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How Apple Can Win Me Back

At Kroc’s request, I’m compiling a list of what Apple will have to do to win me back.  It’s not a long list, and it may not be exhaustive (meaning I may arbitrarily add more to it), but here goes:

  1. It’s time to regulate App Store approval process.  Consistency and transparency needs to be key.  I’m a web developer and I participate in the tech community.  To see Cocoa developers get screwed after spending all their time, energy, and capital writing an app only to be unceremoniously, silently rejected with no explanation is to see pure evil.  This is pretty much my main request.
  2. However, I’m tired of the iPhone being shackled.  Unlike Eugenia, I don’t have specific requests like enabling EDGE on Pay-As-You-Go phones, but I’m tired of the iPhone being a closed platform.  I do not believe in “it’s Apple’s playground, if you don’t like it, go somewhere else.”  It’s my device. I bought it, I own it.  I want to theme my phone.  I want to run background apps.  And I sure as hell don’t need Apple telling me which apps are not suitable for me to run (outside of those that actually do harm to my phone and/or me, e.g. malware, spyware). It’s time to open the private APIs to the public, duplicate functionality or not.

That’s it.  I maintain that OS X is the best desktop environment today.  I *love* my Mac and I love how integrated and “at home” I feel with it.  I don’t want to give it up.  I certainly don’t want to go back to Vista (although 7 is nice so far) or start running Ubuntu or Fedora on my iMac.

I think OS X/iLife and the iTunes/iPhone combos are awesome.    I think the Cocoa frameworks are just genius, and they inspire programmers to write beautiful and slick applications rapidly.  I want Apple to do the right thing.

Just for comparison, I have nothing but warm feelings about Amazon.com, despite some issues people have had with them. See how Jeff Bezos stepped up and took personal responsibility for a recent fiasco.  That’s how a CEO should behave.  A big company I respect.  I trust and respect Google.  But Apple leaves me with a metallic taste in my mouth that I know isn’t good.

I hope things change, but I’m not holding my breath.  Then again, stranger things have happened.

Published by Adam S

15 Replies to “How Apple Can Win Me Back”

  1. A lot of the problem is AT&T, not Apple alone. The funny thing is that Apple is big enough right now to give the finger to AT&T and do what they please: sell unlocked phones, have bg apps, an open store. But they are chickening out not because they can’t throw away AT&T (eventually AT&T would have to accept these unlocked phones and ecosystem under pressure from consumers), but because Apple makes more money from the subsidized phones than it would make by selling them unlocked. So basically, Apple sits down and plays AT&T’s vicious game just for the money. And this is what makes them unethical IMHO, not just their desire to be control freaks.

  2. Eugenia,

    I don’t think the biggest problem is AT&T. Yes, you can blame them for the Google Voice issue to a degree. You can blame them for the Skype and Slingbox issues. But there’s not much else you can really blame them for. Duplicate functionality is Apple’s thing. Their Mail app is only so good. I’d love to see a native Gmail app. There’s no excuse why Latitude couldn’t be added to the native Maps app. Those issues are Apple being big brother. They’re Apple being arrogant, believing that nothing other than what they allow is worthy.

    I went iPhone because of a lack of decent Android hardware. The software is great, but the hardware leaves a whole lot to be desired with the G1 and the myTouch 3G. That being said, I’m only locked into AT&T for 2 years. When those 2 years are up, I will be revisiting the smartphone market. The 2 biggest reasons I wanted an Android device over the iPhone were the openness of the platform and the fact that I use Google for just about everything. I rarely use the iPhone as an iPod (that will likely change with my cross country trip in October). Most of the apps I use have equivalent apps in Android. In fact, in 2 years, I expect there to be more apps. I like Gmail for the features the web app gives. I don’t use the web app because it’s not as good as using the native Mail app.

    The biggest reason you can’t point fingers at AT&T is because Apple has chosen to make them the exclusive carrier with the iPhone. AT&T should be bending over backwards for Apple. I would have never switched from Verizon Wireless had the iPhone been available with them. In fact, I get better reception with VZW at my house than I do with AT&T. Apple should have AT&T by the balls at this point.

