28 Nov 2008

The Simpsons says it best

I was trying to come up with a topic to blog about today, when a friend kindly posted a link on his Facebook profile about the shenanigans Apple has been getting up to lately, what with trying to lock all iPod users to using iTunes, by threating lawsuits against hosting companies whose clients include makers of any software that's iPod-compatible. My vendetta is made rather more personal because one such maker is a friend of mine, and his software, El Tunes, has been targeted by Apple's hitmen too.

I see too many software geeks using MacBooks and other Apple gear, and in so doing elevated them to a geekier status than they deserve. (Apple products, geeky? Surely you jest!) That must stop! It's trendy in geek culture to trash Microsoft and wish for its downfall; I feel that the same trendiness in trashing Apple must come forth in the geek world too. I'm no fan of Microsoft (I'm primarily a Unix coder, after all), but it's quite something for me to hate Apple even more than I hate Microsoft.

To whatever degree I (or my real-life persona :-)) will gain some voice in the geek world in future, I will not hesitate to give Apple some of the same ‘love’ that Microsoft has been getting, nor will I be anything less than encouraging to other geeks who wish to spread said ‘love’. Let me start by recommending, if you're on Facebook, the I hate Apple group.

Yes, this is a declaration of war: they deserve it, every little bit.

Update: Getting swarmed by fanboys! Oh noes! :-P

Update: The Simpsons episode with the Mapple store is totally hilarious, says what I've wanted to say much better than I ever can. :-) And, what's funnier, the way some ‘Mapple’ fans make fools of themselves on this thread are priceless! (And not very much different from the ones on this thread. :-P)

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sure Apple is petrified.

Anonymous said...

What a bunch of sad sacs. If you don't like Apple products...don't buy them. It's really fucking simple. Stop whining like a little bitch & move on with your life. I'm not even sure what you are bitching about? Go buy a Zune (which follows the exact same business model) only if you owned any plays-for-sure music you have to repurchase it to have it play on the Zune. Maybe linux users should stop being a me too community & start actually innovating. Instead of hacking something that is not their property & trying to tell us that that is innovation. I whole community of users that thinks that someone owes them something. Go buy another product that allows you to use it in the way you see fit. Stop acting like a bunch of whiny little bitches & victims. In fact why don't you just list products that will work with whatever it is you are trying to promote? If you hate Apple products so much than why would you even give a shit if anything you develop works with them?

The Ferret's Sidekick said...

To Anonymous #2: You're right, if I hate Apple I don't buy their products, and in fact I don't own any Apple products. I just consider it my life mission to encourage as many others as possible to do the same. The more the merrier and all that. It is for that reason that I posted this blog entry, and in real life, to spread this message to all who care to listen.

I also don't use a Zune or anything like it; I actually have an iAUDIO, on which I don't use any DRM music. I buy CDs and rip them, mostly. And, before you ask, I encode all my music in Vorbis format, and that is another reason I don't have an iPod (because they don't get with the programme and support Vorbis).

I'm not personally involved with any iPod-interoperability projects myself (I thought about working on Rockbox, but only to enhance my iAUDIO, and not iPod), and I don't care to make any such products. However, I feel for my friend who's been getting the harassment he's been getting, so I felt I should say something about it.

While I remember, I don't think Apple owes me anything; I just think that when companies are being unethical, people should speak up. (I'm not, by the way, saying that Apple takes the cake on unethicality, just that they're a ripe target for criticism.)

Anonymous said...

Don't be a hater - there are too many haters in the world.

SN said...

This is just sad. Get a life ... mission.

The Ferret's Sidekick said...

@Anonymous3: I'm sure we all have things we hate; are you really trying to say that there is nothing in the world that you hate? Nothing that inspires a rant?

Anonymous said...

Don't worry fella, you will hit puberty soon, then you will discover girls and find that this whole apple versus microsoft versus linux thing is just a waste of time.

Anonymous said...

What goes around come around....lol, get a life..

Anonymous said...

I hate all Apple, I use Microsoft products instead so that I can't be called a tool ; ) Afterall, MS has never engaged in shenanigans either.

Anonymous said...

Grow up, and get a life.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Apple needs to get with the program and support vorbis. Whatever. Guess there's nothing better you could be doing with your life?

