If You Hate Apple and Macs, Read This
There's something to say about liking your enemy. It's important to know what they're up to, what their plans are, and what they're hiding. In this case, no one should be an enemy.
Lest there be any confusion, this isn't an article to defend Apple. It's an article to defend Tom's Hardware. Read on.
Up until the last few years, Apple has been an extremely small annoying sliver in Microsoft's side. At that point in time, Apple's products were indeed quite mediocre, and seriously slow compared to other machines at the time. But these days, times have changed. Apple is now a big force in the tech industry, and in many tech sectors.
This isn't to say that Apple doesn't have issues. Every company has its issues and every company has things that people don't or do like. To look back at some of the comments posted in Mac-related Tom's Hardware articles, I can summarize them into the following:
- "Apple sucks."
- "Apple products are for stupid people who don't know what they're doing."
- "Apple products are for people who believe the Apple brainwashing."
- "Macs are for losers."
- "Macs are for people with too much money."
- "Macs are for people who want to look cool."
- "Macs are for idiots."
- "OS X sucks."
- "OS X is garbage."
- "Why is Tom's Hardware posting this Apple garbage?"
- "Apple news does not belong on Tom's Hardware."
- "Tom's Hardware gets paid by Apple."
- "Author X got paid to write Apple garbage."
- "Author X is an Apple fanboy/girl."
- "Author X is an Apple employee."
I understand everyone is entitled to an opinion--that's fine. But the point is, there's a line when people are talking about merits based on facts or commenting out of personal hate or grudge. That's fine if you don't like what Apple makes, but there's no reason to attack an author of an article. The fact of the matter is, my team is doing their job, covering as much news as they can within the scope of a day and do that with a neutral stance.
Let me go on the record here and be absolutely clear: Apple does not pay us, or our authors, even a single cent to write anything about Macs, iPhones, the App Store, iTunes, OS X, and Steve Jobs.
The Age Old Debate that Indeed is Getting Old
Where does this intense hate come from? The age-old PC/Apple debate is no longer relevant in the way that it was a decade ago, when it was clear that the "PC" side was producing clearly superior products. But the word PC is essentially a misnomer today. A Mac is a computer, simple as that. Like a ThinkPad is a laptop, and a Dell XPS is an XPS, like an Alienware Area 52 is a gaming machine, like an EeePC is a netbook. They're all computing tools.
They're all also priced differently. Some are priced based on premiums while others are priced based on price-competition. Some other companies will price their products based on a pricing war. Other products are made well and are priced to reflect that. I recall when boutique companies like Alienware, Falcon Northwest, Voodoo PC first came out. Their machines commanded a hefty premium because they differentiated themselves. Alienware included customized manuals, benchmarks of each machine, hand-build rigs that were clean inside out, and pre-installed games of the customer's choice. Other's like Voodoo PC, even offered customized paint using high-quality automotive paint. The end product is a luxury product more so than a tool. And we all know that these boutique companies went from small no-namers to big-time players in the gaming industry.
The Rage, Hate, and Obsession
Some would say that a customer spending a lot of money on custom manuals, benchmarks, and paint, is an idiot. First of all, that's rude, uncalled for, and outright lame. If someone buys something that gives them a sense of joy, pleasure or pleasant feeling, good for them. There is no reason to hate on, flame, or call them out.
There seems to be an intense amount of hate from some commenters who choose to bash in some of the articles. These commenters use any argument they can come up with to put down another person, the author, or the website.
What everyone must remember though, is competition is good and healthy for everyone! Whether you use a Windows computer or a Mac, you will benefit from the other side being successful or releasing a great new product. Allow me, if you will, some words for an example.
Because of the way Apple now manufactures its notebooks, other companies have taken notice and consequently improved on product design and manufacturing. If I am a fan of Asus or Sony laptops for example, of course I will be happy if Apple releases a killer notebook. That just means that Asus or Sony will have to compete and produce a better product. Everyone wins.
