The Issue With Apple...

[Oreo]

Even taking build quality into account the MBP's are still less than stellar values. When I bought my x220 I compared it to the MBP 13 and for the same cpu, gpu, and ram the MBP was several hundred dollars more expensive. Plus the Thinkpad had close to double the battery life of the Mac, a significantly better screen, and was better engineered and built (The MBP 13 has terrible cooling while the x220 always stays very cool). Lenovo also offers next business day on site support for a small price increase that more than negates the Apple Store's support offerings.

Thinkpad are an exception no one is going to argue they arn't well made. But still, they are plasticy. I love the all metal unibody of the mbp and that will never change.
x220 as awesome as it is as a Laptop is kind of ugly too I think it's also well over half an inch thicker than the 13" MBP.

I'm looking forward too see what the new MBP looks like, as it hasn't had a significant redesign in quite a few years.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Thinkpad are an exception no one is going to argue they arn't well made. But still, they are plasticy. I love the all metal unibody of the mbp and that will never change.
x220 as awesome as it is as a Laptop is kind of ugly too I think it's also well over half an inch thicker than the 13" MBP.

I'm looking forward too see what the new MBP looks like, as it hasn't had a significant redesign in quite a few years.

The x220 really isn't that plasticy, the exterior is Magnesium alloy with a soft touch rubberized coating that feels great to touch. The MBP's unibody is pretty but that's about it, they constantly pick up dirt from your bag and are very easy to dent through normal use. The design is ergonomically flawed, the sharp edge of the laptop can dig into your wrists while typing.

The x220 is thicker than the MBP but it's also a pound lighter which in my experience is far more important when it comes to portability. The x220 is also incredibly easy to work on, you only need to remove a single, standard, Phillips head screw to swap out the hard drive.

 

[tj_extreme]

You know why Apple makes so much money? Because they overcharge for their products about 300%, and don't make a thing in America. You know what the back of my iPod says? "Designed by two people in California by Apple". Then below it: made in China by children paid with garbage for food. You know, Apple could very easily hire American workers, but no. I understand no other companies do this, but still. Apple is rich because everything they make is proprietary, and they force you into buying their products. Argue with me all you want, but you won't sway my opinion of Apple.

 

[Apokalipse]

Apple are the first ones to write to some european agency asking for better patent laws surrounding industry standards.

Apple seemed to have no problem with the patent laws when they were suing others left and right, until other companies started retaliating in-kind with patent lawsuits of their own.
It's pretty obvious Apple are only interested in changing the patent laws to benefit themselves.

You are stupid if you think Apple, or any company, are going to stand their and let other companies copy and walk all over them.

There is such thing as being overly vague with your patents, and patenting the blatantly obvious.

If I were to patent the idea of a wheel, would I be justified in suing motor companies around the world for "copying my idea"?
Of course not. And it wouldn't be "protecting innovation". It would be abusing the patent system to create an artificial monopoly, harming competition and consumers - doing the exact opposite of what the patent system was created to do.

Exactly what Apple does when it patents such ridiculously vague and obvious things such as "having a square icon with a round image", or "slide to unlock"

Also to compare the iPhone to smartphones before it is RIDICULOUS, it was vastly superior.

They probably increased the speed that touchscreens replaced actual buttons, and used their brand image to make it popular for people to make "apps". They certainly didn't invent the idea.

 

[Oreo]

Apple seldom invents anything. They just make it a whole load better.

I agree on the patents to an extent, but I don't with slide to unlock. There are a million other ways to unlock a phone, and there are a lot of ways around using it. If other companies are still stupid enough to use it when patented, thats there problem.

Google has just made a load of patents on unlocking phones too. I can guarantee all these companies hold patents you would think are stupid, Apples are just most publicised.

 

[GhOsT1321]

I have talked to a few Macbook owners and the two things that I hear that they love is "the OS" (they use other words, but they are describing the layout and function) and "not having to worry about security".
While the latter may not be true, it is much truer than not having to worry about any Windows computer.

