Google : Enough is enough

[Ptashark]

What a sad misuse of the law.

 

[Akirky]

The enemy of my enemy is my friend?

They could be trying to replace certain search with their own versions.

http://www.youmobile.org/blogs/entr...d-party-services-like-Youtube-Maps-and-Search

 

[Zen17h]

Well if you're older than apple, you should know why older folks, epecially SA computer types, have a grudge against apple...

I'm not older than apple, but would like to know why exactly this is?
In the time I heard of apple(sometime in the 90s?) I got the impression that they sell stupidly overpriced hardware.
Later I thought they regarded their users as borderline retarded(two mouse buttons are too complicated!)
Sometime in the 2000's someone asked me to help them with some photoshop on their iMac, where I had trouble accidentally clicking the stupid unibody one-button mouse the whole time, from there onwards my impression of apple was just bad

 

[greg0205]

I'm not older than apple, but would like to know why exactly this is?
In the time I heard of apple(sometime in the 90s?) I got the impression that they sell stupidly overpriced hardware.
Later I thought they regarded their users as borderline retarded(two mouse buttons are too complicated!)
Sometime in the 2000's someone asked me to help them with some photoshop on their iMac, where I had trouble accidentally clicking the stupid unibody one-button mouse the whole time, from there onwards my impression of apple was just bad

Just eish...
Here's my take, oh and I am an older user... Apple wasn't for everyone back in the day, mostly design, film and video users. It really started changing with the first iMac in the late nineties. You had to learn a new OS 'tho, and still do, and I think that's the hiccup for a lot of the folk here who rage against the machine... Everyone would be on OSX or Linux if it wasn't IMO. Hardware plays it's part too... You got stuck on the Mighty Mouse (which even us fanboys hated) and never moved past that, but you should try out some of their kit now, especially their trackpad. Oh, and the Magic Mouse now has NO buttons. It's surface is essentially a trackpad as well but Apple assume you are perfectly capable of learning a whole bunch of gestures to use it.
I seriously doubt a company that puts as much time into design an manufacture of its hardware and integrating its software like Apple does thinks it's customers are retarded and the bottom line is that sales don't lie. If they were truly terrible machines and devices, word would get around and their stores would be empty... They aren't and people regularly queue for days to be the first to get new Apple tech.
Also, pop into an Incredible (baby steps, build your way up to an iStore) and compare price for price... You might be surprised. Remember when you do 'tho, we Saffers still pay an "Apple Tax" to Core, the local distributors and the machines still compete. The overpriced thing doesn't cut it for me, and it really shouldn't for anyone else either. If some of you Windows boys are prepared to pay a little extra for an Alienware machine, good for you but don't begrudge someone else for buying a Mac 'cos that's what they want.

You never know, like Sheryl Crow said, a change might do you good.

 

[Maverick Jester]

Just eish...
Here's my take, oh and I am an older user... Apple wasn't for everyone back in the day, mostly design, film and video users. It really started changing with the first iMac in the late nineties. You had to learn a new OS 'tho, and still do, and I think that's the hiccup for a lot of the folk here who rage against the machine... Everyone would be on OSX or Linux if it wasn't IMO. Hardware plays it's part too... You got stuck on the Mighty Mouse (which even us fanboys hated) and never moved past that, but you should try out some of their kit now, especially their trackpad. Oh, and the Magic Mouse now has NO buttons. It's surface is essentially a trackpad as well but Apple assume you are perfectly capable of learning a whole bunch of gestures to use it.
I seriously doubt a company that puts as much time into design an manufacture of its hardware and integrating its software like Apple does thinks it's customers are retarded and the bottom line is that sales don't lie. If they were truly terrible machines and devices, word would get around and their stores would be empty... They aren't and people regularly queue for days to be the first to get new Apple tech.
Also, pop into an Incredible (baby steps, build your way up to an iStore) and compare price for price... You might be surprised. Remember when you do 'tho, we Saffers still pay an "Apple Tax" to Core, the local distributors and the machines still compete. The overpriced thing doesn't cut it for me, and it really shouldn't for anyone else either. If some of you Windows boys are prepared to pay a little extra for an Alienware machine, good for you but don't begrudge someone else for buying a Mac 'cos that's what they want.

