Losing faith in Apple?

G

Gedankenspiel

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I am a die-hard Apple fan and even worked for Apple and some point in the late 90s. I grew up with LCII's, Performas and even until today have bought into just about every generation of Powerbooks Apple has released.

However, my passion and fascination with Apple products is starting to fade, and here is why:

1. Web browsing still unbearably slow
Come on - the web is not a new thing anymore. Many years have passed since Mozilla 0.9 and peoples attention span for slow downloads and slow app open times was long. I work on both platforms and many times have tried to use the Mac for flash and ColdFusion development. Every time I start a bigger project I decide to use the PC because using the web is a miserable experience on the Mac. IE still crashes all the time and renders pages incomplete. Navigator (the tiny version) is quicker but QT and Flash work horribly in it. Other alternatives are not really viable as a developer. So here is my quesiton:
What is it about the Apple platform that makes the web browsing experience so horrible?

2. Launch of web services too much for Apple to handle?
I just tried publishing some iPhoto pictures on .mac and once again it failed miserably. Thinking it might be my own DSL connection or my machine I eliminated any potential issues on my side with the same result. Everyone has been witness to the .mac website and mail fiasco last month and I thought Apple had finally gotten a grip on it. Yesterday I discovered yet again that .mac was temorarily unavailable - on a MONDAY morning?
The point is - is this really Apple's expertise? Not only am I questioning the value of the services i get from Apple for my $100, but I am also losing trust in the service itself.
Apple should focus on hardware and operating system and on developing partnerships and incentives for developers - not to create their own web ASP service - that's very 2000.

3. Where is the future?
This one is simple - where is Apple going? My emotional attachment to the brand is wearing off and my excitement for what's next is also limited. What happened to the anticipation before a Mac World Expo? The last 1 has left us with nothing much new to engage in. Sure, processors are faster - yet again - and video cards are slightly faster - yet again - and screens are slightly better - yet again. But that doesn;t make me dish out a premium for Apple machines anymore. Processor speeds are close to reaching a plateu and people don't abandon their old machine to buy one that is three times faster anymore. The only way you get people to switch is by giving them a REAL reason and that simply hasn't happened for a while.

So anyways, on I go with my PC on the left to make a living (developing) and my Mac on the right for fun (iTunes, iPhoto and Photoshop) on the right.

G
 
Sir you have expressed my sentiments exactly, I think Apple should encourage developers and also the company itself should focus on what they do be which is innovation.



Just my two cents
 
My predictions will materialise. Apple will soon or later switch to PC for its software and hardware support starting by 2005. It is inevitable.

Apple can't close it's doors forever!
 
Originally posted by ManicDevlin
My predictions will materialise. Apple will soon or later switch to PC for its software and hardware support starting by 2005. It is inevitable.

Apple can't close it's doors forever!
Click to expand...

That's the most laughable crap I've heard in a long time.
 
I have been a Mac user for a long time, and a Apple user before that. I have switched many people from Windows to Macs. But you know, when you can buy an awesome top of the line Dell desktop system w/ monitor for $600-$900, it makes you think twice.

I hate Windows, don't like it at all. But, I can run every program I run on a normal basis on a Windows box, with the exception of iMovie. All the graphics programs, business apps, you name it, I wouldn't feel limited in any way.

I don't see myself being a convert to Windows any time in the near future, but the price point might be a major factor in my next major purchase.

Aqua is slow, no one can deny.

Admin
 
Apple will make a big, floppy, nose dive to the ground before they'll switch to a software only company. It won't happen.

originaly posted by ksv

They are drowning in their own ideology.
Click to expand...

You're completely correct in that one. I think they need to make things a little simpler.
 
I've only been using macs for about 5 years now but i've learned one great thing about Apple: they know what they're doing, even though they may not show it. They know what they want the future to look like and they're heading in that direction, not entirely fast, but they're getting there. Apple as a group doesn't like the public to know too much about their future idea's so they keep them quiet, and wait until the last minute to release information.

Give 'em at least 2 years...I, personally, assure you: you will not be let down.
 
BY 2 years, apple may have something up their sleeve! But I hope you dont think PCs will freeze in time. They will also innovate.

Windows Media Center Pcs is just one tip of the iceberg. The future holds many things, but it really boils down to who's machine will do stuff faster, better and cheaper, cost wise.

This is frankly the 3 basic fundamental needs for the consumer.

2 of these needs are lacking by apple right now...
 
Apple has never let me down personally, but when it comes to dollars and cents, one might choose differently. Now that I think about it, Dell has never really let me down either.

But, Windows always has and Gnome & KDE do all the time.

So, for now I stick with Mac.

Admin
 
If Admin is doubtful of apple's future, then you are all doomed! Muhahah! :D

BTW, why you hate windows?

I hated windows until Win2k and XP came out. Till then, MS has been on the right track. Longhorn looks to be incredible, but that's still far away.
 
Was that a personal request aimed towards me?
if so i'll e-mail you a HUGE page on why i hate windows, personally.

Ack! my left shift key is dying on me1
 
Manic, I thought your were banned, looks like I need to do some cleanup around here.

