, but I do use Excel to database my collections. My main PC use is as an entertainment system. With all my video’s on the Hard Drive, I can tell media player to put all those video files into the playlist and set to random. I now have my own GO, 7Mate and Channel11 repeats channel, minus the ads. And they’re repeats of shows I actually like.
The other aspect of my own computer use is even though I’m 41, I am a gamer. The Macs abiliity in this area is sporadic and I don’t see the point of using a windows emulator on a Mac just so I can play my games. To my mind, a Mac is only of benefit to those using a 3D rendering programs like Maya and 3D Studio Max or really processor intensive video editing. None of which I do.

Bomb78 says:

09:28am | 26/08/11

Troy Flynn: your loss dude. Maybe you missed the memo, iTunes doesn’t make you re-rip you music, it will copy it across and convert for you. And I’ve had the same Mac for five years, and it’s now running Lion. Haven’t needed to upgrade my hardware every year like my wife’s PC that she slaves over to keep current. 
That’s ok, those of us that are converted are happy for people like you to stay on the other side of the fence, makes us happy to know how much better we are doing it.
And you leave it to the end of you rant to mention your a gamer. That’s ok, we all have problems.

JB says:

10:49am | 06/10/11

To TimB, Your an idiot! I have had a MAC for 9 years and never has a system crash. Has you PC piece of crap had the same. Simple maybe, Reliable? Thats like PC = Wright brothers plane, MAC = Boeing 777.

gobsmack says:

12:27pm | 25/08/11

I read an article yesterday that Apple are suing Samsung for ripping of the design to their iPad.
Part of Samsung’s defence is that the same design was first used in the film version of 2001: A Space Oddysey.
Apparently because the law suit concerns the design rather than the functionality of the iPad, at least one senior lawyer thinks Samsung has a good defence.

Al Chunk says:

02:11pm | 25/08/11

Steve Jobs said himself (paraphrasing here) good design is copied great design is stolen, Apple are just playing a large corporate game with patents with the only casualty being the speed of innovation.  I’m always with anything open source.

Aaron says:

02:14pm | 25/08/11

Apple actually succeeded in banning samsung galaxy phones (not tablets) in the EU. This was due to the swipe gesture used to change photos, a simple update will fix this. The big news in this is that the courts in the EU ruled that Samsung has not copied the “Look and Feel” of the apple products.

Geoff - Brisbane says:

01:19pm | 25/08/11

Yes the others can do all these magical things….. IF you know how to use them.

People just want to play a movie or a song or view a basic website (like the punch). That’s where apple excels. Its plug and play features you buy it, plug it into itunes and it gives you all your songs sets the clock and sets up basic settings that are easy to understand.

The Other Phil says:

01:56pm | 25/08/11

So what you’re saying Geoff is that it requires no thought from the user? Enlightening to say the least.

Thomas Anderson says:

02:01pm | 25/08/11

Granted, Apple makes suitable products for pensioners, but I cannot respect anyone under 40 who buys an Apple product, they should know better, they were still young when computers were invented. They are just lazy tech noobs who deserve no sympathy.

Markus says:

02:03pm | 25/08/11

“People just want to play a movie or a song or view a basic website”
And if that’s all some people are after in a product then good on them.
The rest of us just don’t like being told repeatedly by those same people that they are just far superior products in all facets, when they clearly have absolutely no idea on the matter.

meh says:

02:32pm | 25/08/11

So you don’t respect anyone who is not a tech head?

http://www.shootingatbubbles.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/cletus1.jpg

Thomas Anderson says:

03:42pm | 25/08/11

I do not respect anyone who prefers an iPhone over, say, a HTC running Androind, because the iPhone is “easier to use”. You don’t need to be a tech head to figure out how to use a freaking phone, I have non tech friends who figured it out, if they can, so can everyone. If you get confused by a few settings that Android lets you tweak, then, no, unless you are the elderly, I do not respect the noob. Go live in a forest.