Macs also have a local store, dedicated to servicing the machines. This is more friendly for the non techie and is more inviting. "A store specifically designed for your problems"
On average, the build quality of Macs is higher than a Windows computer. Macs are built by 2 companies, while Windows is built by dozens. With Macs, the QC is easier to control and there is not 100s of different parts going to each one, which is then in turn, is assembled dozens of different ways.
I believe that many will buy a Mac either because they see it as the computer for Audio/Video editing (image too?) or because that they do not want to have to worry about a computer. It's less hassle for them, or at least, that's how they see it.
There is also the fact that: It's a Mac, it's expensive, and many believe that more expensive always equates to better.

I personally do not like Macs. This is because they have no place in my life. I'm content spending less and getting a Windows based computer.

 

[Apokalipse]

Apple seldom invents anything. They just make it a whole load better.

I don't think so. I think they're just good at using their brand image to make something popular, and predicting what might become popular early.

I agree on the patents to an extent, but I don't with slide to unlock. There are a million other ways to unlock a phone, and there are a lot of ways around using it. If other companies are still stupid enough to use it when patented, thats there problem.

Whether there are other ways of using it is besides the point. it's such a basic and obvious concept that patenting it is like patenting the wheel or something.

Google has just made a load of patents on unlocking phones too. I can guarantee all these companies hold patents you would think are stupid, Apples are just most publicised.

Google isn't exactly aggressively suing other companies just to remove a potential competitive threat under the guise of patent protection.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

I have talked to a few Macbook owners and the two things that I hear that they love is "the OS" (they use other words, but they are describing the layout and function) and "not having to worry about security".
While the latter may not be true, it is much truer than not having to worry about any Windows computer.

Macs also have a local store, dedicated to servicing the machines. This is more friendly for the non techie and is more inviting. "A store specifically designed for your problems"
On average, the build quality of Macs is higher than a Windows computer. Macs are built by 2 companies, while Windows is built by dozens. With Macs, the QC is easier to control and there is not 100s of different parts going to each one, which is then in turn, is assembled dozens of different ways.
I believe that many will buy a Mac either because they see it as the computer for Audio/Video editing (image too?) or because that they do not want to have to worry about a computer. It's less hassle for them, or at least, that's how they see it.
There is also the fact that: It's a Mac, it's expensive, and many believe that more expensive always equates to better.

I personally do not like Macs. This is because they have no place in my life. I'm content spending less and getting a Windows based computer.

OSX is only secure because no one bothers to target it. The way Apple handles security issues is laughable and sooner or later their luck will run out and we will see devastating malware for OSX.

If my Thinkpad has a problem I can just call a number and a technician will be out to my home or office tomorrow to fix the issues which beats lugging the system down to the Apple store in the mall.

Apple's build quality is not better than a Windows pc, in fact they are ranked roughly the same as Dell and are far from the best out there. Apple also has more than their share of quality issues, the older Macbooks would have pieces of the chassis chip off due to the screen being closed and many of their laptops suffer from thermal issues. The software support is equally poor, because you are dependent on Apple for everything they can remove support from a system when they think it is time for you to upgrade. Mountain Lion will be dropping support for the first wave of Core 2 Duo Macs even though many other systems with Core 2 Duos will be upgraded. That means a Mac from 2007 will not be able to run the latest version of the OS while Windows systems from 2005 will have no problems being upgraded to Windows 8.

 

[S0ULphIRE]

At my work I'm given a laptop and phone free of charge, as they're all big Apple fans I of course got a MBP and an iPhone

In regards to laptops, I haven't had a hands-on experience to date that beats my MBP. I really do love it as a machine. It looks good, touchpad is awesome, screen is very decent, battery life is good enough. It does dent a little easy, dropping it in a way that a single corner is gonna hit the floor first will guarantee a dent there, even from only half a meter up. That said, it's my only real complaint (oh, except for speaker loudness too)

My iPhone I wish I could swap for an SII or nexus or something. It does what it does well, but the glass is just too fragile. We basically have to have a new screen or two on order every week, tis fail. It's generally fast enough, and takes some good pics (iP4), so again only one real complaint as far as the hardware goes. I'd like a bigger screen too

Where I come unstuck is when we get into the software side of things, in which the true nature of Apple comes to light more.
1. App store. Retarded accept/reject policies, long approval times, censorship
2. iTunes. Still written like it's 2001, retarded can't-take-music-off-iphone-if-not-purchased-from-itunes-umadbro rules
3. For the programmers out there, Cocoa. Kill it with fire.
4. Software restrictions on the iPhone. It's been covered enough, everyone knows so I won't regurgitate it

I could probably rant for days about the company ethic too, like when I first heard about the Apple vs Woolies case, I honest to god pulled a Jackie Chan.


