12 ms·

Boycotting the Mac platform (which is pretty much free of any such absurdity) doesn't make a lot of sense to me. That's where Apple is doing things right. You s

by Zak 17y ago

Boycotting the Mac platform (which is pretty much free of any such absurdity) doesn't make a lot of sense to me. That's where Apple is doing things right. You should of course, shun iPhone OS devices if you feel this way. The system76 laptops are probably generic machines from Clevo, Sager or some such with a custom badge. Alienware used to do the same thing.

markkoberlein 17y ago
I wonder if Leo Laporte is going to be right about how he thinks that will Apple eventually stop making macs so that they can focus on more closed or controlled platforms like the iPod, iPhone, and now the iPad. They seem to be pretty good at making money with the closed systems. Maybe the next iBook will just be a foldable iPad with the same closed OS.
- Raphael 17y ago
  I predict the differences will shrink and disappear. The desktops and laptops will get touch input and iPhone apps, and the closed platforms will round out in specs and features.
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
- jsz0 17y ago
  Maybe someday but for now Mac sales are going up -- not down. I can't imagine they'd walk away from that market. I could see the two platforms merging in certain ways. For instance if you added a multi-touch screen to the current MacBook, retaining the keyboard/touchpad, you'd have an interesting platform. You'd have desktop multi-touch apps very similar to iPad apps but you'd also be able to use traditional OSX apps. There could be some system wide multi-touch features along the lines of what they're doing with the multi-touch trackpads already to enhance these applications.
kqr2 17y ago
Yes, but it's the content creators that are developing the apps and making the iPad/iPhone a more valuable platform. Boycotting Apple's content creation tools and consequently not developing for the iPad/iPhone is one way to send a message.
- kgroll 17y ago
  I've been wondering about this a bit lately. I've so far chosen not to support the iPhone OS for the reason you mention, instead favoring Android. However, I'm ultimately interested in serving my application to the largest number of people, and it seems clear to me that the App Store is the best way to achieve that today. So, do you cave in and develop an iPhone version? Or, do you stand by your morals, and, in turn, limit your audience?
  - theBobMcCormick 17y ago
    If you're already developing for Android, stick with what you're doing and you'll soon be serving your app to a much larger market. Android growth is pretty strong: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20001788-265.html http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20001788-265.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/193653/google_android_hits_massive_growth_spurt.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/193653/google_android_hits_ma...
city41 17y ago
If I had to guess, the iPhone and iPod Touch are seen as more successful endeavors to Apple than the Mac has been of late. So I wouldn't be surprised if Apple's iPhone policies start leaking their way onto the Mac too.
- api 17y ago
  That's what I'm worried about. The instant that happens, I'm gone.
  - city41 17y ago
    I think I'm already gone :( I am now seriously considering mowing down my iMac and MacBook and putting Linux on them. (Not that this makes a lick of difference, but it will make me feel better)
    - stse 17y ago
      It does make a difference. Linux needs more users, both active and passive. I'm actually surprised how many people that would be the target audience for Linux have come to use OS X instead.
      - api 17y ago
        User interface, user interface, quality of hardware, and user interface. "Quality of hardware" boils down to user interface... just at the hardware level. Their UI ability is the secret of Apple's success. Everyone else treats UI and design like an afterthought.
        deleted 17y ago
        [deleted]
- ewjordan 17y ago
  If you believe Trefis, the iPhone makes up a little over 50% of AAPL's value as compared to ~20% from the Mac line, so anyone that thinks of it as more successful is right: http://www.trefis.com/company?hm=AAPL.trefis&hk=34d9a2442672ac24aeb993fb6efd3d47b4603e77# http://www.trefis.com/company?hm=AAPL.trefis&hk=34d9a244... I really hope that this ridiculousness doesn't start to bleed through - the MacBook Pro is pretty much the only laptop I've ever considered usable for development, and I don't know what I'd do if I had to abandon it...
api 17y ago
The hardest thing to me about ditching Mac would be that Apple is the only company capable of doing a user interface. ALL other user interfaces by ALL other vendors suck. For some reason, no human beings on the entire planet other than those that work at One Infinite Loop in Cupertino are capable of doing a UI.
- city41 17y ago
  Although historically I have always agreed with you, I dare say Microsoft is starting to figure it out. Slowly but surely. Win7 is almost a pleasant experience.
  - api 17y ago
    Windows 7 is usable for two reasons: 1) They removed much of the "originality" that they did from Vista. 2) They copied more stuff from Apple, and a little bit from the Linux ecosystem. Oh... and what's their fetish with that sickening shade of teal/blue? Yuck! It looks like smurf vomit.
    - blub 17y ago
      I doubt that Microsoft has copied anything from the Linux ecosystem. And with Linux innovations such as moving the window buttons around for no reason and upsetting their users, I don't see why they would. Linux fans need to relax a bit and realize they're number three for a reason and work harder not complain harder. Edid: I'm sorry, do I sound bitter? Maybe I've grown disillusioned with the difference between the reality in the trenches and fans extolling the features of product X, where X is any of Linux, Mac, Windows, iPhone, etc.
  - patio11 17y ago
    I just got my new laptop yesterday, and while some of this is surely due to the SSD or the New Laptop Smell, Windows 7 is EASILY the best experience I've ever had with a Microsoft product. The new taskbar looks wonderful, the design is up there with Apple, and everything is so freaking fast it is unbelievable. I booted my other laptop to transfer some data over and waiting for Vista to load to the point where I could interact with Chrome was like pulling teeth.
CamperBob 17y ago
Boycotting the Mac platform (which is pretty much free of any such absurdity) For now. That's the thing about Apple's capricious, passive-aggressive contract language... you have no idea, and no way to even guess, if your business model will be the next one they target for termination.

by Zak 17y ago

markkoberlein 17y ago

I wonder if Leo Laporte is going to be right about how he thinks that will Apple eventually stop making macs so that they can focus on more closed or controlled platforms like the iPod, iPhone, and now the iPad. They seem to be pretty good at making money with the closed systems. Maybe the next iBook will just be a foldable iPad with the same closed OS.

