Some people risk their lives on sky diving, base jumping or even Russian roulette. We'd rather step it up a notch and pursue the most dangerous sport of all: Lightly criticizing the unquestioned superiority of the Mac. There's a good reason Apple is on our minds. The iPhone will soon hit the market and we all know that anything with an 'i' in front of it is destined to be the most earth-shattering thing our pathetic non-Mac human brains can possibly comprehend. Also, there's a few multinational lawsuits. But, before we're kidnapped and tortured for having the audacity to cross Steve Jobs, please note that Doug wants separate pictures for the missing persons posters.Matt
Apple manipulates its image to be hip, trendy and relaxed. Look at the Apple ads in which they compare a Macintosh computer and a PC, portrayed by a young dressed-down man and a middle-aged man in a bad suit, respectively. They further their reputation as relaxed hipsters by including the likes of Bob Dylan and U2 on their iPod commercials, the very definitions of cool. Apple's aura of cool doesn't translate into reality. They fail to act in a manner that is any way superior to their competitors. They are just as cutthroat as any other major player in the digital world.
Apple is just as prone to limiting your options with software whenever they can. iPods can only run with iTunes. Songs you download from the iTunes Store only work with iTunes, unless you go through the tedious process of burning each track to a CD first. The new iPhone can only work with Cingular, unless the user goes in and tampers with it. QuickTime comes bundled with iTunes, which was annoying when all I wanted was to see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trailer. Apple behaves no differently than its competitors when it comes to trying to limit consumers' options. It creates as much pressure as it can to goad users into having no choice but to use Apple software.
Microsoft frequently is criticized for similar practices, and consumer groups in Norway, Germany, France and Finland are exerting pressure on Apple to make the iTunes Store compatible with other media players. I find myself horrified that a company can present itself as an answer to the problems with Microsoft, but shows no significant difference in the way it runs its business. I can understand a business wanting to expand, but lies of omission are still lies. There is something to be said for being stabbed in the front.Doug
I used to hang with some pretty cool cats. They listened to Modest Mouse before it was cool, they were the first to reject wholesale emo-ism and they taught me how to properly use the word Kafkaesque. They didn't own Macs, but they all wanted to. It always mystified me that my high school friends, so critical of the corporate ethos, treated Macs as though they were sold in a farmer's market. How is it that a simple corporate marketing strategy, albeit a clever one, can convince so many people that buying a Mac is the most noble expression of human art?
Let me make one thing clear. I do actually enjoy using a Mac. I enjoy it about as much as I enjoy using my PC. I've used both systems for web editing, writing papers and even (gasp!) graphic design. Photoshop is Photoshop as far as I'm concerned. There are those who'll argue that one system is more intuitive than the other, but I think it depends on what you grew up with. I am neither a computer science major nor particularly interested in discussing the ins and outs of kernel memory. What I can tell you is that both operating systems have their flaws, regardless of your perspective. If, however, you make this argument in front of the average Mac owner, you may find yourself with a deeper understanding of the phrase castration anxiety.
The Mac phenomenon is worth discussing because it raises troubling questions. Why aren't Mac fans complaining about being forced to use iTunes with their iPod? How can a company with such a gentle image get away with being so fascist when it comes to digital content?
I can only leave you with a quote from the AV Club's Amelie Gillette. She calls the new iPhone the new
expensive built-to-break Apple product that's sooo sleek you'll want to smash it into a thousand pieces when the newer version comes out. Sing it, sister.
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Doug Cloud
iPhone, iPod, iTunes, iMac ... iWant more options
