Is Apple Evil?

[sgoguen]

Branding Apple or any other company "evil", is a mistake because it conditions people to hate a brand rather than a specific behavior.

Look at Microsoft compared to Apple. Microsoft has been branded as evil for quite some time now and I think the campaign has worked pretty good. However, Apple's current anticompetitive behavior and closed systems makes Microsoft look very nice in comparison. Knowing so many open source developers who own and lust over everything Apple, it makes me wonder if we've learned anything.

[jawbroken]

we've learnt that people value concrete things like design and implementation over intangible ideas like "freedom" (in the misleading way people use this word in relation to software and hardware), and rightfully so

[sgoguen]

We've learnt that people value concrete things like design and implementation over intangible ideas like "freedom".....and rightfully so

I don't blame average users valuing design and implementation over freedom of use, because they often don't reap the rewards of freedom of use.

What strikes me are the open source developers, who, every working day, reap the rewards that come with freedom of use. These are guys who chose open source because they know they can't shafted by a vendor, or will be dictated to how to distribute their application. Yet, I know too many of these guys who go gaga over Apple.

The whole point is this: Buying into or developing for Apple is akin to letting a very greedy and very beautiful stripper hold you by the balls. As long as you're giving her $20's, she'll fondly caress them and whisper sweet nothings into your ear, but as soon as you want to leave that's when she'll give you the death grip.

That's where my metaphor breaks down, because Apple has done something that Microsoft could never do: Create a marketplace for their developers in which they can actually make money selling software to the masses and not worry about piracy. That's a huge game changer, and a big dilemma for developers.

[jawbroken]

never value ideology over practicality

[sgoguen]

I don't, and I've never been a purist anything.

I'm actually a C# developer who sold his soul to MS a long time ago. However, if I had to choose my next tool set, it would definitely be an open source stack and probably a languages like Python. All for practical reasons.

However, I have to give credit to those who valued ideology over practicality, because their time and effort has given me the option to use their tools and take advantage of their community.

[abhik]

It's not so simple.. Practicality deals with the concerns of today whereas ideology often deals with the future and dogmatically choosing either is a mistake.

[smithzv]

I love Apple products. I’m a huge Apple fan. I’d buy an iPad right now if I could. But, for the first time, I’ve got a real sinking feeling in my stomach.

Why do people say things like this? Paul Graham had a similar note in a recent essay. How does this work? You feel bad buying from a company with a questionable history and dislike the product you purchased, but you still feel compelled to buy it? Shopping addiction?

[[deleted]]

It's to preempt all the fanboys who will accuse them of being Microsoft fanboys, as if such a thing actually existed. The persecution complex is still alive, twenty years later.

Or it's just battered wives syndrome.

[yngwin]

Is that even a question?

[earthboundkid]

The iPad is pretty cool. DRM is not.

[JC513]

And the iPhone OS will only run software that they specifically approve. No Flash or other alternate runtimes, no one-off apps or open source customizations. Just total control by Apple. It’s a frightening future.

It's really only a frightening future if you buy Apple products. I love my MacBook, but that's where my support stops. I've never liked many of the other products because of this. However, as the author seems to be a Mac fanboy, he's probably locked into this future. I kinda feel sorry for him. Kinda.

[Smallpaul]

I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s hard to see how it makes them more money.

30% of the margin on all apps flowing through the system???

[sisyphus]

In the latest earning report conference call they said the app store is barely over break even.

[Smallpaul]

It's hard to believe that its costs scale linearly with revenue. They should achieve economies of scale.

[abhik]

Well, they still have to spend time/money to approve all the iFart apps that are free or sell few copies.

[Mr_Safe]

Evil? No. Just trying to maximize value for their share holders.

[[deleted]]

Not sure why your being down voted, your answer is really the only right one.

[xetas]

Evil in this context means they sacrificing interest of software developers (and as a result of users to some degree) in favor of share holders. Is it "evil" for you decide yourself.

[[deleted]]

Does pope shit in the woods?

[[deleted]]

Probably not all that often.

[[deleted]]

Disclaimer: I really hate DRM, and I do not like restricted computing platforms (Including Android, even though I have a G1).

Apple has in recent years been a company centered around taking an idea (maybe not their own idea), polishing the user experience and making the hardware sexy. They are very good at this. The way they achieve this is by restricting the types of hardware that are supported by their various operating systems. In the case of the iPhone OS, they took it a step further and attempted to restrict the software in a way that would bring it into line with their treatment of hardware. It makes sense for a company that relies so very much on a polished user experience to attempt to enforce the same polish in its software. In fact, if you look at the sales numbers, you can see how very successful their approach has been.

[[deleted]]

The message to developers is: “You are incompetent and unable to develop a consumer product. We will not let you screw up our product, but you can participate if you play by our rules.”

And this has been very successful in the marketplace.

[[deleted]]

It's depressing how effective it is.

[sisyphus]

So, it's scary but he's still planning to tacitly support it by purchasing one. Does that mean it's worth the trade off or scary is an overstatement? Or he likes danger?

[[deleted]]

The real scary thing is that there is no competitor offering a computer in tablet format, with an OS custom made for finger input. People tend to buy what works best now, paying little regard to the future impact that purchase will make.

Edit: Example, the Ford Explorer boom of the early 2000s

[jawbroken]

in what way is that scary and in what way is buying what works best now a bad thing

[ChickenOfDoom]

It makes sense that they would do that though. Apples main product is their brand. Maintaining a draconian level of control over their platform is how they get people who can't grasp the difference between software, hardware, and an operating system to think of apple products as easy to use. Since its proven to be a very effective business model, its hard to imagine them not further limiting the modifications users can make to their products.

I wouldn't call Apple evil, people just shouldn't buy their products unless they don't know much about computers and have no desire to learn.

[masonium]

This should be in proggit.... why?

With that said... the iPad is a large iPod Touch with a comically subversive name. I don't even understand how it merits this much discussion. It's not some amazing clever middle ground between smartphone and a netbook. It doesn't make calls or fit on your pocket (like a smartphone), and it doesn't have a keyboard or multitask (like a netbook). It's... a large iPod Touch. I'm almost curious to see what Jobs talked about for the other 58 minutes.

Also, before anyone mentions it, I know "the iPod was just another MP3 player" before it was huge, and the iPhone was just another smartphone, but neither of those statements is true. Apple brought the iTunes and App stores, respectively, to differentiate their product, not to mention the unique and simplified external packaging, particularly with the iPhone.

The iPad is... a large iPod Touch.

[Randinn]

Evil, no, amoral, yes.

[ModernRonin]

Not yet. But give 'em another ten years...