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The difference is, you either ask a knowlegable friend for advice so you can make a decision based on your needs - or you rely on a knowlegable Apple marketing

by lwhi 15y ago

The difference is, you either ask a knowlegable friend for advice so you can make a decision based on your needs - or you rely on a knowlegable Apple marketing / tech department to make the decision for you. Once again Apple provides simplicity at the cost of freedom of choice. EDIT: to the downvoters - your inability to acknowledge a simple truth astounds me.

davidedicillo 15y ago
Sorry but I can't see where Apple limits your choice... Is that because they don't offer configurations for each component of their computers? Simplicity by definition is something simple. 10 configurations are simpler than 1000.
- lwhi 15y ago
  You are missing my point. Yes, simplicity by definition is something simple. But that's not the issue. I'm talking about the way that simplicity is offered at the expense of freedom of choice. Freedom of choice by definition needs choices. If you have twenty choices vs. two; by definition, the former offers more freedom of choice.
  - swombat 15y ago
    You can have the Model T in any colour so long as it's black. More seriously, you have all the choices you want - no one is forcing you to buy a Mac. For the 0.5% of the population who want that freedom, it's there, for a price (both financial and in terms of quality, hassle, ease of purchase, etc). For the other 99.5%, who want the simplicity, it's there too.
    - lwhi 15y ago
      While I agree with you, I don't think 99.5% of the population owns a mac. There will always be a benefit to being able to choose. I'd rather have to acquire knowledge, and be able to make an informed choice - than have someone else make that decision for me. I know I'm not the only one. EDIT: Okay - so why the down-vote? Commenting on any Apple-centric post, with any comment that can be considered even slightly disparaging towards Apple is hazardous. When it comes to Apple, some people seem to end up exchanging their brains for shiny-hardware. Depressing.
      - jarek 15y ago
        I've come to view downvotes when commenting on a Gruber post on HN as a sign that I'm doing something right. (Disclaimer: this post is a generalization, valid and relevant 80% of the time, but I will make it sound universal anyway. It will not provide good experience for some users, but that's okay.)
Anechoic 15y ago
>ask a knowlegable friend As the "knowlegable friend" in my circles this just means that I get swamped with requests for assistance in selecting laptops which means I get the joys of navigating shitty PC websites for a machine that I will never use (until it breaks). I made the decision a long time ago to tell folks asking for help "if you want a Mac, I'll give you all the assistance you want but if you want a PC, you're on your own."
- lwhi 15y ago
  Do you need to give assistance if someone wants a mac? ;)

by lwhi 15y ago

davidedicillo 15y ago

Sorry but I can't see where Apple limits your choice... Is that because they don't offer configurations for each component of their computers? Simplicity by definition is something simple. 10 configurations are simpler than 1000.

lwhi 15y ago
You are missing my point. Yes, simplicity by definition is something simple. But that's not the issue. I'm talking about the way that simplicity is offered at the expense of freedom of choice. Freedom of choice by definition needs choices. If you have twenty choices vs. two; by definition, the former offers more freedom of choice.
- swombat 15y ago
  You can have the Model T in any colour so long as it's black. More seriously, you have all the choices you want - no one is forcing you to buy a Mac. For the 0.5% of the population who want that freedom, it's there, for a price (both financial and in terms of quality, hassle, ease of purchase, etc). For the other 99.5%, who want the simplicity, it's there too.
  - lwhi 15y ago
    While I agree with you, I don't think 99.5% of the population owns a mac. There will always be a benefit to being able to choose. I'd rather have to acquire knowledge, and be able to make an informed choice - than have someone else make that decision for me. I know I'm not the only one. EDIT: Okay - so why the down-vote? Commenting on any Apple-centric post, with any comment that can be considered even slightly disparaging towards Apple is hazardous. When it comes to Apple, some people seem to end up exchanging their brains for shiny-hardware. Depressing.
    - jarek 15y ago
      I've come to view downvotes when commenting on a Gruber post on HN as a sign that I'm doing something right. (Disclaimer: this post is a generalization, valid and relevant 80% of the time, but I will make it sound universal anyway. It will not provide good experience for some users, but that's okay.)

Anechoic 15y ago

>ask a knowlegable friend As the "knowlegable friend" in my circles this just means that I get swamped with requests for assistance in selecting laptops which means I get the joys of navigating shitty PC websites for a machine that I will never use (until it breaks). I made the decision a long time ago to tell folks asking for help "if you want a Mac, I'll give you all the assistance you want but if you want a PC, you're on your own."

lwhi 15y ago
Do you need to give assistance if someone wants a mac? ;)