The Other Phil says:

06:29pm | 25/08/11

@Thomas Anderson - Anyone under 40 probably wasn’t even a thought in their free spirited parents minds when computers were invented. IBM had developed systems for the Allied code breaking efforts during WW2, and the first digital computer was brought about in the 1930s.

Thomas Anderson says:

01:51pm | 26/08/11

Sorry bro, I didn’t mean they had to be privy to secret military operations in the 30s or even WW2, rather they had to be around in the 80s when personal computers were becoming accessible to households.

Although, I’m pretty sure you knew exactly what I meant, so your comment was as much a waste of effort as this one.

The Other Phil says:

03:17pm | 26/08/11

Well, if you meant when they became popular personal devices, then that’s different to saying when something was invented. I read what you wrote, and replied to that. I’ve talked to people who were under the impression that computers were infact an invention that came about in the 80s, and as such, that’s how your comment came across. There’s no reason to get all snarky and “bro” about it.

Heather says:

02:55pm | 28/08/11

Uh so if you want to make things easier for yourself you’re now consider a noob?

Look dude, I get your Apple rage really I do. I worked in IT for 9 years and had to support Macs which was pain like I’ve never known. I hate the slavish desire and mindless consumerism that the company encourages and if I meet one more smug, sanctimonious Apple fanboy it might finally tip me into a homicidal technology rage.

That said I have an iPhone and really like it. You know why? I bought a Blackberry Storm and after struggling with the bastard thing for a year realised that all I wanted was something that just worked and did stuff I wanted it to do. I’m not a masochist and life is too short to spend hours fiddling with a dumb gadget to make it work the way it should. I still think iTunes is an abomination and if Android phones had been more prevalent at the time I would have considered one as well, but hey my iPhone does exactly what it’s supposed to and for that I am grateful.

Sure Apple products aren’t aimed at the uber nerds of the world and the somewhat disturbing control Apple wants over them gets on my nerves, but that’s ok because sometimes it’s nice to own something that doesn’t require a degree in computer science.

I’m not sure why technology needs to be complicated for you to consider it worthy of your attention? In a perfect world all gadgets would be easy and intuitive to use, unfortunately (or fortunately?) as so few companies have actually managed to nail this it’s left the market wide open for Apple to market to the vast un-uber nerd masses.

adam says:

11:32am | 25/08/11

ben I am almost always the last to “get” the latest trends so yep I probably am missing out. It stiff weirds me out some

Thomas Anderson says:

11:59am | 25/08/11

LOL, the elderly, a prime target for Apple. Look, you can press a button and your son’s photo comes up, what an innovative feature. Once again shows that Apple products are only liked by people who don’t know better.

Thomas Anderson says:

12:11pm | 25/08/11

Quicktime LOL. Another fail from the pages of Apple. I do recall when it was being promoted to compete with WMP and Real Player, and even against how crappy WMP was back then, Quicktime still managed to do worse.

Danny B says:

12:22pm | 25/08/11

I know.

iTunes, updated it a couple of days ago.  Now when I try to minimise it, it will minimise and restore a couple of times, then show an unresponsive iTunes window with no title or minimise/maximise/close buttons in the corner.  I then have to minimise again from the taskbar.

BTW, anyone else come across this?

System 7 User says:

12:39pm | 25/08/11

“I give credit where it’s due and the marketing team at Apple is unbelievable.  They could sell ice to eskimos.”
It’s beliefs like that that let some companies continue to churn out crap, hoping that the marketing company will save them. It might work for a while, but the only metrics worth worrying about are sales, revenue and profitability.

iOS insecure? Are you serious?

“According to a new quarterly report from McAfee, Android has now soared to the top as the most targeted platform for malware… Malware incidences on Apple’s iOS have been so negligible that it has not made the list.”

I haven’t run AV on any of my Macs at all since my first Mac in 1993. No problemo. All I’d advise a complete noob to have is a trojan watcher like Avast.

Adam says:

01:06pm | 25/08/11

Nice little report you have there System 7 User.