    Apple is a horrible company. They make great products, but as a company, they are just as bad, if not worse, than those people love to hate (Microsoft comes to mind). Apple does not play well with others. And yes, if things don’t improve with the iPhone app process, I will likely be switching to Android in 2 years (which is a long time). Don’t get me wrong, I love my iPhone, but my hatred for Apple the company is enough to get me to switch.

  4. Don’t you dare say a bad word about Apple. Fan boys will be all over you. Apple can do know wrong. I can’t wait to hear the kool aid drinkers defend this. You all know it’s coming…

  5. And implement MTP or USB Mass Storage so I don’t have to use _iTunes_ to sync a bunch of pictures.

  6. Mac platform does not need “cool” people like you, you are who need apple platform to continue feeling cool. Many of the switchers are always like this, you feel apple owes you something and its usually the opposite.

    The platform was much better before switchers like you came. Please leave and don’t come back to the platform.

    Thanks a lot

    1. Smokingman probably bought his first Mac in 2008. Apple’s success is ENTIRELY due to people like me. Nice me.com address, by the way. If you were such a long timer, you’d be proudly displaying your mac.com address, which is what I have.

  7. “Apple’s success is ENTIRELY due to people like me”, that says it all about your ego.

    Apple’s success is ENTIRELY due to all people working at Apple, from Steve to the last engineer in the pipeline, not to you or people like you.

    By the way, my first mac was a Plus, and have never left the platform since then. I don’t need to a .mac account to show it proudly, do you?

    Regards,

  8. @smokingman:

    “Apple’s success is ENTIRELY due to people like me”, that says it all about your ego.

    Actually, it has nothing to do with ego, and entirely to do with the truth. Apple’s success is most definitely NOT due to Apple. It’s due to their loyal customers, people like me, people routinely BUYING and UPGRADING their products, faithfully. No matter what Apple did, if people didn’t buy it, it wouldn’t matter. Your logic seems to be “Fuck the customer,” which seems likely to be the reason you’re in the dark tip-tapping away anonymously on a blog. See how far that gets you, Ace.

    Nothing is more annoying that an old time Mac user who pines for the “good old days” when it was just the few on the platform.

  9. Adam S,

    I agree with smokingman. I was directed to your site through a google search for something worthwhile. Instead, I found your arrogant blog.

    Stop hating so much. Lose the chip on your shoulder. You sound smart, write something a little more objective.

    Your opinion doesnt matter more just because you have been doing something a little longer than everyone else or just because you know how to write code, hold a MS pedigree, etc.

    What a waste of time.

    1. With due respect, “Ryan:”

      This is my blog and it is here for me to post my opinions.. If you don’t like my content, go away, don’t tell me I have to write something else.

      No one said my opinion matters more than anyone else’s. If you’re referring to above, I was just responding to a guy who said he was a “long time user” but sported a new email address.

      My opinion matters as one consumer only. BUT… I think I represent many other Apple fans who follow the company’s actions. So yes, I think when I lose my patience with them, it suggests others may be reaching breaking point too. I don’t know why that point is so hard to digest here. I represent one kind of Apple user, and there are many like me, so Apple should be scared when I say “you’ve lost my money.” I’ve dropped over $10,000 on Apple’s products. That’s just me – when you add in the others – and there are MANY others, it adds up.

      People who come here and call me names don’t affect me. You won’t change my mind: Apple is doing shitty things to its developers and its whole ecosystem; I won’t let them off the hook. The punks who suggest that I have a chip on my shoulder for expecting more from a company I patronize don’t faze me. This world has enough apathetic pansies who don’t care. I do.

  10. hi
    I totally agree with you on your article…
    I believe that Apple is a Wolf in Sheep’s clothing while we all know Microsoft is just a wolf in wolf’s clothing…

    Hope you don’t get inundated by the APPLE Mac fundamentalists…

    bob

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