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Like millions of Apple customers, I'm no sheep. I've been using computers over 40 years and I've been buying personal computers since they were first available. I have no brand loyalty at all. I buy only what meets my needs. I buy Macs, not because they have an Apple logo on them, but because Mac OS X meets my needs better than Windows. My primary Mac is a 3 1/2 year old MBP running Leopard which has performed reliably and trouble-free since the day I bought it. I could never say that about any of the dozens of notebooks or desktops I've bought in the past. I don't need, have or want an iPad, iPod or iPhone. I don't need or want touchscreen. Siri would be helpful if it means I can dictate posts like this, among other things, saving the aggravation of my CTS.

Just because there are a few who like to complain about everything, doesn't make Apple products bad, either. If they were bad, people would stop buying them. There's plenty of competition out there. That's the nature of a free market: if you want to succeed, give the consumers what they need/want. If you fail to meet their needs, someone else will. Apple's success is proof of the fact that they meet consumers' needs, not that they've managed to find over a million "sheep" per month to buy their Macs.

I'm sorry.

You and I might not be sheep, but there are people out there that buy Apple computers simply because they are Apple.

There's no denying this.
 
i never really got the whole sheep following. back in the day it was called brand loyalty. granted their are crazy people out there that buy everything that has an apple on it but how is that any different than star wars or a star treck collector. they just really like something and buy everything that has it
 
i never really got the whole sheep following. back in the day it was called brand loyalty. granted their are crazy people out there that buy everything that has an apple on it but how is that any different than star wars or a star treck collector. they just really like something and buy everything that has it

What does that have to do with the fact that Apple sheep exist?

Yes we're well aware Apple isn't the only company with sheep, but that doesn't mean that Apple sheep do not exist.

You sound like one of those people who justify White on Black racism with the fact that Black on White racism exists ... In other words, missing the point.
 
i never really got the whole sheep following. back in the day it was called brand loyalty. granted their are crazy people out there that buy everything that has an apple on it but how is that any different than star wars or a star treck collector. they just really like something and buy everything that has it

There are sheep in every brand. So whatever. I don't get the point...:confused:
 
You and I might not be sheep, but there are people out there that buy Apple computers simply because they are Apple.
Of course there are, but such people don't make up the majority of Apple customers. Most people buy Apple products because they meet their needs.
 
Of course there are, but such people don't make up the majority of Apple customers. Most people buy Apple products because they meet their needs.

Dude...I GUARANTEE you the greater majority of the millions of people who bought iPhone 4S didn't buy it because it "met a need". They bought it because it's Apple. iPhone 4S does not meet any need that the iPhone 4 doesn't already meet. None. They see it's Apple, they jump. They heard about Siri, they jump. But Siri is NOT a need.
 
Dude...I GUARANTEE you the greater majority of the millions of people who bought iPhone 4S didn't buy it because it "met a need". They bought it because it's Apple. iPhone 4S does not meet any need that the iPhone 4 doesn't already meet. None. They see it's Apple, they jump. They heard about Siri, they jump. But Siri is NOT a need.
First, you can't guarantee any such thing, unless you've personally interviewed over 4 million people, which you haven't. Second, your argument about "sheep" was in direct reference to Apple computers, not iPhones. Your argument doesn't hold water, either way.
 
But Siri is NOT a need.
Food, shelter and heat are 'needs' if you want to be literal about it.

But I can tell you, as someone who has used voice recognition for a year or so, it is a hugely useful facility. I'm dictating this reply, at least twice the speed at which I could type. It's nonsense to suggest that the only reason for having Siri is for the novelty value.
 
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Food, shelter and heat are 'needs' if you want to be literal about it.

But I can tell you, as someone who has used voice recognition for a year or so, it is a hugely useful facility. I'm dictating this reply, at least twice the speed at which I could type. It's nonsense to suggest that the only reason for having Siri is for the novelty value.

The point is you don't NEED it.