Unfortunately just because an OS isn’t getting attacked by viruses doesn’t actually mean it’s secure. That’s like saying New Zealand’s military is the best in the world because they’ve never (in recent years) been attacked.

Typically, the more popular OS is the one that is rife with malware and viruses - as there is a greater chance of capitalising on it.

Thomas Anderson says:

01:28pm | 25/08/11

System 7 User,

You haven’t run an AV since 1993? Now I know there aren’t many exploits for Macs, due to the lack of interest in the platform, but simply hoping for the best is a stupid attitude. How typical of a technologically inept Mac user!

Put it this way, there are even less exploits for Linux, but I still run an AV on my Android phone, just because it is good practice.

n_dude says:

03:27pm | 25/08/11

@System 7 User - I wonder if you have some of that rogue AV on you Mac?

SimpleSimon says:

03:31pm | 25/08/11

I expect Android is being targeted by malware over iOS because developing for Android is free, and making applications available is free. This is as opposed to iOS where you have to register to be an iOS developer (about $100 from memory) and then can only make apps available if they’ve been passed by Apple employed content reviewers. I don’t expect Android is any more vulnerable than iOS as an operating system, it’s just easier and cheaper to get malware out there for Android.

Matthew says:

03:47pm | 25/08/11

Security by Obscurity is not security.  Windows, Linux and Apple have a similar number of reported security flaws that are open/closed etc at any given time.

The difference is that Windows and Linux environments make up at least 20 times the amount of Macs in their respected areas (desktop for windows and servers for linux) and therefore have 20 times as many users to find the flaws (and hackers to cash in on them).

St. Michael says:

11:34am | 25/08/11

I did.  Which is why I hate Apples.

RyaN says:

11:41am | 25/08/11

@Richard: me too I did, and it was the worst experience I have ever had!
I too will NEVER use an Apple product EVER again.

MC says:

11:51am | 25/08/11

So did i.

Just love how compatible itunes is with my PC.
Just love how easy it is to replace / change parts with iProducts
/sarcasm.

fml says:

11:57am | 25/08/11

Me too, they are terrible,

Over priced and lack functionality of most major competitors, they are unethical and use child labor in China, and they use anti-competitive practices such as ambiguous product patents. Just like how they sued samsung, for “stealing” their “look and feel”. How the hell can you patent a look and feel.

Apple fanboys dont seem to care about these things as long as their mates see them with an apple.

Gomez12 says:

11:59am | 25/08/11

@Richard,

Which product are you referring to?
iTunes - Which you will need a registry cleaner to get rid of because it’s so insidious? Takes forever to load and lacks the capacity to deal with music libraries over 1000 songs

iPod nano - Battery death in 2 months - Apple claims no problems with batteries.

iPod Nano 2 - Same battery death (There are still no problems with batteries according to apple)

iPhone - The one where the buttons fell off, the battery lasts for half a day and it can’t actually make or receive phone-calls and needs a re-boot every other day, if not more?

And if you think the staff at the Apple stores are friendly, obviously you’ve only bought from themm - try going back with a problem, It’s somewhat frustrating since according to apple there are no such things as problems.

Apple - Slick, easy to use, faulty, poorly designed, over-hyped.

Markus says:

11:59am | 25/08/11

Have. Found many of the products lacked capabilities of other products, or cost double the amount for the exact same capabilities.

Don’t appreciate the continued stupid assumption from Apple fanboys that I must never have used an Apple product to not like the functionality.

Thomas Anderson says:

12:09pm | 25/08/11

Richard, I had the “pleasure” of using a Macintosh back in 2000, and have been hating Apple ever since. Of course, since then, I have appreciated the low quality audio of an ipod, an mp3 player which requires some malware called itunes to move files over, unlike most other competitors who just allow you to use the mp3 player as a portable HDD.

Also, played around with the iphone, a smartphone that lacks any customisation out of the box, and also makes it extremely hard to customise the phone yourself. I mean, come on, even old Nokias let you install different operating systems or custom symbian roms. Everything Apple makes reminds me of the electronic directories they have in some shopping centers - looks pretty, but does very little.

