3 ms·

Gruber's a smart guy, but he's also a completely reliable Apple apologist. If the Apple position is that there's no iPhone, then Gruber shows why the idea is s

Gruber's a smart guy, but he's also a completely reliable Apple apologist. If the Apple position is that there's no iPhone, then Gruber shows why the idea is stupid. If Apple suddenly reveals an iPhone, Gruber shows why it was inevitable. Look to the recent kerfuffle regarding AT&T's network for another great example. Daring Fireball can be a fun read, but it has the same relationship to Apple that Fox News has to the Republican party.

eli 17y ago
Not sure I agree there. He's an unapologetic Apple fan, but he certainly gives them criticism when they need it. See, for example, the 30 or 40 posts about App Store approval problems.
mr_eel 17y ago
"but he's also a completely reliable Apple apologist" You really should read him more regularly then, since that absolutely isn’t the case. He likes Apple’s stuff, that doesn’t make him an apologist. This was written in _2002_! At that time all the speculation was obviously bullshit. "Look to the recent kerfuffle regarding AT&T's network for another great example." What did everyone say when the AT&T deal was first announced? "Oh no! Their network is awful!". Two years later… still awful, except now they’re trying to blame it on the iPhone. I have an iPhone, no AT&T where I live. Never had a problem and that seems to be a consistent experience for a lot of people. Purely anecdotal, so take it with a pinch of salt. One final note: you really shouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking that everyone who likes Apple’s stuff is some kind of apologist/fan-boy. That is a fantasy invented by journalists and wannabe critics. It’s reductive and boooooring.
- megaduck 17y ago
  Whoah, there. I'm not criticizing Gruber for being an Apple fan. Heck, I'm an Apple fan. They make some of the best hardware and software going, period. All I'm saying is that Gruber tends to instinctively side with Apple in any dispute, and defend them passionately. Nokia and AT&T are recent examples, but he's been this way for about a decade now, as shown by this article. Daring Fireball tends to toe the party line, and it's got to get pretty bad before he breaks ranks.
ZachPruckowski 17y ago
>Look to the recent kerfuffle regarding AT&T's network for another great example. Does anyone who isn't being paid money by AT&T actually think their network problems are because iPhones are poorly made? It nearly defies logic. The service is bad because the iPhones use crappy parts, which is also why the service sucks for non-iPhone smartphones?

eli 17y ago

Not sure I agree there. He's an unapologetic Apple fan, but he certainly gives them criticism when they need it. See, for example, the 30 or 40 posts about App Store approval problems.

mr_eel 17y ago

"but he's also a completely reliable Apple apologist" You really should read him more regularly then, since that absolutely isn’t the case. He likes Apple’s stuff, that doesn’t make him an apologist. This was written in _2002_! At that time all the speculation was obviously bullshit. "Look to the recent kerfuffle regarding AT&T's network for another great example." What did everyone say when the AT&T deal was first announced? "Oh no! Their network is awful!". Two years later… still awful, except now they’re trying to blame it on the iPhone. I have an iPhone, no AT&T where I live. Never had a problem and that seems to be a consistent experience for a lot of people. Purely anecdotal, so take it with a pinch of salt. One final note: you really shouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking that everyone who likes Apple’s stuff is some kind of apologist/fan-boy. That is a fantasy invented by journalists and wannabe critics. It’s reductive and boooooring.

megaduck 17y ago
Whoah, there. I'm not criticizing Gruber for being an Apple fan. Heck, I'm an Apple fan. They make some of the best hardware and software going, period. All I'm saying is that Gruber tends to instinctively side with Apple in any dispute, and defend them passionately. Nokia and AT&T are recent examples, but he's been this way for about a decade now, as shown by this article. Daring Fireball tends to toe the party line, and it's got to get pretty bad before he breaks ranks.

ZachPruckowski 17y ago

>Look to the recent kerfuffle regarding AT&T's network for another great example. Does anyone who isn't being paid money by AT&T actually think their network problems are because iPhones are poorly made? It nearly defies logic. The service is bad because the iPhones use crappy parts, which is also why the service sucks for non-iPhone smartphones?