Anonymous said...

I wonder how many legal issues their would be with Ogg Vorbis if it were to be supported on the Ipod. Are you guys who promote this format 100% sure your are not infringing on anyone's patents? Right now you're community pretty much flies under the radar. If Apple supported OGG I wonder what legal scrutiny they would come under. Apple has deep pockets...suing the Linux community would be like getting blood from a stone. The iPod plays other formats & you do not have to buy one fricking lick of music from Apple. You guys really need to stop with the hyperbole & try to foster some allies in the business world. If the iPod did not come into play...you would all be using music players with WMA as the de-facto DRM & that would be it. All innovation would be dead. By your definition every company that does not support Linux is evil. That's just about every software company on the planet...it's simple economics, the money is not there from a consumer standpoint. Time to grow up or better yet actually make a compelling product that people can EASILY use & that people actually want. Instead of rehashing someone else' ideas & getting pissed when they don't let you play maybe you should give people a reason to use your product.

Anonymous said...

http://www.rockbox.org/download/

The Ferret's Sidekick said...

To Anonymous #9 (Vorbis and patent issues):

I'm not a lawyer, so I cannot make a definitive comment on Vorbis's patent status. However, given that Apple (probably) already pays out their ass in patent royalties for the other formats, I cannot see this as a deterrent even if its patent status were to be contested.

To put it charitably, I think the biggest difference of opinion you and I have is one between pragmatism and idealism. This is not black and white: there are many shades of grey in between, and which shade a company operates under makes a huge difference in how (potential or current) customers perceive them.

I also disagree with your sentiment that idealism is childish. Idealists are the ones who start any progress in this world. Sure, it's usually the pragmatists who carry out the idealists' dreams and visions, and I'm not dissing pragmatists, but idealists have their place, and I believe it's wrong to deride them.

On your comment about Linux support: nobody is asking Apple to support Linux with their own engineers. Just provide the resources (including freedom from legal harassment) necessary for community developers to do the work. It's good karma for them! Personally, though, I couldn't care less: the more Apple locks out Linux users, the less Linux users use Apple products, and that gives me the fuzzies. :-)

It appears my post has rubbed you the wrong way. It's supposed to be a wake-up call, at least for the ‘swing voters’ (and perhaps just the idealist contingent among them). Obviously, for people who are already decided, this won't change anything. It's like campaigning, really. You can't win 'em all, no matter what you're championing.

Tiara said...

I'm curious as to why it is that so many Apple supporters feel the need to come hate on a blogpost just because someone isn't a fan of Apple? Instead of replying with logical arguements against the issues mentioned in the post, the bulk of the "anonymous" commentors have stooped to name calling and telling the OP to get a life.

Come on guys, we're all adults here, right? We can have conflicting opinions and still remain civil about it. Your love for Apple products is not in any way threatened by someone elses' dislike of them. If you really think Apple is all that, then the dissenting opinions of a minority group of computer geeks shouldn't phase you at all, and it certainly shouldn't rile you enough to sling mud at someone who disapproves.

All that name calling only serves to further strengthen the dislike some have for Apple (or Microsoft). Why are people scared of engaging in an effective dialogue? And before I get flamed by the few whose comments included more than the stockstandard "crybaby" shit, yes, I see your comments, however, again I ask, why the need for name calling?

And to the "Get a life, don't you have anything better to do with your life?" commentors, I ask, don't you have anything better to do with YOUR time than read some list that links to all things Apple, so you can collectively cheer and pat each other's backs, or gang up on bullying some random blogger? What is with the highschool mentality? Aren't we past that?

I really think too many people forget to actually be people on the internet. It's like you log on and check your decency and independent thinking at the door.

Tiara said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tiara said...

As for my personal opinion of Apple. I couldn't care less really. Any big corporation has their good and bad sides.

Apple's products are visually appealing, have unique functionality, and give people a mainstream alternative to Microsoft. However, they are proving to be quite predatory to people whose compatability programs are not hurting them.

Many people hate on Microsoft and in the same breath praise Apple and I think that's really short-sighted. I may like the iPod I own, but to be quite honest, the less pretty mp3 player I own is a lot more flexible as far as song formats go and the sound quality is better.