You never know, like Sheryl Crow said, a change might do you good.

I am not a Mac user, but the trackpad is amazing to me. Simplicity and function combined.

 

[BeVonk!]

Apple designs and makes excellent devices. No argument. The used to be the only thing for me because good design matters a lot to me and no-one could match Apple on that front. Until now.

All of a sudden Samsung and HTC bring out beautiful devices. Android has caught up and matured with Jelly Bean imo taking the lead (even considering iOS 6). Ultrabooks have come to the market with a vengeance ... Dell (XPS 13), Asus and others bringing out awesome designs ... really beautiful machines with real power. Now add Windows 8 to these Ultrabooks. Things have changed. The importance of look-and-feel that Apple brought to market has been taken to heart by the competition and they now deliver products on the same level and higher than Apple. Apple knows this ... therefore all the litigation (and efforts to get a wedge shape patented, etc).

Owning and using an Apple product is not the exclusive elite experience that it used to be. Others are making larger strides currently. iOS needs a serious upgrade (not these incremental addition of features). An iPhone with more exclusive innovation is needed. iPads need to evolve faster (and become more open).

 

[BeVonk!]

I've just now set up another iPad for a friend ... (and I still own two) ... and the whole operation feels so outdated now that I'm used to ICS. The iOS file management system irritates the @#$%# out of me. The freedom of Android quickly grows on you and then you just cannot go back no matter how beautiful and well made (expensive and classy) the Apple device looks.

 

[Zen17h]

Just eish...
/snip

Like I said that was my impression back then without doing any research. Their prices are much more competitive now and I feel that they made excellent improvements in existing user interfaces - heck, I doubt any other company could have made tablets as much as a success story.

My problem with them now is based on their need to protect the user from themselves(walled garden approach, *slightly* related to the 1 button mouse thing) and the fact that they are trying to bully competitors while still 'borrowing' some ideas from them

 

[Dryad]

My problem with them now is based on their need to protect the user from themselves(walled garden approach, *slightly* related to the 1 button mouse thing) and the fact that they are trying to bully competitors while still 'borrowing' some ideas from them

+1

It feels to me that you make the choice to pay apple and then apple takes away your freedom of choice. Android has so much freedom and is look beautiful these days.

 

[greg0205]

Like I said that was my impression back then without doing any research. Their prices are much more competitive now and I feel that they made excellent improvements in existing user interfaces - heck, I doubt any other company could have made tablets as much as a success story.

My problem with them now is based on their need to protect the user from themselves(walled garden approach, *slightly* related to the 1 button mouse thing) and the fact that they are trying to bully competitors while still 'borrowing' some ideas from them

Just eish... and repeat.

I also don't really get that "walled garden" restrictive thing... I suppose the whole iTunes experience IS different for me 'cos I'm on a Mac but, back in the day, I was using iTunes on the last Windows machine I had because, try as I might, I couldn't find a media player that worked as well for me... I've got a US Store account, I buy and redeem vouchers, I buy my music, movies, books and apps from the store and I love it.
I fiddled with and tweaked the hell out of my MBP ('tho I might just leave the MBA as is), and Mac's "Terminal" is an astonishingly powerful app for controlling the underpinnings of the OS which is UNIX based. I really can't imagine anything you can do with yours that I can't do with mine... Hell, the developer tools are a free download from the Apple App Store.
It also occurs to me that most droid fans have flashed their devices, just like I've jailbroken my iPhone and iPad... My devices, my mods. Simple as that.
The bullying thing, well that's why we're in this thread in the first place... Most tech companies are going to protect what they see as their proprietory tech as a matter of course. Chances are, in this forum, you're going to shout for your team and I'm going to shout for mine and, kinda like Sharks and Bulls or United and Liverpool fans, nothing will change our minds... ever. I would prefer it if they were FRANDs and all just got along but I don't think that's the world we live in.