The only person on this earth who MAYBE could "need" Siri is Sir. Steven Hawking. Your damn hands and fingers work fine, his don't. He needs voice recognition, you do not. You might WANT it. You might BENEFIT FROM it. But you don't need it. You could and can type what you need to search for or write up.
 
Dude...I GUARANTEE you the greater majority of the millions of people who bought iPhone 4S didn't buy it because it "met a need". They bought it because it's Apple. iPhone 4S does not meet any need that the iPhone 4 doesn't already meet. None. They see it's Apple, they jump. They heard about Siri, they jump. But Siri is NOT a need.

I upgraded because I had a 3GS & wanted new hardware. Siri was a bonus. While yes I think it's great & nice to use, 1st & foremost I wanted to upgrade my hardware. I think most people who upgraded had a hardware need to upgrade. Not just because it's apple or because of Siri.
 
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First, get the too-literal definition of "need" out of the discussion, as it's a childish argument that makes no sense.
  • Someone may need a pickup truck to carry things in that could be fit (albeit with some difficulty) into a car.
  • Someone buying a computer may need a faster processor or more RAM or storage, because of what they use a computer for.
  • Someone buying an iPhone may need to store large amounts of music, video, pictures or other data, because of how they use their phone in their work.
That doesn't mean they'll die without those needs. It means they have needs as they relate to the type of product. It's up to each person to determine what they need (must have in order for the product to be most useful to them) or want (it would be nice to have, but not a deal-breaker if they don't get it.)
iPhone 4S does not meet any need that the iPhone 4 doesn't already meet. None.
This is false. iPhone 4 is only available with 8GB of storage. The 4S has 16, 32 or 64GB. For many, that's reason enough to upgrade. Talk time, video recording and camera functions are all improved in the 4S, which also has a faster processor. There are many reasons to upgrade from a 4 to a 4S, other than Siri.
 
  • Someone may need a pickup truck to carry things in that could be fit (albeit with some difficulty) into a car.

Negative. If it fits in a car then you don't "need" the truck. It may make things easier. But it's not NEEDED. For example, I drove home with a 52" flat panel in the trunk of a Nissan Altima. Would it have been easier with a F350? Sure. But it wasn't needed.

Now what if I were bringing home a pre-assembled jacuzzi? Then yes, I'm going to need some sort of truck or at least something bigger than the Altima because it doesn't fit. That's a NEED. Understand the definition, and yes, it's important to understanding why Apple is never going to put Siri on any other device - because you don't NEED it and they would rather just rip you off by getting you to impulse buy the 4S to get something you WANT. That's fine, if you want to spend your money that way. But it's not a need.

  • Someone buying a computer may need a faster processor or more RAM or storage, because of what they use a computer for.

This is a need. It does not apply to the iPhone because, as you and others keep saying in the iPhone forums, the iPhone is so magical and optimized it doesn't need a bunch of processor power. In fact, I've seen plenty of you people bash Android for its dual core automawhatsits and all this when iPhone "just works". That seems to be telling that people don't really need any faster processor or more RAM in the iPhone. They may WANT it. But they don't NEED it.

  • Someone buying an iPhone may need to store large amounts of music, video, pictures or other data, because of how they use their phone in their work.

Nobody NEEDS an iPhone to store music, video, pictures, or "other data" for work purposes. That's what USB sticks are for. That's what computers are for. That's what external drives are for. That's what DropBox is for. That's what Box.Net is for. That's what friggin iCloud is for. That's what YouTube is for.

In other words - there are TONS of options for people who want to store that media. The iPhone is not NEEDED for storing media. It may be convenient. NOT A NEED. Especially not the 4S.

This is false. iPhone 4 is only available with 8GB of storage. The 4S has 16, 32 or 64GB. For many, that's reason enough to upgrade. Talk time, video recording and camera functions are all improved in the 4S, which also has a faster processor. There are many reasons to upgrade from a 4 to a 4S, other than Siri.