TLDR? In general like the products (love the laptops), but hate everything else about them including myself for liking something they made.

 

[Oreo]

Saying thats like patenting the wheel is wrong, thats going along the line of patenting an industry standard. Something that every smartphone is going to have or need. Patenting the wheel is much more akin to patenting a touch keyboard. Every smartphone is going to need a touch keyboard. No smartphone needs a slide to unlock feature, thats just a superficial design choice. It's only obvious because that is all we've ever known since the modern smartphone 'boom' when the iphone was released.

Google isn't exactly aggressively suing other companies just to remove a potential competitive threat under the guise of patent protection.

Thats because they know it was originally a total copy of iOS ! I kid i kid.. kind of.

At my work I'm given a laptop and phone free of charge, as they're all big Apple fans I of course got a MBP and an iPhone

In regards to laptops, I haven't had a hands-on experience to date that beats my MBP. I really do love it as a machine. It looks good, touchpad is awesome, screen is very decent, battery life is good enough. It does dent a little easy, dropping it in a way that a single corner is gonna hit the floor first will guarantee a dent there, even from only half a meter up. That said, it's my only real complaint (oh, except for speaker loudness too)

My iPhone I wish I could swap for an SII or nexus or something. It does what it does well, but the glass is just too fragile. We basically have to have a new screen or two on order every week, tis fail. It's generally fast enough, and takes some good pics (iP4), so again only one real complaint as far as the hardware goes. I'd like a bigger screen too

Where I come unstuck is when we get into the software side of things, in which the true nature of Apple comes to light more.
1. App store. Retarded accept/reject policies, long approval times, censorship
2. iTunes. Still written like it's 2001, retarded can't-take-music-off-iphone-if-not-purchased-from-itunes-umadbro rules
3. For the programmers out there, Cocoa. Kill it with fire.
4. Software restrictions on the iPhone. It's been covered enough, everyone knows so I won't regurgitate it

I could probably rant for days about the company ethic too, like when I first heard about the Apple vs Woolies case, I honest to god pulled a Jackie Chan.


TLDR? In general like the products (love the laptops), but hate everything else about them including myself for liking something they made.

I get the impression you don't look after things , holy crap, why would you drop ANY laptop from half a meter !?
Trust me, I am not exactley the most unclumsy person ever, but i've never smashed by IP4 or IP4S screen, infact i've not even scratched them. And no, I don't use a case.

OSX is only secure because no one bothers to target it. The way Apple handles security issues is laughable and sooner or later their luck will run out and we will see devastating malware for OSX.

If my Thinkpad has a problem I can just call a number and a technician will be out to my home or office tomorrow to fix the issues which beats lugging the system down to the Apple store in the mall.

Apple's build quality is not better than a Windows pc, in fact they are ranked roughly the same as Dell and are far from the best out there. Apple also has more than their share of quality issues, the older Macbooks would have pieces of the chassis chip off due to the screen being closed and many of their laptops suffer from thermal issues. The software support is equally poor, because you are dependent on Apple for everything they can remove support from a system when they think it is time for you to upgrade. Mountain Lion will be dropping support for the first wave of Core 2 Duo Macs even though many other systems with Core 2 Duos will be upgraded. That means a Mac from 2007 will not be able to run the latest version of the OS while Windows systems from 2005 will have no problems being upgraded to Windows 8.

Build quality is maybe the wrong term. It's more about the very high level of machining and materials used. Whether or not the components are reliable is another matter, I can't give an opinion as I never owned a MBP and only had my iMac for 2 months.

I agree on the Mountain Lion scenario, that is kind of sucky. But then 2007 is 5 years old, which is getting on quite a lot.. most people with a 5yo Mac would be about needing to upgrade anyway. I'm not condoning it, it's still harsh, i'm just saying that there are not going to be very many 5 year old iMacs out there in regular use. And if they are, the people that use them clearly don't care about tech that much anyway, or it would of been upgraded.