Whew!

For a moment I thought you were mad at Fiona Apple. :rofl: She is one of my favorites!


http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...uT51qzszr3.jpg

I'll tolerate an Ipod because I've had one for so long now I'm just used to them but having Itunes on my computer has put me off ever owning another single apple product. Or buying a single thing from Itunes store.

I just hate the way that they try to dominate everything, if I want one thing I have to install this, this, and this as well. It's like whenever I use an apple product it's almost like I can physically feel the corporate repression of big business pressing down on me.

I've been pretty impressed by the abuse my iPod touch has lived through. Like being thrown across the room by an irate 5 year old and dropped countless times hard enough to twist the casing.

It does irritate me that you have to follow Apple's rules with their products. I hate iTunes, but I have no other choice in what to use. I hate Safari even more than Internet Explorer, but they still try and trick me into downloading it every time an iTunes update comes along. And it annoys me that their app store won't tolerate competition. There's never a half-decent alternative to their book service, for example, because every time a better one comes along they find an excuse to not put it up for purchase.

I have to say I don't understand the Safari hate. It's a good browser with decent plug-ins and is far more standards compliant than IE. It's not quite as good as Firefox in some regards, but it's nearly identical to Chrome.

The main problem I have with Apple is an idealogical one. They've always tried obstinate, restrictive, and virtually the antithesis of Open Source. They don't seem to care one bit about advancing technology and improving the ways we can use computers, they just want to make ****loads of money.

Proof? Look at all the lawsuits recently. They're trying to copyright the most ridiculous things, because "they did it first". Bull****. Most of the ideas they have are stolen from science fiction writers in the first place. Provided the other companies aren't literally stealing the code from them (which is highly unlikely given how **** an OS OSx is), I see no reason why they should have any claim to it whatsoever. If their product is better, then they'll do better in sales. If their product is worse, then it's pathetic that they'll resort to sueing the other companies in order to stay ahead in sales.

iPhones, and their ilk, are fantastic pieces of technology. They are really very innovative, and Apple do tend to be the first people to bring out a workable version of something, like Siri for example. But they're compatible with nothing. I work part time for a games company, and one of my friends has spent the last year or so writing an app so that one of their browser games can be played on the iPhone. He said that OSx was the single worst language he has ever had to work with, and he had endless trouble trying to get the app approved when it was finally done. Not only that, but it's totally incompatible with every other phone device out there. Woop.

Apple made the choice decades ago not to be IBM compatible, like everyone else. While most of the computing industry was making the effort to share (within reason so that they could still make profit) to collaborate, and to make sure their products all worked on each others' platforms. Did Apple? Nope. And they still don't. I don't get why they have to be so difficult, to control everything, like others have said. They're not looking to develop and innovate, unless they're the ones to do it, and that, personally, is an attitude that I can't stand.

As expected, there are arguments for both sides. When I wrote my OP, I was fairly peaved. In all honesty, though, ther are pros and cons.

Pros:
I rarely worry about viruses and malware. On a PC it's almost a daily concern.
It looks sleek (some people have said cold, but I like their aesthetics).
Ease of use (for their handheld products like the iPod and iPhone only... MacBooks are easy but not included for reasons seen in the cons)

Cons:
Restrictive (before my MacBook I was a die hard PC guy... I just wanted to see what the other side was like. Once my MBP dies I'm going straight back to Windows. I'm used to cracking into the registry and doing whatever the hell I want)
Expensive
Hit or miss craftsmanship (seems like you either get something that last for years or something that craps out the day after you get it)

I'll be willing to concede that maybe I just got very unlucky with my 2 classics... But I still get the impression that all their focus is on the iPod touch and the iPhone leading to a higher chance of a lemon in regards to the classic. Which suck because I love the classic's look and feel... I'm an old school guy i guess. Plus 160GB.

Is it?

I've had one problem in the last 7 years, and I don't use anti virus software.

For me it is... I don't know what your usage is like but I'm pretty hard on my computers. I'm willing to traipse into potentially dangerous websites in the name of finding a useful program or exerting more control on my PC than they currently give me. Maybe I should mention I'm somewhat of a computer nerd? For an average user I can see how it probably isn't such a huge deal.

What kind of "websites" are we talking about here? ;)