Storage: Most people won't care. Especially since, you know, people like you and others keep saying "we're not like Android, we don't need SD card access, the 8GB is just fine, we don't need more memory" blah blah blah. Now you're saying that the memory is valuable. Whatever.

Talk time: Not to copy the deceased guy from the movie trailers, but in a world where the majority of people no longer use their phones for actual calling....

Video recording: Seriously? People who care about video recording aren't using phones.

Camera: Ok, so illegally aged daughters can take more high resolution photos of themselves and share them with 40-year-old Facebook friends. Big deal.

The day-to-day user won't notice an appreciable difference between the 4 and the 4S. The 4S is not designed for upgraders from the 4. It's designed for people who didn't have iPhone who want one now and want the strongest, and/or those who are coming from the 3G/S, 2G, etc. 4 and the 4S? No appreciable improvements that make it worth the premium Apple is asking, and people know it, which is why they haven't sold nearly the total that they did of the 4.

Now when and if iPhone 5 comes out, assuming it's an actual improvement, people will take notice. When it was announced that 5 was Jobs' pet project, a lot of people held off on 4S because they didn't see much benefit in buying that phone.
 
Anyway, leaving the silliness behind and getting back to the OP's question, Dragon Dictate is what you're after. It's not cheap at $199, but does make a significant difference to your productivity if you use your Mac for business purposes.

I can dictate at around twice my typing speed (which is not slow), even allowing for the inevitable corrections.

There is more of a training period with Dragon Dictate, as it needs to learn your own voice and vocabulary to a greater extent than Siri. The reason is that although they use the same technology, they operate in slightly different ways.

Siri does its voice analysis on an Apple server, using the accumulated data of millions of people. Dragon Dictate does the analysis on your Mac, obviously using accumulated data as its basis, but relying much more on learning your own voice and vocabulary.

I've done a head-to-head comparison of Siri and Dragon, getting them to simultaneously transcribe the same spoken text. Dragon was more reliable.

There was, when I bought it, a one-month free trial available. If this is still available, I highly recommend giving it a try.
 
