Is Apple's Trendy Image Worth the High Price Tag?

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Petrus
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Hello MHB,
I am just curious about how many in this forum got apple product :) I got one apple product which is Iphone 4s. Is there also anyone against apple?Regards,
$$|\pi\rangle$$
 
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Petrus said:
Hello MHB,
I am just curious about how many in this forum got apple product :) I got one apple product which is Iphone 4s. Is there also anyone against apple?Regards,
$$|\pi\rangle$$

I used to have an iPhone 4, but I have a MacBook Pro. I like the MacBook a lot (it was almost a $3,000 investment, so I better like it, right? (Rofl)) and use it on a regular basis. I liked the iPhone 4 at the start, but then I realized how restricted I was in using it (couldn't do anything "fun" with it), so that's why I switched over to Android when it came time for me to get a new phone.
 
They are either too expensive for me or don't have the features I am looking for.

So, no, I don't own any "apples". My entire hardware consists of a desktop computer and a $10 cellphone (Rofl)
 
No Apple products for me either. I am an amateur meteorologist and have a ton of weather products on my laptop, including a Gibson Ridge Level 3 Radar, Gibson Ridge Level 2 Radar, Digital Atmosphere, F5Data, Weatherstudio, Nexrad3, and Storm Predator 3.6, all of which will not work on Mac products. So I currently have a Compaq Presario CQ57 laptop and my cell phone is a Samsung phone that came with a Straight talk plan (College broke!). I think a lot of people abuse smart phones so I try to stay away from it.

Same thing with social media; it's good to get together with people far away, but it can become a major distraction if not used with responsibility:D. I am very careful with social media because I made the mistake of using it too much in preparation of an AP test last year. I failed it.
 
When I first learned TeX, in the early 1990s, easily the best implementation of it was the program Textures, which was produced by Blue Sky Research and was only available on Macs. So our Department in the University invested in Macs when every other department was buying PCs. I had a succession of Macintosh Performas, and now that I am retired I have an iMac at home. I wouldn't consider using any other make of computer.
 
In my house Apples are eaten as a healthy snack. There are a number of reasons I do not like Apple, some more legitimate than others

  • Their attitude to free software stinks (iirc they actually took steps to remove libgpod support from the firmware of newer devices)
  • The walled garden attitude, you are not allowed to sideload apps nor get under the hood of a product that you bought
  • Their products are overpriced if you fix specs
  • Or low spec if you fix price
  • There was/is a cult of personality regarding Steve Jobs
  • They are media darlings and can do no wrong. You need only look at BBC technology to see this
  • They hook in those establishments that do not need/cannot afford the products (see 4) with cheap rates and then jack it up when they're trapped.
  • They removed DRM only after being forced to by competitors.
  • Quicktime and Bonjour are dependencies of iTunes
  • iAnything
  • Patent Trolling and attempting to use them to eliminate the competition (namely samsung)
  • Their products are not interavailable - you cannot use a file manager to update an ipod (legitimately).
  • Jailbreaking is forbidden or at the least not explicitly allowed (see 2)
  • The EULAs are long and overly complicated
  • No Flash support, HTML5 is making inroads but legacy systems still require flash
  • Apple maps is a laugh
  • They can use the hardware to censor certain aspects (remember the disabling camera at a gig)
 
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I am not particularly an Apple fan myself, but I am sure that someone against an operating system such as Windows or against the Android market could create a similar list specifying a ton of things that they do not appreciate about that product.

Every product and company has its pros and cons, it's just a matter of preference. :cool:
 
SuperSonic4 said:
  • iAnything
I thought you was interested in iMath maybe some iCalculus(Rofl)(bad joke hehe)
Regards,
$$|\pi\rangle$$
 
Farmtalk said:
I am not particularly an Apple fan myself, but I am sure that someone against an operating system such as Windows or against the Android market could create a similar list specifying a ton of things that they do not appreciate about that product.

Every product and company has its pros and cons, it's just a matter of preference. :cool:
I like linux in one way, if Windows and Apple would not take patent on their exemple operative system the technology would improve a lot faster. Linux don't take patent and in that way we can borrow their code and improve it:)

Regards,
$$|\pi\rangle$$
 
Apple makes well designed computers but that is because it is built off of unix. However, it is extremely overpriced. If you really want an apple, you can build a better one. All you need to do is get alist of the components. For 1500-2000, you could build a 4000+ iMac.
 
I have Iphone 4 I bought it around two years ago . I was thinking of buying an Ipad but after seeing the Galaxy note 10.1 I was completely astonished by its features so I bought one . It is perfect for reading mathematics books and solving problems .

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Petrus said:
I like linux in one way, if Windows and Apple would not take patent on their exemple operative system the technology would improve a lot faster. Linux don't take patent and in that way we can borrow their code and improve it:)

Regards,
$$|\pi\rangle$$

I used Linux for around two years . I was quite comfortable with it . If only some programs have a Linux version I wouldn't even think of Windows !
 
I use a Macbook Pro as my main computer and I am really happy with it. When I've used other Windows based laptops in the last few years, I feel like they just don't compare. Now that could be due to the hardware of the computer or Windows software, but regardless on the whole I prefer the way Apple laptops run. The user interface, the lack of errors seen too often on Windows based machines, the amazing trackpad - all of these things add up to a better experience for me.

That said, all Apple products are hugely overpriced and overhyped. They have succeeded in building an image that is so trendy that people are happy to pay significantly more for their products than similar products from their competitors. As others have noted, in terms of pure specs for Apple computers you pay a lot more for a lot less.

Hopefully Apple's competitors will continue to improve their own products and force Apple to either lower their prices or raise the specs for the same money. This has happened with great success with cell phones using Android software. It's clear from Apple's latest presentation on the new iOS7 that they are taking notes from Android phones. If another laptop brand can give Macbooks a run for their money then I would love to have one.
 
Petrus said:
Hello MHB,
I am just curious about how many in this forum got apple product :) I got one apple product which is Iphone 4s. Is there also anyone against apple?Regards,
$$|\pi\rangle$$

Hi everyone, :)

I own a very old (2nd generation) iPod which was given to me as a present some time ago. Apart from that I haven't used Apple products and rarely have I even seen an Apple computer. People in my country rarely use Apple computers (iPods, iPads are a little more common) probably due to their cost. In fact most people use assembled computers since they are much more cheaper than branded ones.
 
Jameson said:
I use a Macbook Pro as my main computer and I am really happy with it. When I've used other Windows based laptops in the last few years, I feel like they just don't compare. Now that could be due to the hardware of the computer or Windows software, but regardless on the whole I prefer the way Apple laptops run. The user interface, the lack of errors seen too often on Windows based machines, the amazing trackpad - all of these things add up to a better experience for me.

That said, all Apple products are hugely overpriced and overhyped. They have succeeded in building an image that is so trendy that people are happy to pay significantly more for their products than similar products from their competitors. As others have noted, in terms of pure specs for Apple computers you pay a lot more for a lot less.

Hopefully Apple's competitors will continue to improve their own products and force Apple to either lower their prices or raise the specs for the same money. This has happened with great success with cell phones using Android software. It's clear from Apple's latest presentation on the new iOS7 that they are taking notes from Android phones. If another laptop brand can give Macbooks a run for their money then I would love to have one.

The barriers to entry are two high for smaller competitors. This is because even if there product is 100% different, Apple would probably sue them if it was based on unix. Therefore, a smaller competitor could get shutdown in court cost even if they would win. Apple's strategy of suing everyone is very petty.