Some say that Apple customers are brainwashed and obsessed. If you look through the comments, you may see that the obsessed one's are the people that continually come back time after time to flame and bash Apple, or us for posting Apple news. If they see an Apple related story, their hate meter automatically blows up and they start flaming.
My biggest gripe is the commenters who come back continuously to bash and talk trash about a Mac user or me and my team for posting Apple-related news.
Quit it.
If you don't like the headline, read something else. No one's forcing anyone to take a bite. Besides, we do this as a service to technology-enthusiasts, not just "Windows-PC-Only-Enthusiast."
Marketing Clarity
Apple does a lot of marketing to sell products. So does Microsoft, Dell, AT&T, Verizon, McDonald's, etc. Every company wants to move product and make a profit. If you have a business, you'd know this first hand. Some say that Apple's ads are full of fud, lies and bogues claims. I would say that some of Apple's ads are extremely stretched, but to me, even as I use a Windows 7 PC right now, simply laugh at the ads. I know they're just Apple's marketing department poking fun of PCs and putting their computers in spotlight. Microsoft does the same. It's normal competition.
Instead of getting angry at an ad, know it's an ad, and then make your buying decision based on research, study and your own needs. I know what's true and what's not when I see an ad.
"The Apple Tax"
Apple's prices don't affect you if you don't want to buy an Apple product anyway. Period.
Again, buy based on a combination of what you need and want. There is a big ocean of choices. No need to get pissed off at a pond.
The ironic thing is that the same people are angry because they feel Apple hardware is just the same thing for more money and often times have never used an Apple product themselves. Everyone has something they would and wouldn't pay for. It doesn't make them dumb, or an idiot.
The Apple Superiority
Everyone has a superiority complex on all camps. Linux-fans, Mac-fans, PC-fans, Xbox-fans, PS3-fans, Wii-fans, sports-fans. You name it. Apple says it's products are better. Microsoft said it's products are more advanced. Sony says its products are cooler. Dell says its products are the best.
Who cares? It's marketing.
Do research, tests, etc. Come to your own conclusions.
Where Tom's Hardware Stands
Let me make it clear again for those in doubt: We do not get paid by Apple or any agency representing Apple, to post Apple news/reviews/articles. Apple doesn't send us any hardware, and won't, even if we ask for samples. Consequently, it is difficult to do a side-by-side comparison because of this.
Tom's Hardware covers the technology industry. That's why we attend shows like CES, Computex, CeBit, E3, etc. We cover all things technology. Some commenters yell "Apple crap doesn't belong on Tom's Hardware!"
I say, it sure does! It's technology!
Like I mentioned above, all of these tech companies including Apple, are part of the overall tech ecosystem. That's what drives innovation and competition forward. We enjoy technology. We relish in it and relentlessly pursue the next great thing. Where it comes from doesn't nearly matter as what it is.
Likewise, if there are any Mac fans here who feel the need to always bash a Windows-PC user, the same applies to you.
We're all technology enthusiasts. Stop the hate.
/ Tuan Nguyen
Director, News Operations
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Where's the like button?
Where's the like button?
I'd like to know this too.
Amen.
Thank you very much for this article. I click 'like' too.
There are 2 things that i hate about apple:
1. their adds promoting a perfect world wich isn`t it`s more like a placebo for users who switch from PC to Mac thinking they found utopia in computers
2. Their overprice for same gear you get in a PC but wait that`s not a PC that`s a MAC with the same fukin hardware inside but a twice the price.
The rest is all ok about them and it`s good to have competition but please stop the bullshit about perfect OS/PC and stuff, it`s a fukin limited hardware if your OS would crash even on limited hardware than your company would of sucked balls Steve.
Well played Tuan, well played.
Mac sucks...
Apple sucks
OSX is garbage.
good article.
i hope that vista bashers who havent even used vista also read this article and apply the same to vista.
