iVomit

So Apple released a bunch of stuff recently. Two things that are being massively marketed are the iPod shuffle and the Mac mini. While these products are pretty awesome and if someone wanted to randomly buy me one I wouldn't throw it away, I don't know how Apple gets away with some of the crap they do. I have a few gripes, big surprise:

1. Monopolism
   If you own a Windows-based PC, 90% of the time the only true Microsoft branded hardware components would be your mouse and keyboard. With Apple, most of the money you shell out for hardware goes back to Apple. On the software side of things, the only products they really rave about is made by Apple themselves. They like monopoly as much as Microsoft does, its just that Apple wasn't as competitive.


2. Black box mentality
   Apple doesn't want you to know how shit works. Knowing how shit works is bad for the corporation. Microsoft doesn't want you to mess around with the Xbox, since it's their investments that made what they believe is their intellectual property, they dont want you copying it, cracking it or whatever. Apple also does this, but does this with everything. They claim it is because the user shouldnt need to know everything about a computer. Sure, but when a user doesn't have any idea how a product works, whether it is a car or a computer, they are going to get screwed when it comes to fixing or upgrading the product. Apple keeps the user dumb about all details, and their ignorance will show up on the price tags.


3. The Apple Religion
   Apple is basically stubborn. What computer doesn't have a 3-button scroll wheel mouse now? Even though your keyboard has around 100 keys, they still think people aren't ready for anything more than a one-button mouse.
   ....But the funny thing is, at the very same time they seem to throw out some of their stupid ideas. Like the Aqua interface on OS X. Remember the Plastic-Everything user interface they pushed a few years ago? And how every application should be plastic looking? Well they've seemed to dump that in favor of a more metallic look for their applications. They seem to have figured out that the color grey doesnt hurt your eyes as much as a Fisher Price-esque interface. Let's hope they make a better mouse soon.


4. The Letter "i"
   What the hell does the "i" mean anyways? I managed to figure out the "e" prefix meant something electronic. Does anybody remember why the "i" is so popular? Whats it for? It's all marketing, and it's stupid. With all the hype, all Mac applications will have the "i" prefix attached. Then what have you actually accomplished? Make a sorted list of anything. Prefix it with "i". Then hit the "i" key. Realize you get nowhere, and you have to use your one button mouse to do anything with your Mac because Apple is hard at work to render the keyboard useless. (Dont worry, I hate branding of all types, especially how Microsoft puts their company label on everything) Good thing there is only 5 apps you could potentially click on.


5. The Hippie Hype
   The iPod shuffle wouldnt be too hard to make. No display, just some flash memory and some buttons in a white case. But they talked about it like it was all that and a bag of potato chips. Their marketing department likes to make everyone think Apple is the new computer renaissance.

Don't take this as Microsoft evangelism, I'm not their biggest fan either, but they already have a bad reputation. Nobody seems to be saying any bad things about their competitors. But to Apple, I'd like to say, iAmSickOfTheBullshit and iThinkYourProductsAreRatherWank.