I will never understand the mentality of Apple fans. I've tried on numerous occasions and have never had a complete and well-rounded grasp on exactly what goes through their head when they write posts on the Internet. Much in the same way I don't understand the mentality of Sony fans; I really don't see how someone can love a company that can't back itself up with <i>just</i> quality products - they have to resort to mudslinging in their commercials and press conferences to make themselves seem desirable.
I don't like Apple and Apple products for many reasons. Before I really start into this post, I'm going to let you know now that I've used windows for most of my life, but I did switch to mostly using OS X back around 2007 and maintained that through to the end of 2008, which is when I'd had enough of the OS and switched back to Windows. I've had good, long chances to use many of the products I'm going to talk about, and I always go into them actually <i>looking for an alternative to what I'm using</i>.
First off, I hate Apple's marketing schemes. Using insults and mis-direction in your commercials makes Apple look really weak and pathetic as a company right away. Much like those jerks you used to meet in school who'd pick on you for something irrelevant or pointless; Apple's marketing is really juvenile and dirty. A company that can't hold it's own based off of reputable and time-proven products without resorting to silly smear campaigns is one that is obviously trying to misdirect or brainwash (I hate using that word, but in this situation I cannot think of an alternative) their customers into believing less than the truth and/or the facts.
The Mac commercials are very blatant in this, and if you cannot see it then you've been the victim of another successful Apple commercial. Ads in which they claim such blatant lies like, "Mac's don't crash," or "Mac's don't get viruses," are examples of false information being presented in a manner that attempts to damage the reputation of it's competitor. In my time with my Mac, OS X crashed more times in a month than my Windows machine had in a year, and I leave them running practically 24/7. Even if statistically my 1 case was the only case of a mac crashing, that already makes Apple a liar for telling me my product wont crash. A correct statement after the fact would then be, "Most Mac's wont crash."
Same thing goes for this '<i>Mac's don't get viruses</i>' malarkey. If Mac's were shielded 100% from viruses, <b>anti-virus software for the Mac, and websites like <a href="http://www.securemac.com/" target="_blank">this one</a> wouldn't exist.</b> There are always risks with anything you buy that malicious code could damage it. It's unfortunately a sad fact of technology. Besides, if you're careful - regardless of operating system - you wont need to worry about viruses any way. I've been virus-free for years on my Windows machine, without UAC turned on, using only Microsoft Security Essentials and nothing more. No bloated Norton or McAfee installs bogging down my system and sucking my bank account dry, but also no viruses impairing my ability to use my computer.
Apple simply use either direct lies, misdirection or omission of information to attempt to trick the viewer into believing that Apple's product is clearly the better one. I'm not going to lie here - this is a brilliant marketing scheme. It's still nefarious and pathetic, but no one can say it doesn't work. Whoever does Apple's advertising should be proud. That person has managed to train a generation to think and act the exact same way while making them believe they're being original and unique. That person has also successfully disassociated computers running OS X from computers running Windows by using the terms <i>Mac</i> and <i>PC</i> while at the same time giving PC a negative connotation. It's a perfect base for a marketing platform.
Most people use the terms in every day life <i>just</i> as Apple intended without even thinking about it. Apple has made people believe that Macs either aren't <i>just</i> a PC, or that Macs aren't PCs at all, ignoring what <i>PC</i> actually stands for. This is the foundation of Apple fan's platform of idiocy. Almost every person in an argument for Apple VS. Microsoft will use the terms Mac VS. PC, and arguing about Macs VS. PCs is illogical and fallacious. PC stands for Personal Computer, which by definition means, "a computer that is used by one person at a time in a business, a school, or at home."
Macintosh machines are just that: a PC. Up until recently, the only difference at the hardware level was that Macs used IBM processors instead of Intel. In these times, the innards of a Mac can be the same as any other machine. These days you can literally build your own tower for use with OS X, and it runs just the same as a Mac machine but at a significantly reduced cost. They're called Hackintosh machines. People need to understand that the term Mac refers to the hardware that OS X is running on, NOT the OS itself. This is the same as if I were to substitute Dell instead of PC. Then I could debate Dell VS. Mac, or Dell VS. Asus, or even Mac VS. Alienware. These are all PCs, but I am substituting the brand so you understand which I am talking about.
This also ties in again to Apple's motive to make you think Mac products will make you 'hip' and 'unique', but what most Mac users don't seem to notice is that <b>all of their god damn products <i>look the same</i></b>. The whole idea of using Justin Long to associate individuality and personality with Macs while at the same time using John Hodgman to make Windows machines look like lame, cookie-cutter computers is actually a factual role-reversal.