Reid Wright says:

12:13pm | 25/08/11

yeh, I-tunes for example, that thing is way fun to use. Importing, exporting, synchronising, crashing, governing. I never knew i could spend so much time swearing at an inanimate object. It really helped me discover a new side of myself that i wasn’t aware of. Thanks Apple.
PS. Damn you Sony for letting me drag and drop with minimal fuss at one third of the price !!

Ben C says:

12:44pm | 25/08/11

I’ve used Apple on and off in my life - most of my school years were in front of Apples. There’s a few things that turn me away from Apple:

1. They don’t support Flash, which means no YouTube. (Is Harquebus still around Punchland these days, with his peak oil? He’ll attest to that, although he doesn’t care much for YouTube anyway.)
2. Software compatibility - the database software that we use in my parents’ business doesn’t run on Mac.
3. Cost - for the same amount I would spend on a Mac, I could build three computers and run a free OS on them (Linux).

If Apple computers are good for anything, it’s in artistic-style industries - film, music, photography, publishing, even technical design.

AdamC says:

01:10pm | 25/08/11

Apple products appeal to people who aren’t techies. They especially appeal to creative and artistic types as well as those who appreciate attractive design. In fact, Apple’s core competency is creating pretty objects and presenting them in an appealing way. (Most retailers could learn a lot from the Apple Stores.) That is their main value add, and the reason why people like me, former sceptics, eventually caved in to the iPhenomenon.

I have an iPhone and an iPad and they both work quite well. I find the Apple Mac OS’s interface entirely baffling, so I steer clear. The no flash thing is irritating, but that’s about it. A lot of people hate on Apple for no apparent reason; I suspect it is Microsoft derangement syndrome Mk II. The most absurd are those who criticise Apple for manufacturing its products in China. I mean, where do they think all their other stuff comes from?

old fart says:

01:19pm | 25/08/11

didnt apple steal Nokia’s phone design for the Iphone

fml says:

02:15pm | 25/08/11

AdamC

For no apparent reason?? You have answered your own unasked question, Apple users are not technically minded.

AdamC says:

02:27pm | 25/08/11

Fml, are you saying Apple haters hate Apple because the company’s products are favoured by the less technically-minded? Why should that bother them? Geeks are weird.

fml says:

02:40pm | 25/08/11

Adam,

It bothers us because the less technically minded are usually the loudest and claim to know the most. When have you met a quiet apple fan? One that doesnt scream and go weak at the knees when a new apple product has entered the market. New iphone4, now in pink, wow, i have to get one.

They are inferior products, and they are over priced.

Markus says:

03:00pm | 25/08/11

AdamC, Apple haters hating on Apple is an unfortunate side effect of their less technically-minded consumers continually trying to force their technical expertise on us. Expertise that is inevitably just “You should get an Apple, it’s better”. This whole article is case in point.

AdamC says:

03:08pm | 25/08/11

Fml, I used to hate Apple fans too, until I realised I could be accused of being one. Having said that, I would never claim to ‘know everything’, least of all about technology!

When you say Apple products are inferior, what you actually mean is that Apple can command a premium for its products that the specifications of those products do not warrant. The reason Apple can do this is because they were the first company to realise that, as the use of devices broadens, user experience, brand values and appealing design will become more important than specs alone.

The reality is that people who are into, and know about, technology are, like people who are interested in politics and visit sites like the Punch, a small minority of the population.

(Incidentally, fml, I think you are the only Punch commenter who I manage to disagree with about absolutely everything. I’m sure you wouldn’t regard that as a bad thing, but I though I should point it our nonetheless.)

Bilby says:

03:25pm | 25/08/11

AdamC - It bothers us because shit mate… that’s all we got. We know computers n stuff. We are the magi. What is to become of us if any old idiot can use a computer? And a smart phone? And a tablet? What awesomeness is left purely in our domain? Why will the chicks want us then? Have some compassion will you?

fml says:

03:35pm | 25/08/11

Haha AdamC

Yep i think we do disagree on pretty much everything.

