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Now there I can't agree. If I were a first time potential Apple buyer, outside the Apple bubble, I would absolutely want to know if Apple's own charger has a ch

Now there I can't agree. If I were a first time potential Apple buyer, outside the Apple bubble, I would absolutely want to know if Apple's own charger has a cheap cable that frays, or a video dongle can't handle certain common modes, or something is simply crap. Comparison with a third party doesn't enter into it. It might even help get a feel for how common an issue some site's major news piece actually is. Likewise a 2017 Macbook Pro attracting lots of negative reviews because Apple forgot how to make a keyboard resilient enough to outlast a warranty are equally legitimate. Pulling them to present an "all is lovely in Apple World" view is incredibly buyer hostile. Even if many remain that are irrelevant complaints and misunderstandings - where there should be some effort to clean up, there is legitimate need for ungamed, unsanitised reviews and ratings.

core-questions 7y ago
> I would absolutely want to know if Apple's own charger has a cheap cable that frays Of course, but why would Apple want you to know that before you shell out the cash? > "all is lovely in Apple World" view is incredibly buyer hostile They're laughing all the way to the bank.
- harry8 7y ago
  Because now everyone can refer to Appke as dishonest and be exactly correct. "Don't believe apple's lies, their quality is awful, they know it and lie about it. Pulled all the reviews from their customers who found that out at their own cost." Difficult for Apple to argue with that without looking even worse. Sometimes being honest about your faults enhances both your reputation for integrity and quality. Honesty really can be your most profitable policy. Especially when you charge a premium for quality. Apple are a huge tech company. Apple are being very arrogant. Historically that has been a time to sell.
derefr 7y ago
> Comparison with a third party doesn't enter into it. Sure it does. Mathematically. See my other comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21600914 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21600914 Reviews and ratings only function as a pairwise ordering. If there's only one of something in a category in a marketplace, the reviews don't have any signal to them. (Before you say "maybe the numbers don't, but the text does!"—consider a true monopoly product provider, like a bread line in the USSR. Would you trust a review of the bread, given that the bread line itself is the moderator of bread-line reviews?) Mind you, I'm not saying it's impossible to accurately review these products. I'm just saying it's impossible to accurately review them in this particular marketplace (the Apple Store website.) If you want real reviews, you need an efficient market. Try eBay.
- morsch 7y ago
  Interesting 1985 article about bread in the USSR: When it comes to bread, Russians don't loaf https://www.csmonitor.com/1985/0916/obread.html https://www.csmonitor.com/1985/0916/obread.html
scarface74 7y ago
Apple products get so much press and so many reviews compared to their market share that it’s not hard to find detailed reviews and iFixit tear downs of everything Apple sells. Apple’s products also cost enough that I doubt most people purchase them on a whim without research.
asdff 7y ago
So now instead of getting the cheap cable that frays, buyers get the half price cable on amazon that literally bursts into flames. It's clear that these cables at least from apple are considered wear items in their eyes, but the alternatives are almost worse, sometimes catastrophically worse.

core-questions 7y ago

> I would absolutely want to know if Apple's own charger has a cheap cable that frays Of course, but why would Apple want you to know that before you shell out the cash? > "all is lovely in Apple World" view is incredibly buyer hostile They're laughing all the way to the bank.

harry8 7y ago
Because now everyone can refer to Appke as dishonest and be exactly correct. "Don't believe apple's lies, their quality is awful, they know it and lie about it. Pulled all the reviews from their customers who found that out at their own cost." Difficult for Apple to argue with that without looking even worse. Sometimes being honest about your faults enhances both your reputation for integrity and quality. Honesty really can be your most profitable policy. Especially when you charge a premium for quality. Apple are a huge tech company. Apple are being very arrogant. Historically that has been a time to sell.

derefr 7y ago

> Comparison with a third party doesn't enter into it. Sure it does. Mathematically. See my other comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21600914 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21600914 Reviews and ratings only function as a pairwise ordering. If there's only one of something in a category in a marketplace, the reviews don't have any signal to them. (Before you say "maybe the numbers don't, but the text does!"—consider a true monopoly product provider, like a bread line in the USSR. Would you trust a review of the bread, given that the bread line itself is the moderator of bread-line reviews?) Mind you, I'm not saying it's impossible to accurately review these products. I'm just saying it's impossible to accurately review them in this particular marketplace (the Apple Store website.) If you want real reviews, you need an efficient market. Try eBay.

morsch 7y ago
Interesting 1985 article about bread in the USSR: When it comes to bread, Russians don't loaf https://www.csmonitor.com/1985/0916/obread.html https://www.csmonitor.com/1985/0916/obread.html

scarface74 7y ago

Apple products get so much press and so many reviews compared to their market share that it’s not hard to find detailed reviews and iFixit tear downs of everything Apple sells. Apple’s products also cost enough that I doubt most people purchase them on a whim without research.

asdff 7y ago

So now instead of getting the cheap cable that frays, buyers get the half price cable on amazon that literally bursts into flames. It's clear that these cables at least from apple are considered wear items in their eyes, but the alternatives are almost worse, sometimes catastrophically worse.