Wanna <i>see</i> what I mean? <a href="http://shopperism.com/images/apple_imac_new_aluminum.jpg" target="_blank">Here</a> is a picture of a line of iMacs. You can't get iMacs in any other color other than 'aluminum', as far as I know. You can't get them in any other design, either. Now <a href="http://powerdeals.in/powerdeals/images/products/dell_desktop.230135040_std.jpg" target="_blank">here</a> <a href="http://www.techpin.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/alienware-aurora-one-of-the-best-desktop-computers-for-gaming-2.jpg" target="_blank">are</a> <a href="http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u22694/Rosewill_beauty.jpg" target="_blank">some</a> <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/410CJ7-vctL.jpg" target="_blank">Windows machine</a> <a href="http://www.xbitlabs.com/images/editorial/cebit2008-2/foxconn3_sm.jpg" target="_blank">cases</a>. Notice how original and unique the cases for Windows machines are? Notice how unoriginal and cookie-cutter the iMacs are? Yeah. You're smart, I'll let you draw the conclusions.
I really don't like the iMac. I mean, it looks sleek, yes. However, everything is really dead-set and impractical. I like Windows machines because they're <i>customizable</i>. With a Mac, you <i>can't</i> put an all-in-one card reader in the front bay. I can't go out and buy a stick of Ram and put it in my self with ease. If I drop my monitor, I have to send the whole damn computer in for repairs while I'm left with nothing. On a windows machine if I wanted to add in Ram I'd put it in myself instead of sending the whole computer to Apple to do it. If I dropped the monitor, I'd send <i>just the monitor</i> in for a repair and use a temporary one with my undamaged computer that didn't get sent out. If I wanted to put something in my case, I wouldn't void my warranty doing so.
This lack of control over your product after you've paid <i>a lot</i> of money for it is ridiculous. This is Steve Jobs' incessant need to control every facet of your life showing it's ugly face. When I pay money for a product, I'm not leasing it from a company. The product is now <i>my property</i>, and I should be able to do with it what I want (within a legal setting) without consequence. Making up worthless excuses for having such a closed platform and strict control over end-user products <i>after</i> they've left the shelves such as '<i>compromised user experience</i>' or '<i>piracy concerns</i>' is moronic.
Apple likes to group all their users in to one category: <i>idiots</i>. And as such, they place limitations on their products and say that it's 'in the best interest for their users.' Apple products <i>are actually designed for morons to use them.</i> It's great for those who're kinda new or not into the whole tech scene, but for people like me this is a negative point. I want to be able to use my device in whichever way I choose. This is why I bought it. Limiting us and then telling us it's because we're not smart enough is adding insult to injury.
The iPhone is a great example of this. <i>Without Jailbreaking</i>, the iPhone is a very limited and irritating platform. We're not allowed to install apps that aren't approved by Apple's crack team of censors. Useful would-be apps like Google Voice have been unfairly declined from the app store because they're in direct competition with existing official Apple apps. It's a really unfair environment and the only apps that get accepted are really pointless and stupid, like the one where you throw crumpled paper into a trash can. <i>What the hell?</i> Useful apps get declined but pointless BS like this or 'the fart button' get in?
Also the lack of Flash support is stupid. Apple has a tendency to pick battles it cannot win. In the last few years Apple has fought both Google and Adobe, the two companies that make Apple products actually useful. Why? What's the point? If Adobe stops supporting the Mac, then Macs lose their core consumers who use Macs for Photoshop and the like. Blaming Adobe for your lack of support with Flash, then disallowing apps made in Flash in the app store is like a big middle finger and <i>makes no sense from a business standpoint</i>. Flash has already been proven to work effectively on smart phones, look at the Droid X.
Apple is just being stubborn in relinquishing it's monopoly on the iPhone because once Flash support is added, people can just make apps in flash and post them online for free. The App Store becomes outdated and Apple loses money. Apple isn't on some 'noble crusade' to get Adobe to shape up Flash or move everyone to HTML5, they're just afraid of losing money, like any heartless and cold company.
I don't like Apple, and I don't like Apple fanboys. As stated in another post, they're the most immature, arrogant and irritating people you can meet. It's like they have a logic forcefield that blocks clear thinking and reason. My sister's boyfriend is a fanboy for Apple. He works at an Apple call center, and all he owns are Apple products. Whenever I ask him, "Why are Apple products better?" He can never come up with a clear reason without resorting to the things Mac fanboys usually spout off that are based on false information (viruses, crashing, etc.).
In general, I find whenever they are mentioned, I usually end up irritated after the conversation ends. This doesn't mean I refuse to use or acknowledge the existence of Apple products. In fact, <b>despite lack of flash support</b>, I'm going to get an iPhone 4 once the antenna issue is fixed at the hardware level and not with a damn free case. I'm going to jailbreak it to relinquish it from Apple's grip, but I'm still going to buy one. I think I would benefit from a smart phone, and the iPhone 4 has more of what I want. It's a toss up between the iPhone 4 and Droid X, whichever is cheaper when I go to buy a phone.
These are my thoughts and mine alone. Some of these are based on opinion, but a lot are actually just raw facts. I agree that preference comes down to opinion, and I don't hate Macs. I think Macs are more useful for certain people and those people shouldn't deviate from Macs. I just don't like Apple, Apple products or Apple fanboys, <i>personally</i>.
EDIT: Wow, this is a long post! I didn't realize I'd typed so much. It's probably gonna be TL;DR for a lot of you, but if you want a solid reasoning for not liking Apple, then give it a read.
