Why do you [not] buy Apple?

Well, the title says it all, why would you buy, or not buy, Apple products?
Desktops
Laptops
Tablets
Phones
Music players
[hypothetically] wearable tech
Apple TV

From what I've seen it generally is down to one of the following
-belief it's a sign of wealth
-for some products, a superior build quality, whether it's necessary or not
-fanboyism
-buying into dodgy marketing ploys
-battery life on MBPs, whether necessary or not.
-the high OpenCL performance

(edited 9 years ago)

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Reply 1

dead101

Wouldn't buy because there's plenty of better computers who run software more easily (not so much the case now), easier to operate and a heck of a lot cheaper for something either the same or better. People buy apple cause they it makes them feel better about themselves probably. But I also think it's because they're so clueless about technology that they assume it's the best so they just buy it.

And their phones are small and have awful battery life, plus you have to pay for like everything.

I have an ipod touch for obvious reasons - it's good for apps like Spotify so I don't run down my phone battery but it's getting really slow and I won't bother replacing it lol.

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Reply 2

DCFCfan4eva

wouldn't- ridiculously over priced and generally prefer microsoft.
Also really like Android

Reply 3

RumpeIstiltskin

Ridiculously overpriced.

Reply 4

Per

I have an iPhone mostly because I like how smoothly things run on it and I'm just used to using them now after using them the past couple of years. I agree that there are many equal and better quality phones for cheaper and I'm not snobbish about them I just like the way they feel and look. I have an iPad too but I didn't buy it myself it was a gift on my 21st. It's good and I use it often (I'm typing this on it) but one of the things that surprised me about it when I first got it was that you can't insert USB pens into it. I suppose apple just refuse to be compatible with anything else on the planet which is a bit stupid but since it was a present and I get good use out of it I love my iPad, although similarly I think there are equal and better tablets available. I would never get an apple laptop however, they're crap.

Reply 5

Jammy Duel

Original post by G8D

I might even get an iMac/Pro if I have the means in future.

Why? Why not get a custom built desktop or make one yourself in this situation? Even if just for OS there is always the hackintosh option.

Reply 6

TajwarC

I personally prefer Android and Windows but I'd like to own a Macbook one day. One thing that gets on my nerves though is people spending £1000+ on a high performance Macbook/iMac and only using it to browse Facebook or whatever...

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 7

Lúcio

Original post by Jammy Duel

for me, i've just been using apple iphones for a long time, and it's just a habit now.

i'm not bothered about people bieng impressed that i have one, i just really like it's general functioning
it's simple, easy to use and most importantly, i find them to be fun phones!

the price doesn't bother me massively because i normally get phone contracts, but i won't buy the new one immediately like an insane fanboy.

i just like the phone is all, and i'm used to it - i just like apple as a brand :smile:

Reply 8

Georgie_M

Whether misguided or not Apple products just work, and after my whole life as a PC user I am switching to Apple as soon as I can afford to.

Things **** up on PCs all the time, they are no longer more user friendly and windows 8 is such a load of ****. Can not stand it.

Apple customer service is amazing.

I have an iphone and iPad, no other phone ever tempts me and I like the os, I'm used to it now and hate having to go on pcs at work and uni, they are infuriating to use. Saving for a mac now.

Reply 9

Manitude

Well I got an iPod after having a few cheaper brands die on me within days or even hours of purchase. My iPod lasted about 5 years before the hard drive completely broke, so now I just use my phone. It's not as good for a variety of reasons, but I don't mind that much.

I wouldn't consider getting an Apple laptop or computer because

a) It isn't running an operating system I'm comfortable with.
b) Most software I use isn't, and never will be compatible with Apple's operating system
c) Value for money is awful when considering tech specs.
d) Owning such a product singles you out as being a good target for thieves - everyone knows a macbook is worth a lot of money, but a nondescript Dell/HP laptop could be worth very little unless you know what you're looking for.
e) Apple seem to be a pretty evil company, treating their employees very badly. I'm not saying Microsoft are angels, but at least Bill Gates is a very well known philanthropist, whereas it seemed to take Apple a long time to start putting money into charitable causes and even that pales in comparison. Project Red has raised only $150m (of which Apple did not contribute all of) compared to the $28bn+ Bill Gates has already donated.