I don't hate Apple. I just don't like liberals. And most of Apple's users are liberals.
thank you very much Tuan. maybe this will stop some of the stupid
thumbs down. Someone is taking it too seriously. I get a laugh out of reading the comments on both sides. Thats the reason I read the posts is to get a laugh on how ignorant some sound and how knowledgeable others sounds.
I'll admit i don't like apple, but i think people should express their opinions in a better way. I see a lot of serious disrespect for the Tom's staff, like the some comments above.
I completely agree with the article. I call people out on their irrational hatred for any company, be it hardware or software. I don't mind if the comments and criticism are valid, but I hate when it's obvious that they don't know what they're talking about. Like when people compare Mac prices to home-built PCs and OEM prices instead of comparing between brands like Dell or HP.
It's even more funny when people complain about the commercials. They must be the same people who get pissed when bikini clad girls don't appear when they open a Budweiser can.
Apple sucks...that is all.
I don't hate Apple. I just don't like liberals. And most of Apple's users are liberals.
http://bit.ly/fYxzz
Great article, all tech enthusiasts should never even want to choose a side. They should just love it all like me!
Ok I got here early, by the morning I expect to find about 5 pages of comments about why Toms Hardware has this obsession about Macs with readers posting there own theories (weather they be logical and sound or the usual flame bite kind).
You guys don't help yourselves by putting up a headline on the front page saying "Test Shows Snow Leopard is Faster Than Win 7" and when you read the news piece it's clear that the test wasn't balanced or had flaws. It's kind of naive on your part (in this case Marcus Yam) to put this kind of material up on your site and not expect a backlash.
At the end of the day Apple OS is like 5% of the market and whilst there a plenty of PC fanboys out there to bash Apple at every point it's not like there's a shortage of Mac idiots as well.
Right... how do you explain the article with the headlines "Snow Leopard Faster than Windows 7" ??? How are you not a biased iGnorant fanboi?
iGnorance is bliss.
But we're not iDiots.
Thank you, Tuan for this article. There's been a lot of vitriol expressed from both the pro-Mac and anti-Mac camps whenever we see Apple news here at Tom's. I'm glad to see Tom's reminding its members how to use a news blog.
I would also like to point out that Tom's is currently conducting a poll with regards to adding a Mac OS forum: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/32340-12-forum
It is surprising that certain authors of Tom's Hardware are so incompetent that they feel the need to keep pushing outright lies and promoting BS. Yes, that includes you, Tuan. Given your track record of false reporting, retraction and debunking yourself, you deserve to be fired already. Same with some other authors who do not do their fact check and keep posting unrelated topics. Not to mention the recent surge of misinformation and titular editing to attract hit rate. Now you are blaming us the readers for being unreasonable? Welcome to the real world, where unreasonable readers live. You'd better treat them well since they are the source of Tom's revenue. The only two reason that I still read Tom's are to bash narcissistic authors and any Apple Inc product respectively, just for fun. And keep doing this until all chronic readers are so pissed that they start boycotting without notification.
I think the hate spawns not from the companies themselves, but the people who buy into the hype these companies output. I can make an educated decision to buy hardware, but I'm angry at Apple, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, (and basically any company that advertises) for manipulating the less technically inclined to purchase their product without properly reviewing the topic first.
Its similar to talk radio. I know not to listen to lunatics spouting hate-filled opinion like it's news, but that doesn't stop others from listening and believing. Should I hate the ignorant masses who allow themselves to be manipulated, or should I aim that rage at those doing to manipulating? I can't make Mac owners or Glenn Beck listeners smarter, but isn't my anger at Apple and Glenn Beck for manipulating these poor souls somewhat justified?
