Comments on: Feeling much different about Apple these days; Time to take the blue pill?

By: type in the word 'ajax'

type in the word 'ajax' — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:26:01 +0000

I’ve been trying MacOS X on my awesome PC that I had completely assembled, yet still I am not very happy right now. This proprietary system has its pros and cons. I agree with Aqua’s extremely tuned look ‘n feel. All primary applications are controlled the same way. The GUI is probably #1 reason to stick with Mac, however the dark side is I’ve been missing something crucial. The source codes! How can I satisfy my curiosity without them? This OS tries to fool me how unbelievably high-level and good-looking it is only to distract my attention from what’s happening in the inside. That’s when I get the everlasting empty feeling if I sit on my chair and stare into the MacOS GUI.

I can’t trust to the OS which deliberately puts me in jail, gives me the handcuffs and acts like everything is OK. It’s not a user who controls MacOS. It’s MacOS which controls a user.

Although I have no source codes, I realize MacOS does not defend my security with PaX, GrSecurity, SELinux or any comparable technology, nor does it have hardened toolchain. I won’t transfer any valuable data on my MacOS’ hard drive. I won’t use it for e-banking. Paying via a credit card through Safari feels like shouting numbers through the fix telephone line, while emailing them to the bank, and hoping nobody hears it.

By: Gordon P. Hemsley

Gordon P. Hemsley — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:32:49 +0000

I’ve had trouble reading this entire article, despite multiple attempts, because my brain shuts off after any mention of the iPhone. I have steadily lost interest in it since it was released, and I never did get myself one. I, too, am at the point where it makes no difference to me whether you buy Windows 7 or Snow Leopard. Apple may “better” products, but they’re also much more restrictive. I didn’t realize it until my MacBook Pro had a number of issues recently—you can’t just open it up yourself and fix whatever the problem is. You have to go to the Apple Store and have them ship your computer off for days or weeks at a time. I miss the freedom of being able to customize every part of the computer. The computer I used before I bought myself an iMac in 2005 was one that I had completely assembled myself. And there is indeed an “Apple tax”, if you ask me.

So, bottom line, Microsoft and Apple are both not making me very happy right now.

By: Robert O'Callahan

Robert O'Callahan — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:43:59 +0000

I’ve never doubted that Apple would be as bad or worse than Microsoft, if they had the chance. A less popular prediction: Google would be too, perhaps after the founders quit.

It is right to focus on Microsoft while they dominate; you fight the bully, not the pretender. (And let’s not forget that they do still dominate.) But we will never, ever be able to rest.

BTW I think we’re very lucky that the Webkit team is an island of relative goodness. But it’ll be interesting to see how they hold out.

By: Thomas A. Valletta

Thomas A. Valletta — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:58:35 +0000

At WWDC 2008 I realized that Apple would be far worse stewards of a Microsoft-ish monopoly if ever given the chance. At that point I gave up my mac-book pro. The competition and innovation they bring is healthy, but for now I will support their competition. As far as phones go, that was difficult until a month ago. I have been pushing the same opinion that you just shared on my friends and co-workers for about a year now.

Careful: your opinions sound politically conservative. :)

By: Charles Miller

Charles Miller — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:42:21 +0000

I use Apple products because they are IMHO the best tools for the job at hand. Once they stop being the best tools, I’ll happily switch to something else, but even in the face of all Apple’s flaws the competition still has a long way to go.

If Android’s open marketplace creates a better product than my iPhone, I’ll buy an Android phone. If the year of Linux on the desktop finally arrives, I’ll give it another go. Switching just because what Apple is doing today might lead to some other product being better in the future is just silly. I’ll wait for the future to happen first.

By: @F1LT3R

@F1LT3R — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:07:13 +0000

Never liked Macs specifically for the reasons you mentioned… I always felt Macs were for kids, students and graphic designers (*!=1337) . Yes, they are nice machines, but never forget: we went to the moon on 0×86 processors and won wars in flying machines with no ‘ejection’ system. :P

A Mac is just a sexy version of Linux wearing a chastity belt.

By: kirk

kirk — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:06:26 +0000

Very interesting post. I too have been putting hardware purchases on hold trying to answer the red pill blue pill question. Reliability wise, the hardware is ok, the software is ok. Usability wise there is no question that Apple has the secret sauce.

My biggest issue is that I am a Java developer specialized with performance. I live on understanding how the latest releases are working. Right now the new biggest change is the G1 but sadly I don’t expect to see if running on a mac any time soon. This is seemingly forcing me off of the platform.

By: Brent Ashley

Brent Ashley — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:38:06 +0000

I use Ubuntu 9.04 on my primary machine. I have other machines running XP Pro and OSX 10.5 when I need them. I have an iPhone 3GS too.

The Ubuntu machine satisfies almost every need I have. I run an XP Pro vm under VirtualBox if I need IE or whatever, but generally I do my windows stuff via RDP.

I’d be interested to know how you came to write this post without including Linux as a serious contender. It has all the Unixy goodness of a Mac, Ubuntu is as close to consumer quality as Linux has yet become and the gap continues to close.

While using Linux as your primary OS still requires some knowledge and effort, it’s now less like the difference between owning a car and a motorcycle and more like the difference between automatic and standard transmission. The extra knowledge and effort required is not too onerous and makes for a far better driver.

Both of my daughters use Linux (the consumer versions that came with their Asus EeePC and Acer Aspire One machines). My older daughter is also learning to drive, and I’m insisting she learns to use a manual transmission. She now has bragging rights against boys her age on two fronts.

By: Marc Grabanski

Marc Grabanski — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:36:11 +0000

We start to question things once checks and balances are no longer in place due to one company or entity having too much power. The same is in government which is why the US was setup as a Republic of checks and balances.

I’m all for diversity in a free market. Once a company starts intentionally locking competitors out from doing business with them like Apple did with iTunes, you know there is a problem surfacing in the free market. This blocking out of competitors is only a temporary.

Apple is flexing their strong muscles in this time, but watch this ruffle feathers of companies who will use it as fuel to rise up as strong competition. That’s capitalism, baby.

By: sil

sil — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:07:23 +0000

I agree with you entirely. Would love to hear your thoughts on Ubuntu as a JS developers’ platform, too. It works for me, natch :-)