 

[Maverick Jester]

I also don't really get that "walled garden" restrictive thing... I suppose the whole iTunes experience IS different for me 'cos I'm on a Mac but, back in the day, I was using iTunes on the last Windows machine I had because, try as I might, I couldn't find a media player that worked as well for me... I've got a US Store account, I buy and redeem vouchers, I buy my music, movies, books and apps from the store and I love it.
I fiddled with and tweaked the hell out of my MBP ('tho I might just leave the MBA as is), and Mac's "Terminal" is an astonishingly powerful app for controlling the underpinnings of the OS which is UNIX based. I really can't imagine anything you can do with yours that I can't do with mine... Hell, the developer tools are a free download from the Apple App Store.
It also occurs to me that most droid fans have flashed their devices, just like I've jailbroken my iPhone and iPad... My devices, my mods. Simple as that.

Because you live within the Apple ecosystem, you are ok with what most people see as limitations and restrictions. Which is cool- I bet you wouldn't change the way things are because they work seamlessly for you.

The way I see it- Apple promote themselves as more than just another product. They encourage you to make certain lifestyle choices in order to have the best experience possible with their products. You have a Mac, iPhone, iPad, etc- they were made to work together seamlessly. Anyone that wants the best possible user experience along with the most simple way of doing it will be attracted to Apple devices. It adds to their levels of desirability for many. It is why I am recommending my fiancée to make her next phone an iPhone, because it will work with her Macbook much better.

However- Android go about it differently (with the exception of the Nexus devices). Android is for everyone. You don't need to compromise or change other aspects within your life- it just fits in. That is why people see Apple as closed off.

 

[BeVonk!]

The Apple ecosystem is in for a bit of a shake-up when the new connector comes with the new iPhone ... and other devices thereafter. People have invested big bucks in accessories (some seriously expensive stuff like Denon, etc). And no, using adapters is a mess (but Apple is good with designing stuff so maybe the adapter will work well ... but we'll have to see.).

 

[BeVonk!]

It is interesting how different people and generations see things differently. I'm a steel, wood and glass person. I love my gadgets to be made of steel and glass. Why the iPhone 4 won me over immediately at the time. I hated the plastic Samsungs etc. I've susequently over two years bought two iPads, all made of one-piece steel. What I like and consider quality and attractive.

BUT ..

I could never get my two teenage daughters to appreciate and use the iPads. I've never been able to understand why they hate the iPads so much. The litteraly hate it and will not use it. Two days ago the oldest one told me why: Steel + iTunes. Now the iTunes thing I get but not the steel one. But she said (and her sister backed her) that they prefer plastic devices as the temperature in/on the hand is right and comfortable. Steel is cold, hard and too "aggressive" in their minds. Interesting. And no, they don't want plastic covers to cover the pads. To me steel is great, to them it is very un-cool and uncomfortable.

 

[Syphonx]

It is interesting how different people and generations see things differently. I'm a steel, wood and glass person. I love my gadgets to be made of steel and glass. Why the iPhone 4 won me over immediately at the time. I hated the plastic Samsungs etc. I've susequently over two years bought two iPads, all made of one-piece steel. What I like and consider quality and attractive.

BUT ..

I could never get my two teenage daughters to appreciate and use the iPads. I've never been able to understand why they hate the iPads so much. The litteraly hate it and will not use it. Two days ago the oldest one told me why: Steel + iTunes. Now the iTunes thing I get but not the steel one. But she said (and her sister backed her) that they prefer plastic devices as the temperature in/on the hand is right and comfortable. Steel is cold, hard and too "aggressive" in their minds. Interesting. And no, they don't want plastic covers to cover the pads. To me steel is great, to them it is very un-cool and uncomfortable.

Steel or some sort of metal does feel nicer, sturdier and stronger but also adds weight and makes the device feel like an expensive accident waiting to happen, well for me anyway. I feel more confident with the plastic as it feels less breakable (or at least less likely to shatter)

 

[Dryad]

This is bad

http://www.gsmarena.com/the_jury_reached_a_verdict_in_apple_vs_samsung_case__-news-4697.php