Sep
29
Apple in my eyes
BY BEN SAILER
Columnist
I enjoy Apple computers.
Having owned Macs for close to
a decade, I’ve come to appreciate
their functionality, reliability and
simplicity. They may be more
expensive than a comparable
Windows PC that could do most
of the same things I use a computer
for, but the peace of mind
afforded by the rock-solid stability
of OS X more than makes up
for the difference in my book.
However, even I have begun to
see a downside to Apple’s rise to
the top of the consumer technology
marketplace. According to a
report from Reuters earlier this
year, Apple overtook Microsoft as
the world’s largest tech company
this past May. Catapulted ahead
of their competition through sales
of their mobile devices such as
the iPod, iPhone and iPad, the
company that was counted down
and out a decade ago isn’t the
scrappy underdog anymore.
Great, right? Well, maybe.
A big part of Apple’s appeal
has always been that they offered
a real alternative to buying
Microsoft products. For those
of us who feel PC’s are clunky
and undependable, Macs are a
godsend. However, now that
Apple has surpassed Microsoft
(at least in terms of profitability,
as Windows is still used on a far
greater percentage of computers
than Mac OS), it remains to be
seen how long it will take for
complacency to set in. The wellpublicized
problems with the
iPhone 4 (where it loses reception
unless you hold it just right),
are hopefully not a sign that the
company has gotten too comfortable
with their success.
It took the threat of bankruptcy
in the 1990’s to force Apple to
innovate or go under. Should they
feel less need to stay competitive
from here on, even a small
decline in quality control could
tarnish their reputation as the
company that makes things that
“just work.” Meanwhile, much
of the media seems too enamored
with the cult of Steve Jobs to
criticize Apple for much without
pulling their punches. In a Sept. 1
column, Newsweek writer Daniel
Lyons couldn’t acknowledge the
iPhone’s failings without putting
a positive spin on the company,
suspiciously just days after writing
a somewhat negative piece
about their public conduct.
Apple’s PR machine must be
working overtime.
Plenty of tech companies out
there want a piece of the Apple
pie. I wish them well. Apple produces
great things, but without
competition, they are perilously
close to becoming the unlikable,
impersonal and frustratingly
unstoppable corporate monster
they once rallied against.
Sailer can be reached
at sailerbe@gmail.com
The Advocate
matthewjbeckman