Apple is great and knows what they are doing.
Well aside from relatively minor criticisms here and there, this is essentially true. They seem to know exactly what they're doing, and for some reason provide a guiding light for others in the industry. This is fact. While you might have some legitimate criticisms of Apple, you should also understand that by and large these are minor, anecdotal issues. I might be unhappy that my Macbook stopped working for whatever reason and that customer service is giving me a hassle on the phone. But that doesn't mean that my personal experience reflects reality, for example. There is a far, far bigger problem with the rest of the industry - Acer, HP, Dell. It helps to keep perspective.
You can protest the suppression of your opinion, if that's what you perceive, but to counter enthusiasm for Apple, who really is the only company in tech focused exclusively on everything that matters when it comes to the User Experience (even if their efforts aren't always successful) is just silly. I might not like frothing-at-the-mouth Apple fanboys, but not because they're wrong or misguided, but because they're just annoying.
I don't fault Apple "fanboys" for their enthusiasm, though - it's as well-placed as it can be. Apple really is the only tech company that can command this kind of following. MS can't do it (outside of consoles.) HP can't do it. Not even Stallman-esque Linux advocates can be so loyal. That's really saying something. They don't provide anything, whether separately or together, that comes close to the end-to-end experience Apple provides.
This experience is vitally important to a lot of people, and unfortunately, outside of the Apple ecosystem, it's either rare or non-existent. I happen to be extremely sensitive to the environment I work in every day, and I'm not alone. The notion that a piece of tech can please and inspire so thoroughly? There's nothing wrong with this. It's what we need a lot more of
outside of Apple. It's just not happening.
How many people do you know that actually give a damn about what they do? About what they put their name to? I know a few like that, but not many. It's something I can relate to and appreciate. Steve Jobs is after a lot of things in the industry, but one thing is for certain (and which sets him and Apple apart from the rest): Apple actually gives a damn. No matter how devious they can be, how controlling, how ideological, at the end of the day we've got the iPhone, Macs, OS X, etc. These products don't just happen out of thin air. There's a philosophy behind them and a clear set of standards. This comes through in their mission statement, in their products, in their consistency year after year, product after product. And as a result the consumer benefits like never before, and what happens? Apple develops a following like no one else. It's that simple. It's a situation that is out of the ordinary, and luckily, something positive for a change. Of course you'll get people that desperately want this to continue. I know I do.
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I think Ltd makes people fully aware on his stance on apple and I respect him for that. Despite some of the crap people throw at him, I've never seen him resort to name calling.
No offense taken on your comment either Ltd!
We don't have to agree, just understand. And it's working.