Raphael 17y ago
I predict the differences will shrink and disappear. The desktops and laptops will get touch input and iPhone apps, and the closed platforms will round out in specs and features.
deleted 17y ago
[deleted]
jsz0 17y ago
Maybe someday but for now Mac sales are going up -- not down. I can't imagine they'd walk away from that market. I could see the two platforms merging in certain ways. For instance if you added a multi-touch screen to the current MacBook, retaining the keyboard/touchpad, you'd have an interesting platform. You'd have desktop multi-touch apps very similar to iPad apps but you'd also be able to use traditional OSX apps. There could be some system wide multi-touch features along the lines of what they're doing with the multi-touch trackpads already to enhance these applications.

kqr2 17y ago

Yes, but it's the content creators that are developing the apps and making the iPad/iPhone a more valuable platform. Boycotting Apple's content creation tools and consequently not developing for the iPad/iPhone is one way to send a message.

kgroll 17y ago
I've been wondering about this a bit lately. I've so far chosen not to support the iPhone OS for the reason you mention, instead favoring Android. However, I'm ultimately interested in serving my application to the largest number of people, and it seems clear to me that the App Store is the best way to achieve that today. So, do you cave in and develop an iPhone version? Or, do you stand by your morals, and, in turn, limit your audience?
- theBobMcCormick 17y ago
  If you're already developing for Android, stick with what you're doing and you'll soon be serving your app to a much larger market. Android growth is pretty strong: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20001788-265.html http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20001788-265.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/193653/google_android_hits_massive_growth_spurt.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/193653/google_android_hits_ma...

city41 17y ago

If I had to guess, the iPhone and iPod Touch are seen as more successful endeavors to Apple than the Mac has been of late. So I wouldn't be surprised if Apple's iPhone policies start leaking their way onto the Mac too.

api 17y ago
That's what I'm worried about. The instant that happens, I'm gone.
- city41 17y ago
  I think I'm already gone :( I am now seriously considering mowing down my iMac and MacBook and putting Linux on them. (Not that this makes a lick of difference, but it will make me feel better)
  - stse 17y ago
    It does make a difference. Linux needs more users, both active and passive. I'm actually surprised how many people that would be the target audience for Linux have come to use OS X instead.
    - api 17y ago
      User interface, user interface, quality of hardware, and user interface. "Quality of hardware" boils down to user interface... just at the hardware level. Their UI ability is the secret of Apple's success. Everyone else treats UI and design like an afterthought.
      - deleted 17y ago
        [deleted]
ewjordan 17y ago
If you believe Trefis, the iPhone makes up a little over 50% of AAPL's value as compared to ~20% from the Mac line, so anyone that thinks of it as more successful is right: http://www.trefis.com/company?hm=AAPL.trefis&hk=34d9a2442672ac24aeb993fb6efd3d47b4603e77# http://www.trefis.com/company?hm=AAPL.trefis&hk=34d9a244... I really hope that this ridiculousness doesn't start to bleed through - the MacBook Pro is pretty much the only laptop I've ever considered usable for development, and I don't know what I'd do if I had to abandon it...

api 17y ago

The hardest thing to me about ditching Mac would be that Apple is the only company capable of doing a user interface. ALL other user interfaces by ALL other vendors suck. For some reason, no human beings on the entire planet other than those that work at One Infinite Loop in Cupertino are capable of doing a UI.

city41 17y ago
Although historically I have always agreed with you, I dare say Microsoft is starting to figure it out. Slowly but surely. Win7 is almost a pleasant experience.
- api 17y ago
  Windows 7 is usable for two reasons: 1) They removed much of the "originality" that they did from Vista. 2) They copied more stuff from Apple, and a little bit from the Linux ecosystem. Oh... and what's their fetish with that sickening shade of teal/blue? Yuck! It looks like smurf vomit.
  - blub 17y ago
    I doubt that Microsoft has copied anything from the Linux ecosystem. And with Linux innovations such as moving the window buttons around for no reason and upsetting their users, I don't see why they would. Linux fans need to relax a bit and realize they're number three for a reason and work harder not complain harder. Edid: I'm sorry, do I sound bitter? Maybe I've grown disillusioned with the difference between the reality in the trenches and fans extolling the features of product X, where X is any of Linux, Mac, Windows, iPhone, etc.
- patio11 17y ago
  I just got my new laptop yesterday, and while some of this is surely due to the SSD or the New Laptop Smell, Windows 7 is EASILY the best experience I've ever had with a Microsoft product. The new taskbar looks wonderful, the design is up there with Apple, and everything is so freaking fast it is unbelievable. I booted my other laptop to transfer some data over and waiting for Vista to load to the point where I could interact with Chrome was like pulling teeth.

CamperBob 17y ago

Boycotting the Mac platform (which is pretty much free of any such absurdity) For now. That's the thing about Apple's capricious, passive-aggressive contract language... you have no idea, and no way to even guess, if your business model will be the next one they target for termination.