For those of us who have been around since punch card computers, the anti-Apple hatred for what seems like no good reason is par for the course. Apple clearly has a very polarizing effect on people and I'm not exactly sure why that is. People either love them or hate them. There isn't a lot of middle ground from what I've experienced.
I think this polarization that you're mentioning does exist but more on forums about Apple and forum where discussions take place about Samsung for instance. Many people like to hold on to one product brand, like many do with Nike and some others with other clothing brands or shoes manufacturers. It has always existed just like Apple versus PC and the other way around.
I'm one of these people starting off using mac in the days when Apple was insignificant in size compared with companies like Windows or even IBM. I always had both good and bad experiences with the mac, and in those days more crashes with a mac on daily bases then I have now in a whole year. So lot's have been improved, but also it's competitors. I never understood though, like you, why some people make a fuzz out of it. Of course I understood that some liked Apple more then other products and visa versa, but I never understood this fanboy approach some people have. I think Apple's are great but they, it's OSX environment does have it flaws, just as any other OS has it's bad sides and good. Same count for the hardware, if you're a die-hard gamer you'll be simply nuts if you pay so much money on the new mac pro which is no match for it's PC gaming counterpart and the PC cost less in this context as well. When it comes to video rendering, well yes the Mac Pro is, without any doubt, a very solid machine, but again, for even a bit less you'll have a h*ll of a PC with even faster rendering stats.
Personally, it comes down to weather you like the eco system of Apple or not. The Apple's hardware as well as software in the fields of Video Editing, Animation or in the field of developing games is for sure not the no1 choice or, at most, just as good choice when compared to it's rivals.
Meaning, in 2014 there is no such thing as this machine is way better then that machine. Same counts for the little devises, yes the iPad is limited in various ways when compared to those of Samsung, but the iPad have other things the Samsung or other devices can't offer. One might state: name some! But that's the thing, it's not that one device can do the exact same things as any other device, the differences do exist but the question for "me" that matters would be: what do YOU want with it. Hack, if you only like to type out a manuscript in a .txt format then an very old PC worth 100 bucks will do the job. If you would love to do high-end stuff with a machine then both PC's and Mac's will do the job for you. Same for Pads. Most people using these devices, i.m.h.o, for silly things like Facebook, chit chat about things with other so called social online friends thinking the stuff they are debating actually matters. I see tons of kids typing constantly on their samsung devices or iPhones just to be in contact with others. Surely, all the things they do matters to them for sure but in reality don't matter that much. And all these different brands will do the job for them, you can what's-app on a samsung, ipad, iphone, on a microsoft pad and on most other brands devises not mentioned here.
Instead of realizing that this is the reality in 2014 some people actually still think that Apple or Samsung is ruling the industry but if you look at it in the whole context then there is simply one conclusion: they all ruling the industry. Apple hasn't and will not be able to paten having useless text conversations on whatever device you can think of. Neither can Samsung paten that. Working in the professional field of editing and design like I'm currently there is just one question that matters: will this device and software does what it says it would do and do we need it? Sometimes Apple will deliver, sometimes a PC. It would be very narrow minded and quite silly of me to exclude a brand, doesn't matter which one, just because I'm emotional attached to one brand.
Macrumors, by its very name, would suggest it was a gathering place for people to learn about all things Apple, but what it, and most of the the other Apple-biased sites, has seemingly become is a place where Apple aficionados are constantly defending Apple against those that seem to have some deep seated hatred for them.
And the other way around you should add..
If you're a fan of the Green Bay Packers, do you go to a Bears fan website to tell them how your team is by far better because of X or Y player?
If you're a republican, are you going to democratic biased sites to tell them your position is the obvious better one?
There is nothing wrong with lively debate on any subject, but this very common battle between Apple vs non-Apple here just gets old.
Old and hardly relevant indeed in 2014 i.m.h.o.