Negative. If it fits in a car then you don't "need" the truck. It may make things easier. But it's not NEEDED.
Tell that to the millions of workers who have to haul tools and supplies around during the course of their jobs and spend a good part of their workday in a pickup truck. Tell them to use a car because they don't "need" a truck and they'll laugh at your naiveté even more than I am now.
it's important to understanding why Apple is never going to put Siri on any other device - because you don't NEED it and they would rather just rip you off by getting you to impulse buy the 4S to get something you WANT. That's fine, if you want to spend your money that way. But it's not a need.
Again, your naiveté is showing. Apple doesn't offer Siri or many other products simply because they're needed. Look at all the games Apple sells. None are needed, yet they sell millions.... billions.... to gamers.
It does not apply to the iPhone because, as you and others keep saying in the iPhone forums, the iPhone is so magical and optimized it doesn't need a bunch of processor power.
I have never said that, and I rarely, if ever, post in the iPhone forums. Check your facts before posting.
In fact, I've seen plenty of you people bash Android for its dual core automawhatsits and all this when iPhone "just works".
I've never made a single post where I commented on Android, because I know nothing about it. Check your facts before posting.
Nobody NEEDS an iPhone to store music, video, pictures, or "other data" for work purposes.
Again, you don't know that unless you know how every single person conducts their business. You don't.
That's what USB sticks are for.
Try standing on a job site, wanting to show pictures and a video of a product you're trying to sell or a task you want performed, with a USB stick and no computer available to plug it into.
That's what computers are for.
There are many situations where a computer could be clumsy and inappropriate. On an elevator, a business associate asks for a third party's email address. Forget scrolling through the smartphone and reading it in a few seconds. Let's pull out that laptop, open 'er up on the elevator, log in, launch Address Book, scroll down.... Long before that point, you've made yourself look silly, ill-equipped and unprofessional. :rolleyes: I can drive a nail with a pair of pliers, but there is a tool better suited to the task.
That's what external drives are for.
Even more ludicrous than the USB stick idea.
That's what DropBox is for. That's what Box.Net is for. That's what friggin iCloud is for. That's what YouTube is for.
Assuming there's an internet connection available. So since there may not be, we'll just cancel the business meeting, because the materials we need for presentation depend on an internet connection. :rolleyes:
In other words - there are TONS of options for people who want to store that media. The iPhone is not NEEDED for storing media. It may be convenient. NOT A NEED. Especially not the 4S.
Again, the right tool for the job in many cases may be an iPhone. If storage is a concern, the 4S is better suited than any other iPhone.
Storage: Most people won't care.
You haven't interviewed most people so you have no idea what most people would care about.
Especially since, you know, people like you and others keep saying "we're not like Android, we don't need SD card access, the 8GB is just fine, we don't need more memory" blah blah blah.
Again, check your facts. In over 20,000 posts in the past 3 1/2 years, I've never made one about Android or SD card access or "8GB is just fine, we don't need more memory". Check your facts. As for me, that's why I've never bought an iPod to store my music collection.... because they don't have enough storage to hold it.
Now you're saying that the memory is valuable.
No, I'm saying the memory may be valuable to some people. Not all. It certainly would be valuable to me.
Talk time: Not to copy the deceased guy from the movie trailers, but in a world where the majority of people no longer use their phones for actual calling....
You keep making up bogus statistics. Provide a source that proves that the majority of people no longer use their phones for actual calling. And please, no brother-in-law's blog.... a reputable source. I, for one, use my phone primarily for phone calls.
Video recording: Seriously? People who care about video recording aren't using phones.
Again, you don't know everyone's situation or work processes. Seriously.
Camera: Ok, so illegally aged daughters can take more high resolution photos of themselves and share them with 40-year-old Facebook friends. Big deal.
Be careful that you don't reveal more than your naiveté. The fact that you would think of something like that is revealing. If you think that's the only need for taking pictures, talk to insurance adjusters, real estate agents, and millions of others who take pictures during the course of their work. Being able to take pictures with a phone and send them immediately, rather than taking them with a digital camera and waiting to get to a computer could be a tremendous enhancement in efficiency, productivity and potentially, profitability.
... which is why they haven't sold nearly the total that they did of the 4.
Check your facts:
...the initial debut of the iPhone 4 last June, when Apple revealed that it sold 1.7 million handsets in just the first three days of availability.
Apple has just released a formal statement announcing that their iPhone 4S has sold over four million units in its first three days after launching on October 14th.

You can keep making ridiculous arguments, inventing statistics and misquoting all you want. Apple is selling iPhones and Macs by the millions, despite your complaints, and it's not because all Apple customers are "sheep". You sound bitter and cynical for some reason that escapes me, and your arguments sound somewhat like you're trying to dissuade people from buying Apple products. If that's the case, you're going to be very frustrated, because it's not working.

People buy what they want to buy, for their own reasons, and they have their own definitions for what, to them, qualifies as a need or a want. Who cares? I buy what I want or need, regardless of other people's opinions and regardless of the brand. I don't care what others choose to buy and I don't care what others think of my purchases. I have absolutely zero desire to impress others or seek their approval for what I buy or do. I recommend the same attitude for others, as it sure eliminates the stress that comes from the fact that you can't please all the people, all the time.
 
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Whatever dude.
1. whatever
December 29, 2010 Urban Word of the Day
Used in an argument to admit that you are wrong without admitting it so the argument is over.
Man, whatever.

Point: nobody...NOBODY....needs an iPhone 4S. Fact.
Not fact. You're assuming everyone subscribes to your own definition of "need", which they don't. You don't know what everyone's needs are. Fact.
 
I really hope Siri comes to the Mac! If they could integrate Siri as deeply with Lion or 10.8 as it is with iOS 5 that would be pretty powerful...
 
That would be great if I can use Siri on my macbook air. I can free my hand a lot while I'm asking Siri to open a file for me.COOL...
 
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