And, nope, i dont mind, because its probably going to be the only thing we ever agree upon :p

Thomas Anderson says:

03:55pm | 25/08/11

Yeah, hearing a noob claim “OMG iphone is so good, better than everything else, you should get one too, throw that HTC away” is cute at the first or even second instance, but by the 5th time, it starts to get a little annoying.

Sarah says:

06:40pm | 25/08/11

Good on you Richard. We’ve all been on the dark side and eventually most will see the light lol

Fiona says:

09:10am | 26/08/11

I use both. Apple notebook at home and windows pc at work, have a pc at home too, that keeps getting viruses, trojans etc. We’ve used any number of virus protection software, but keep getting em. I’ve never had one on my laptop, ever. That sells it for me. That and the fact that I can do great photobooks from my laptop. I’ve found the staff at the apple store helpful, even if you’re not buying.

Thomas Anderson says:

01:56pm | 26/08/11

@ Fiona

If you don’t know how to safely download porn and pirated materials, then don’t do it at all.

I don’t know how else you could get viruses, assuming you know better than to open openme.exe sent by His Royal Highness Prince of Sudan.

If you get malware on your computer, 99.9% of the time it’s a user issue, not the fault of your PC. After all, a healthy PC does not suddenly become self aware and start to download viruses all by itself…

scotty says:

12:35pm | 27/08/11

I did. It was average at best- good design for the device, terrible software- Itunes is absolute rubbish)

Markus says:

12:02pm | 25/08/11

And Apple’s trend of suing rival companies with unfounded accusations of patent infringement, keeping the issue in court just long enough for the rival product to become redundant, and thus no longer able to compete as a rival product.

Matthew says:

12:03pm | 25/08/11

Apple so very nearly disappeared in the early to mid-90s.  They all forget.  Worse still, they continue to use the same philosophy that nearly sent them bankrupt.  They’ve managed to suck enough people into their way of thinking that it works now though.

Mick D says:

11:56am | 25/08/11

Yo NSW, do you strut with your shoulda a bit straighter after you hate on Apple? As a musician, switching for the first time from a PC based studio to Apple in July has changed my life. I was stuck in such a rut just trying to get programs to run I never had time to write or record actual music, I’ve laid down 20 new tracks since 29 July this year with a Mac setup.

Anna C says:

12:34pm | 25/08/11

I totally agree. I love the way Apple has managed to convince their customers that they are all a bunch of rebels rebelling against other big bad mainstream computer corporations when they are the ultimate big bad mainstream computer corporation.

RyaN says:

12:54pm | 25/08/11

@Mick D: sounds to me like you finally got some decent recording software that probably runs on any platform. Don’t forget too that your precious Apple has the exact same components as a PC of half the price.

It looks “cool” though hey and that inspires you to write more music right?

Thomas Anderson says:

02:10pm | 25/08/11

I have recorded music on PC without issues, that was back in the day when Adobe Audition was still CoolEditPro

My good friend produces music from scratch using a PC. You know, Reason, Cubase, they are all available on PC too?

And don’t you dare blame stability for your dislike of PCs, a PC is only as buggy as its user is stupid. Take it from me, I’ve been running the same Win 7 installation since the OS was released, and I like to tinker with settings and apps a fair bit more than your average user.

Aaron says:

02:26pm | 25/08/11

The greatest trick steve jobs ever played was convincing the world he doesn’t exist!!

Mick D says:

03:04pm | 25/08/11

@ Ryan, no my new software is Apple based, and it’s been really useful. Also, I never said it was precious, I still have both my PC’s up and running as I have the software that is Windows exclusive for writing my the music for my electronic programs. Best of bother worlds mate.

I have used DAWs and computers for my music projects over the last, hmmm, 20 years so I have a good idea about what’s going on with them. I think having both is great.

Also, having a degree and 15 years experience in programming means that I also know how to tinker with both the machines and programming of the software.