Well, if I only have $800 to spend, and my PMac G4/500 is ancient egypt... what would I buy? A used iMac or a "top of the line" dell system that is a current model?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.....................

I haven't given up hope on Apple... nor do I think thier future is dim, but it's hard to sell someone on a computer... example, a used G4 Cube for $600-$700 when a new x86 system would cost that and be fine.
 
When Apple was at their perfect low the last time and everyone shouted "Apple's gonna die!" (remember... just before MS put some money into Apple...), I too was faithless for some time. Back then I was using a PowerMacintosh 8200/120 and a PowerBook 5300ce, and I just loved Mac OS 8. But with Windows 98 coming and Apple losing market share and image all the way, I was tempted by 'the other world', too.

I bought a cheap AMD K6/200 box. I thought, that if Apple dies, I want some more experience in the PC world (I worked for a PC store - that also sold Macs - from 1994 to 1996). It came with Windows 95, but I installed Windows 98 Beta 3 and the final version later on. It was a time of viruses. It was the time of 'Ping of Death', so when I connected to Mac Hotline servers with my PC, it got ping'd to death almost five times an hour. Incredible. Unbearable. So I went Linux on that box. It served as my webserver and internet router (I had a 28.8kbps leased line at the time!). And it did that job quite well.

The machine had one revival into productivity. I did some web development on it when I got my hands on Apple Rhapsody DR 2 for PC Compatibles.

Let me tell you this: Opinions and prophecies were everything that tried to tear me away from the Mac. It wasn't the Mac itself or the productivity.

And I've learned from those times. I keep a cheap or old PC in my house. It's used for web browsing and for watching TV. I have RedHat 8.0 and Windows 2000 on that machine. And while those OSs aren't all that bad, they just don't cut it for my productivity. It's not about the speed of that machine. But my productivity just lacks.

Frankly, I don't care how far behind Apple is in MHz or bus speed or whatever. Whatever you think, unless you buy a new machine every 6 months, your computer isn't going to be at the top end for most of its time.

And I rather buy something that's still good for productive work after 1.7 years (my TiBook 500) and pay a premium than having to keep up with the newest hardware add-ons and processor upgrades just to be able to ignore that I don't do productive work on my computer.

Saying "There's Photoshop for Windows, too!" is a bit like saying "There's sun in Canada, too!". If you're looking for holidays on a sandy beach, you shouldn't go to Canada.

The Macintosh experience is more than the sum of its parts.
 
Hmm you simply ignored the issue of cost and peformance which everyone in this post was referring too.

You simply debated another Mac VS PC argument. Not only that, you backed up your argument with personal experience which is worth less than a paper cup.
 
There's sun in Canada, too?

Ok well, a better analogy would be....

There's sun in Bali and sun in Canada.
There's hot summer heat in Canada as well as Bali.
You can get a great tan in Canada or Bali.

The only thing Bali gives you that Canada doesn't, is the great surroundings, atmosphere, beauty, etc.

Apple needs to do more than offer the better looking system. They need to up the speed and lower cost. If you can get to Bali for the same price as Canada (or for just a little bit more).... then hell yeah who wouldn't go to Bali?
 
I just read this whole thread and it reminded me of the movie trailer for the movie Like Mike. Specifically the part during which a reporter is interviewing a basketball player and all the while littl bow wow keeps jumping up and down and butting in.... :D

about Apple. I think that there is a premiun to be paid for apple hardware, but I also think that people overestimate how much that premium is. You can get a desktop for $800 (from Dull), but $300 more gets you an eMac. Also, the Dell has a CD-ROM.

A DVD/CD-RW upgrade sets you back another $130.
A decent (not flat like the eMac's) 17" inch monitor will set you back another $110 (you could keep the one they bundle for $800, but then you'll have to look at it :D )
FireWire sets your back another $50 (but you'll have to buy it elsewhere 'cause Dell does not offer it)
Without mentioning that the integrated graphics on the Dull probably sucks when compared to the NVidia card on the eMac, you are looking at $290 to make the hardware equivalent and then....

well, then you still have Winsucks to deal with!!

If it as my money, I'd spend teh $10 ($110 if you don't mind a 17' monitor with a 16" vieable area) for OSX, iMovie, iPhoto, Sherlock, etc....
 
Originally posted by ManicDevlin
The future holds many things, but it really boils down to who's machine will do stuff faster, better and cheaper, cost wise.

This is frankly the 3 basic fundamental needs for the consumer.

2 of these needs are lacking by apple right now...
Click to expand...

You are also forgetting that the majority of wintel users, many of which are deemed "power" users are not buying faster hardware. It's only the die hard freaks that are worried about getting that last fps out of a UT demo or 1 more point on 3d benchmarks that are worried about buying the latest processor. The majority are satisfied by what they have and what it can do. If that is the case you won't see as much progress on the performance front that we have seen in the past few years. That alone should give ample time to do some catch up.

If computers are getting to the point where nobody cares as much about being faster than anybody else the arguement comes down to better and cheaper.
I prefer my Mac. I therefore think it's better. The resale value of my G3 is currently $600. I paid $1400 originaly. Total cost to me $800. That isn't too bad in my book.
 
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