Sour Apples
We all love the Mac, right? I mean, it's so COOL!Apple basically defined the look of a generation, both on the internet and off of it. The ubiquitous web 2.0 glassy button look all came from OSX, and the translucent plastic phenomenon ran across the hemisphere in product development.
Their trendsetting advertising clearly states what Mac lovers already know. Macs are awesome. The Mac is totally cool, and by extension, its users are cool, too. Apple's products are futuristic. We are the literati of the technological world.
It is the distant future. It is the year 2000.
Almost a decade later, where does Apple stand? I have to say, this apple has lost its sheen. And it needs more than a polish it on your sleeve kind of fix.
My own experience with my Apple eMac, has been disappointing, to say the least. I have had my white eMac for about 6 years now. What seemed mind-blowingly futuristic when I first got it, seems dated and passé now. That's the way of technology, though. I don't blame Apple for that.
I do blame Apple for the fact that my system seems to be slowly deconstructing itself. The OS is systematically breaking apart and the hardware is failing, conveniently after my pricey 5-year Applecare warranty has expired.
It seems to me that the change in Apple began around the time of the decision to go with Intel Processors. I don't know what drove that decision. I also didn't understand the implications at the time. But, what it meant was that Apple summarily rejected all previous users, anyone who owned a pre-Intel system. No, they didn't stop supporting these systems entirely. Apple is way to smart for that. But they knew that the OS/hardware pairing would quickly exclude pre-Intelers from the party. Quite frankly, as a quiet guy in the corner, not making any trouble, I don't feel too good about being asked to leave.
It began with an iPod, actually. I connected a friend's Nano, only to learn that it wouldn't connect to my OS 10.3. No problem, I'll upgrade it. Oh, wait. 10.4 will only run on Intel machines.
What about other software? Nope. Things like Adobe's Creative Suite won't run on 10.3 either. The list of uses for my eMac grows shorter. I'm left with a system that I can't upgrade, that is being left behind by developers.
What about the internet? I do most of my work on the PC anyway, what about just having another internet kiosk for the kids? Forget it. The internet didn't work on my Mac at the best of times. Now, it's ridiculous. Even standard CSS sites have some trouble with layering and such. Forget more complex sites with Java or ActiveX controls. I had a good laugh when Apple released the Safari browser for the PC. I thought, "Why not make it work on your own OS before you try someone else's?" What a joke. It looks like our most common use for this monstrosity, watching Youtube, may soon become defunct, too. Some video is now available only in Flash 10, which, once again, is unavailable to users of anything less than 10.4. It appears that this white piece of plastic is nothing more than a gigantic paperweight, and I don't even use paper anymore. I'm seriously wondering if it's even worth bringing when we move.
It goes deeper, though, than my own personal bitterness about a poor computer-buying decision. Apple's operating philosophy has gotten away from it's user-centric core. They were rated as the most "closed" system recently (I forget who by. It's a blog, not an editorial. Shut up.) in a time when open, user-generated content, collaborative communities and open source code are growing more popular than ever.They now offer iTunes Plus content without Digital Rights Management, when it quickly became obvious that they shouldn't have included it in the first place. I have the privilege of paying an additional 30% to use the content I buy any way I please. Well, that's gracious of you, Apple.
The 'jailbreak" of the 3G iPhone proves that the public doesn't want the kind of restrictions that Apple intends to put on its technology and content.
Apple is not ahead of the curve any longer. Other developers have great products that put them neck-and-neck with Apple's. Check out the latest from Blackberry, Microsoft and Creative, if you don't believe me. Feature-rich and competitively priced, while none of these are the iPhone or iPod Touch "killer", they definitely remove Apple from being the default choice. We're back to an equal market where you have to know your needs and wants, and research which product best meets them. That's a great for consumers, and less great for Apple.
Ultimately, that might be what drives them back to the origin of Apple's success, superior products and unparalleled consumer confidence and loyalty. Then Apple's claims to greatness in its advertising will sound much less like the hollow hyperbole it does now.
But for now, looking at my Apple, I have that sickening feeling of seeing only half a worm.
Labels: Apple blows, Apple sucks, can't upgrade, eMac