I’m currently finding my Apple purchases a lot more inspiring right now, and I don’t see why idiots need to sit online have a whinge when they could easily spend the time like me enjoying the best of both worlds.

You all realise how pathetically immature your Apple hating sounds? I mean really? Di you not get over it once you left the school playground all those years ago?

Matthew says:

03:57pm | 25/08/11

Funnily enough, I’ve worked with programmers that know less about computers than 10 year olds.  Upon saying that I’ve done programming as a job too but had to explain simple things to them like how to get your apache running, configuring it for virtual hosts etc etc.

System administrators are the ones that truly know what they’re doing on a computer and will pick the right software for the job.

Bilby says:

09:37am | 26/08/11

Hehe good one Matthew

You do understand that programmers *write* the software that you so expertly pick? That without them you’d be nothing?

Just checking.

Thomas Anderson says:

12:13pm | 25/08/11

Apple products are made in sweatshops. Fact.

fml says:

12:34pm | 25/08/11

lefties like ipods??

What are you on about, lefties hate ipods due to their unethical practices.

St. Michael says:

12:58pm | 25/08/11

@ fml: not given the number of lefties I’ve seen using them.

AdamC says:

01:30pm | 25/08/11

Thomas Anderson, do you mean they are made in China? What distinguishes a Chinese ‘sweatshop’ from any other Chinese factory?

Incidentally, one of the big Apple product manufacturers is implementing a more capital intensive approach:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/8674707/Apple-manufacturer-Foxconn-replaces-staff-with-robots.html

Thomas Anderson says:

01:49pm | 25/08/11

What I mean is they are manufactured in factories with very poor working conditions. Which would not turn me off from buying the product all by itself, if the product was any good.

fml says:

01:59pm | 25/08/11

oh i get it St michael, you mean left handers!

I spose left handers do use ipods as well, i mean they are already weird.

Anna C says:

02:01pm | 25/08/11

I agree with you St. Michael. All the lefties I know love spouting nonsense about how they are anti-big business and anti-consumerism but don’t seem to be able to get enough of Apple’s products. To them companies like McDonalds are bad while their beloved Apple are good corporate citizens. Tell that to the sweat shop workers in China who keep committing suicide by jumping off the roof of their factory.

It all makes me laugh and the funniest thing is that they all think that they are being individuals and cool by purchasing Apple products. Go figure?

fml says:

02:42pm | 25/08/11

AnnaC

“All the lefties I know love spouting nonsense about how they are anti-big business and anti-consumerism but don’t seem to be able to get enough of Apple’s products”
Where do you come up with such rubbish??? When was the last time youve seen a hippy with an iphone?

Markus says:

03:05pm | 25/08/11

“When was the last time youve seen a hippy with an iphone?”
Last time I re-visited my old uni.

The people who regularly rant about capitalist imperialism are the same people who regularly preach from the Book of Jobs.

fml says:

03:19pm | 25/08/11

Markus,

God no, Apples marketing campaign is clearly directed at the fashion conscious. i.e. the righty hipsters.

Good to see no one wants to lay claim to them though!

Anna C says:

03:29pm | 25/08/11

“When was the last time youve seen a hippy with an iphone?”

Fml, some of my own friends fit into this exact category for one thing. I may not agree with their politics but they are still my friends. I’m not about to dump them just because occasionally they act like a bunch of leftie posers like yourself.

AdamC says:

03:33pm | 25/08/11

Righty hipsters - WTF??? Isn’t that a contradiction in terms?

Markus says:

03:34pm | 25/08/11

fml keep in mind we are not talking about real hippies, who have been a dying breed since the 70s.

We are talking about the walking contradiction that is the modern lefty - comes from an upper middle class family yet complains about wealth distribution, abhors the use of animals for clothing but happily buys designer labels made in third world sweatshops, regularly howls down what they consider racist comments yet lives in a predominantly white suburb, etc

You may know them better as “inner-city latte sippers”

Anna C says:

03:39pm | 25/08/11

“God no, Apples marketing campaign is clearly directed at the fashion conscious. i.e. the righty hipsters.”