I personally use both Apple and Microsoft products, but any time I can get a similar program that's open source or from a lesser known company I do so because competition is a GOOD THING. We do not want to have a market locked down by a few huge companies that stomp out everyone else. Supporting lesser known formats, OS, and companies encourage innovation! I certainly wouldn't want to be without Firefox, Open Office, Pidgin, AVG, Gimp, ect... They are all incredibly useful and save me from having to use similar programs made by bigger companies.

But then again, I guess I'm one of those odd users that don't feel the need for name brand labels and the bragging rights that come with them. Eclectic is more my style, I prefer a little freedom of choice... :-P

Anonymous said...

I use WIndows, OSX, Ubuntu...I only have one comment for your whining. Apple did design and manufacture the iPod. If the Linux community doesn't like Apple protecting it's own intellectual property. I have the following advice for you: Go invent, design and manufacture your own MP3 player and do whatever you want to make it work with Linux. It's that simple. IPod and iTunes belongs to Apple! If you don't like it, go do your own.

You know, this is exactly the mentality of the Linux world that's preventing me from adopting Linux as my primary platform. Why do you always have to want to make yourself work with technologies others invented? Why don't you invent your own?

Maybe it is you who should burn in hell for trying to rob other's intellectual property!

Anonymous said...

@Tiara
To paraphrase:
'I'm curious as to why so many Linux bloggers feel the need to come hate on a company just because it isn't a fan of Linux? Instead of enquiring with logical arguments regarding certain issues, the bulk of said supporters have stooped to s**t stirring and telling Apple to go burn in hell'

The rest of your post contains many references to being 'grown up' 'civil' 'mud slinging' 'being people on the internet' etc etc which brings to mind pot>kettle>black.
Touche?

The Ferret's Sidekick said...

To Anonymous #10 (intellectual property/invention) and #11 (shit-stirring): I have a new post just for you!

Anonymous said...

"However, given that Apple (probably) already pays out their ass in patent royalties for the other formats, I cannot see this as a deterrent even if its patent status were to be contested."

What would be the business plus in that for Apple? Pay out millions of dollars to support a small community of computer users who Hate what they do? Are you serious? Like I said you really need to tone down the hyperbolic language that some in your community constantly espouse. No where in my post did I mention idealism. Your community seems to think that it has not benefited from anyone else's work but it's own. Seems to me you guys walk around with blinders on. If I am working on mission critical work & suddenly things go snafu...who in your community do I contact to deal with the issue in a timely fashion? Quick call everybody a fanboy that disagrees with your so called idealism. Your idealism seems to involve someone else paying for it & someone else doing the heavy lifting.

Anonymous said...

@Tiara

I'm curious as to why this article links to a site of irrational people & why this writer seems to think that somehow people like him are acting like adults & idealists?

idealism |īˈdē(ə)ˌlizəm|
noun
1 the practice of forming or pursuing ideals, esp. unrealistically : the idealism of youth. Compare with realism .
• (in art or literature) the representation of things in ideal or idealized form. Often contrasted with realism (sense 2).
2 Philosophy any of various systems of thought in which the objects of knowledge are held to be in some way dependent on the activity of mind. Often contrasted with realism (sense 3).

Anonymous said...

@The Ferret's Sidekick
"To Anonymous #10 (intellectual property/invention) and #11 (shit-stirring):"

LOL ... you can't even count

Anonymous said...

Ferret, this isn't about Apple, it's really a comment about you and what you want. If YOU had invented something like the ipod and sold it in the marketplace, you'd want it to work well lest it not work, be difficult and lose mindshare and sales.

To fanboys that attack, understand the history. When the Mac arrived, it truly was the computer for "..the rest of us" because at the time Windows was(and some say still is) an illogical mess with arcane key combo's just to do some simple task. With Macintosh Saving was Apple+S, printing Apple+P and so on. This was also a carry-over from the Apple II.

Early on when the Mac dared to be different, it was attacked by the Windows users and with great ferocity by them and IT guys. Most was out of context and with no knowledge of the Mac as well. Consequently the Mac users got defensive, who wouldn't, and we're where we are.

So, get a life, after all. Everyone makes their CHOICE and that is what it's about.