To all of those complaining about the new Apple devices, this is what you should do. You should vote with your wallet.
I don't think that you are going to change Apple's mind, but this is the only way they'll listen.
Personally, I think they are to far gone by now. The money pouring in has simply been to much to ignore. It's not the computer for the rest of us any more...It's the computer for the rest of them...
(I am one of them, I just understand your argument and your frustration)
The thing that's been keeping me from buying an Apple device is being associated with their users. This "better than you" attitude is something I just can't stand, it's repulsive. Instead of being ashamed that they wasted $3000 on a computer they could have had for $500 (and could have donated the other $2500), they feel smug about it? WTF!
Not at all, I really dislike people that think that just because they bought something expensive, they have rights to brag about how cool they are and how lost everyone else is. The most recent example: a friend of mine posts "Oh, no! My laptop died!", to which a Mac user comments with "That's why I bought a MacBook Pro!". When I mentioned that they fail too, he began talking about the grapes being sour and how poor I am?! I would never want to be associated with people thinking this way, ever. I bet they don't even know what a savings account is.
The problem is that we don't have a choice. There's only one premium option to go for. And it's apple. It's surprising how none of the others have at least created a luxury brand, similar to Toyota/Lexus or Volkswagen/Audi.
Except they did their very best to just make their 'premium' products a blatant money-grab and little else.
Despite plunking down a pretty penny for premium brands or product lines, Dell and Sony would still nickel and dime you with LOADS of pre-installed crapware. (No experience with other manufacturers' 'premium' lines..)
Of course they gave up -- it is bloody annoying to buy an expensive piece of hardware and then spend loads of time simply fighting with it; the market just couldn't stand it any more and jumped ship when a crap-free out-of-the-box experience presented itself.
Personally, because I have more time and skills than money, I use cheapo Dells and Lenovos which I wipe and set up from scratch. But for my parents and other relatives who really couldn't care less, I'd recommend an Apple laptop in a flash and not have to waste hours upon hours as tech support. (Now that they're more easily available, I'm cautiously considering moving this recommendation to a Dellbuntu...)
They failed, and to be fair, most have failed. The fact of the matter is that is hard to dominate your market, everybody will downplay your success. And nobody will ever give credit to your product, or to your strategy, or to your business. It's always luck, customers with more money than brains, deception.
The iPod, the iPhone, the iPad. They were all flukes in history that are going to be corrected when the market corrects itself. Excuse me?
The truth is, Apple, and Audi and BMW, must be doing something right. It's just not something for you.
I don't think that you are going to change Apple's mind, but this is the only way they'll listen.
Personally, I think they are to far gone by now. The money pouring in has simply been to much to ignore. It's not the computer for the rest of us any more...It's the computer for the rest of them...
(I am one of them, I just understand your argument and your frustration)