Fml, there is no such thing as ‘righty hipsters’, by definition a hipster is aligned with the left of politics. Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20’s and 30’s that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive. See for yourself:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hipster

Thomas Anderson says:

12:18pm | 25/08/11

You do realise that PCs don’t just crash by themselves anymore? Stop blaming your user problems on the platform and learn how to use a computer.

RyaN says:

12:56pm | 25/08/11

@Mark: you do realise than an Apple and a PC have the exact same components under the hood right?

Aaron says:

02:31pm | 25/08/11

You obviously don’t do any serious 3D modelling. A Macmini has nowhere near the power to do that. To get the kind of necessary power on a mac you’ll be spending $10K, minimum. I can do the equivalent on a PC for $2.5K. Not saying mac’s are bad, but 3D Modelling and rendering is something that requires a powerhouse. Something which Apple are not good at providing for a reasonable cost.

bella starkey says:

03:04pm | 25/08/11

Lulz I work on a mac mini and an old quark file will put it out of action.

St. Michael says:

01:00pm | 25/08/11

Put it this way, it wasn’t the conservative right who made Steve Jobs their darling of Sensitive New Age Industry.

AT says:

02:36pm | 25/08/11

Aw, you’ve gone and ruined it, Mick, you’re just being silly now. The “Sensitive New Age Industry”, if it ever existed, collapsed 15 years ago and there’s nothing touchy-feely about all the iShit — if anything, it’s the precise opposite; it’s all about affectation and snootiness.

And Steve Jobs is actually the “conservative right’s” darling, what with all their hang-ups about free enterprise and stuff, they’d be creaming their pants thinking about Jobs’ stewardship of Apple — he just made it the world’s biggest company:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/27b0ccd2-c815-11e0-9501-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1W0jdvJtD

What a lefty hippie, eh?

Thomas Anderson says:

01:51pm | 25/08/11

What about multi touch!? I recall a time when Macs had only one mouse button. Right click has clearly been stolen from PCs, and served as the idea behind multi touch.

Thomas Anderson says:

01:46pm | 25/08/11

You are the “noob”, the target audience for Macs. You want something that is simple to use, while the ability and the customisability of the platform is not that important to you. You do not understand what hardware your computer is using, how it compares to others on the market, nor do you want to. You are happy to pay an above market price for your products, because just like you are too lazy to learn how to use technology, you are too lazy to search for the best price. You are looked down upon by anyone who is somewhat tech savvy because you are not as knowledgeable as them, and you are despised by some because it is the people like you who keep average prices up.

I wouldn’t swap my days with Windows 98 for anything, the OS had so many issues, which I had to research and fix myself - best way to learn your puter stuff! Nowadays kids growing up on Windows 7, nothing ever goes wrong, how can you learn!?

fml says:

02:01pm | 25/08/11

You have to admit they are expensive for a paper weight. they do look nice though.

The Other Phil says:

02:20pm | 25/08/11

You’re experiencing the benefit of a closed system, where one person decides what you will and won’t see, or be able to use. That’s why Apple devices “just work” - they allow no outside intervention. Sort of like China.

I arrive at work every day and my Windows based PC allows me to “sit down, work as fast as possible”. If a computer and its software is an impedement to living your life, then I feel rather sorry for you and the harrowing existence you lead.

Aaron says:

02:40pm | 25/08/11

I actually find it funny that people pay more for less features Don’t get me wrong, I own a macbook pro, used to own an iPod touch before getting sick of iOS and moving to a Galaxy S2 (Wonderful phone).

Having worked in computer service for quite some time I can safely say that apple have just as many hardware problems PC’s, and in terms of software problems, while they don’t occur as much (due to the closed system) it’s often far more difficult to fix a problem by yourself than on a windows machine.