As for Tom's, my only problem is the obvious bias in the choice of topics to cover. We have seen numerous stories about various FireFox BETA releases, but Opera 10 came out without a single article mention (here's a headline: "Opera 10: first released web browser to pass Acid3 100/100"). How many pointless iPhone OS updates have we received (and updates on cracks for each iteration), but only very recently have we been getting any Android news. Months ago Android OS 1.5 added in a software keyboard, don't remember that being mentioned. The Android OS 1.6 also now has copy and paste (no mention of that either?). I remember seeing numerous articles about this missing and subsequently being added to the iPhone OS, but no mention about Android OS updates.
You must be able to see where some of this perceived bias on the part of your readers is coming from.
words I say to everyone contemplating between windows and mac:
try both out and see which one fits your style, usage and expectations...
personally I hate them.. but I do understand that it's my personal preference.
Tuan Nguyen is an Apple employee.
It is surprising that certain authors of Tom's Hardware are so incompetent that they feel the need to keep pushing outright lies and promoting BS. Yes, that includes you, Tuan. Given your track record of false reporting, retraction and debunking yourself, you deserve to be fired already. Same with some other authors who do not do their fact check and keep posting unrelated topics. Not to mention the recent surge of misinformation and titular editing to attract hit rate. Now you are blaming us the readers for being unreasonable? Welcome to the real world, where unreasonable readers live. You'd better treat them well since they are the source of Tom's revenue. The only two reason that I still read Tom's are to bash narcissistic authors and any Apple Inc product respectively, just for fun. And keep doing this until all chronic readers are so pissed that they start boycotting without notification.
Tuan Nguyen isn't that bad Toms Hardware has hired a lot worse them him over the years, Theo Valich comes to mind.
Very well said. I tend to post against Apple, but I have no hatred of them....just their marketing and business strategy. They constantly run commercials about how great their products are, but the only way to actually test them out (at least in my area) is to pay the insanely high price for them. In their commercials, they talk about how stable and secure OSX is....but there's absolutely no proof. I don't consider an OS "stable" if it supports a very limited number of hardware configurations....I consider it "stable" if I can't make it crash on a configuration of my choosing. Apple could fix my only real gripe with them, but giving some consumers what we want...an "IBM/Compatible" version of OSX. If MS released a version of Windows that blocked Apple users from being able to run it...MS would be facing anti-trust suits from the US-DOJ and Apple. I don't dislike Apple in any way....just the fact that they make claims that they refuse to actually prove. Apple computers are no different from "IBM/Compatibles"...just a bit more expensive than a comparable "IBM/Compatible" and are permitted to run OSX. If Apple ever releases a truly affordable laptop, I'll bite. I love tech competition....AMD/Intel, ATI/nV, PC/Apple....if it wasn't for competition, most of the world wouldn't own a computer at all. If you have a problem with competition in the tech industry, then your posts are simply a waste of everyone's time. Personal preference is all fine and dandy....but going to the extent of insulting a company or it's products doesn't benefit anyone in any way. I've limited my responses to most articles because "fanboy'ism" runs rampant.....I'm even starting to believe that it should be declared a mental disorder. I think Tuan Nguyen should have posted this sooner, and several times over the years
I don't hate Apple. I just don't like liberals. And most of Apple's users are liberals.
Rush Limbaugh uses iMac. Don't believe me? Search his videos on YouTube. The guy who started HowTheWorldWorks also uses MacBook.
Apple is better simple as that. Try finding a PC with a magsafe charger or the most advance os in the world. Oh wait, you can't.
I think that's a convoluted thing to say.
If someone is attracted to Apple products for whatever reason, but then can't afford to make a purchase, it doesn't mean Apple's pricing doesn't affect that person.
People may find it easy to use Apple's market positioning as a surrogate to the price argument to avoid questioning their buying power. Logically, this attitude would extend to all premium products, but it doesn't!
A lot of people can't afford a Mercedes-Benz, but you don't see people going around trash talking the brand.
Tom's Guide: OH LOOK A NEW IPHONE APP DOES ______!!! SO AMAZING THAT I WILL POST A NEW ARTICLE ABOUT IT!!!
I think you have a good point here, but so do the commenters complaining about sensationalized headlines.