MacAttack says:

03:53pm | 25/08/11

Yep, I’m a noob and I don’t care. I am not lazy, I work sixty hour weeks and simply couldn’t care less about ‘figuring out how to fix it’. By your logic, a lemon of a car sounds like fun. “This alternator isn’t configured properly for the battery you are using. If you have Car 2.145 please download the update ‘CCA550’. If you are using Car 3.0 or higher use ‘CCA600’. For support, contact us on this address which is never checked or spend hours pouring over forums.” Mmmmm…. FUN!!!!

Thomas, what you are failing to understand it some people like technology, use technology and couldn’t function without it but don’t care for fixing it, just like the car. How many people do you think enjoy driving their convertible Renault on a winding country road yet couldn’t care less about the piston rings. You drop it off to the service department, listen to their brief and make a decision.

Personally, I have an in depth knowledge of markets and self managed super. To most, putting their money into an account each month and watching it grow at 2-3% p.a. is fine. I have taken the time to seek the returns I desire. Chances are you are one of these people who simply is too lazy to research and learn, just what you accused me of. Even if you are not, my point still stands. There is going to be something that I am interested in and you are not.

There is an arrogance to PC users. There is one post on here making fun of an Apple Store teaching an elderly couple the ins and outs of a Mac. Yep, that is a sale and a happy customer. Maybe when you realise the most basic premise of business is ‘sell stuff’, you will come to realise this is another little piece of revenue. A piece that Apple is happy to take.

PS. Check out some of the tests from a couple of years ago running Vista on a laptop. Guess what was the fastest…....

Daryl Saal says:

09:09pm | 25/08/11

Your example of a Renault convertible on a winding country road is a good illustration of the differing preferences of the camps. The Renault is stylish and easy to drive, but slow, poor handling, and overpriced compared to better engineered cars. If you prefer style and a soft ride that is great, but don’t object if a Mazda that cost less passes you without trying.

St. Michael says:

11:28am | 26/08/11

Or that the Apple version of the Renault does not allow you to even change a tyre if it blows.

Apple has fixed it so you can’t even get the wheel nuts off, and that you can only get the wheel nuts off at an Authorised Apple Mechanic (TM) after having the car towed by an Authorised Apple Towing Contractor (TM).

LizBriz says:

02:36pm | 25/08/11

Wait for New Zealand Rose apples.  I wish there was an app for them!

winamp is poop says:

02:56pm | 07/10/11

if anything ever beat iTunes for being a pian in the ass, it would be winamp…

bella starkey says:

02:58pm | 25/08/11

You can’t buy an iphone in the US that isn’t on a plan from ATT or Verizon. Here you can buy a phone that isnt locked to any network and put any sim you like in it. Over there Apple has done a deal with the phone companies to prevent people from doing this. You can’t even pay to have it unlocked from the network like you can here, you have to jailbreak it.

Frank says:

10:06pm | 25/08/11

Nathan, ‘apple haters’ as you call them are needed when media paint Jobs like a messiah and worship him. All he has done is take others ideas and labour making millions. And the above quote about his chinese workers is not an exaggeration.

Thomas Anderson says:

02:02pm | 26/08/11

Gotta be BSD.

I know, I know, to each their own. But as long as Apple users point out that their phone is better than the phones they never tried using, I will point out that they are wrong, because having used all phones I compare, I at least have a right to the opinion.

Horthy says:

02:26pm | 26/08/11

“Gotta be BSD.”

Well, we agree on that!

I understand what you’re saying. It’s just I’ve never met anyone with an iPhone who even claim that. I’m not saying they’re not out there, I’m sure they are, I’ve just never encountered anyone who says anything other than “Yeah, it’s great!” or “Meh it’s okay” or “actually it’s not as good as XYZ”. I think I’d just walk away if someone did say something like that though.

Thanks for responding.

Thomas Anderson says:

02:04pm | 26/08/11

The ipod is great for playing games and stuff, too bad it’s a shit mp3 player.

St. Michael says:

11:31am | 26/08/11

Not for the better.  That’s the whole point.

You might as well say Bill Gates is Gandhi.

Swingdog says:

03:01pm | 26/08/11

Love comments like this.

“I am ignorant about a subject, happy in my ignorance and even happier to belm on the internet about it.”