I'll give them that their products do just "work", but so should any other product if you actually have some technical ability. If you're completely technologically incompetent then I can understand why you'd want to pay twice the price for your computer to just work when you press the on button for the first time. If, like me, you know even a small amount about how computers work then it doesn't seem worth it.

Reply 10

Jammy Duel

Original post by G8D

Hackintosh is messy. I'd consider if it was easier and I was building a concealed rig.

Also iMac/Pros look nice as.

In what way are you meaning "messy". Messy as in a hassle to set up, or messy as in "too lazy to spend a bit of extra time (and maybe money) to make things look neat and tidy"

Reply 11

TimmonaPortella

Original post by TajwarC

To browse facebook for twelve hours, though! Twelve! And barely even be able to tell you're carrying it around (to wherever it is you're going to browse facebook)!

Reply 12

Josh_B

I avoid Iphones because of the lack of removable batteries & micro SD card slots. I remember ITunes used to be a pain too but that may have changed (I'm talking 4-5yrs ago). I stick to Android & I'm liking my new S5.
In terms of laptops, I use mine for gaming & (as far as I'm aware) Mac products cannot play Windows games (& there seems to be a lack of games out on Mac too). Plus the OS just seems too different to what I'm used to. Saying that, if Windows screw up their next release as badly as 8 then I might have to at least consider one.

Reply 13

Jammy Duel

Original post by G8D

Messy in process. Set up, getting things to work, making sure you buy the exact necessary hardware.

Fair enough. From what I've seen and read it's not actually that much more effort compared to if one was doing a windows/linux build, little bit more research and going to different places for advice. The slightly amusing thing is that I actually bought purely by chance some of the better components for a hackintosh when upgrading my rig :biggrin:

Reply 14

Trihawk7

I personally wouldn't call them overpriced as much as when Steve Jobs was there. But with the new airs becoming quite a good value, 256GB SSD MBA for 1k, compare that to a Vaio Pro at the same spec you say be looking at around £100-£200 more, not exactly sure. As for the rest of the Apple line up, quite overpriced...

As for phones, yeah, ripoff, on Android you can get so much more like a bigger screen etc for the same price.
Tablets, this is arguable topic many would say including myself, even though you can get an Android tablet for much cheaper, you don't get many tablet optimised apps,

TV, who cares? doesn't everyone have Sky/Virgin or just use a games console with Netflix? Personally think Apple TV is just a way of paying for Apple tax on their library.

Customer service is really where Apple shines, from their premium you get a round the corner Apple store that sorts everything out for you in a jiffy! and a very good customer support team on the phone.

But personally:

Phone/tablet: Android, because value/I don't have a tablet, don't see the point imo.
Computer: Windows, wasn't really interested until the new MBA hit the market, but interest now!
TV: Console and Sky, really couldn't give two ****s

Disagree with me if you want, but this is my opinion and you are entitled to your own so don't give me hate :smile:

Reply 15

Mad Vlad

Original post by Jammy Duel

Well, the title says it all, why would you buy, or not buy, Apple products?
Desktops - My custom PC is better and cheaper
Laptops - My thinkpad is better and cheaper
Tablets - My Nexus 7 is better and cheaper than the comparable iPad
Phones - My Galaxy S3 is better and cheaper than the comparable iPhone of its generation
Music players - Why would anyone want an iPod these days?
[hypothetically] wearable tech - No
Apple TV - I have a Raspberry Pi with XBMC on it. A fraction of the price and all of the capability.

From what I've seen it generally is down to one of the following
-belief it's a sign of wealth
-for some products, a superior build quality, whether it's necessary or not
-fanboyism
-buying into dodgy marketing ploys
-battery life on MBPs, whether necessary or not.

Apple's batteries are probably the only trump card, really. When you have chavs walking around with iPhones, it's not a status symbol. Apple products are elegantly designed, but fragile - they are impractical and while their build quality is a strength, this is something that is not unique to them, contrary to the belief of fanboys, who I simply pity. Apple used to have some incredible marketing, but that's tailed off, as their products are no longer special. The loss of Steve Jobs to the business has had a significant impact. Tim Cook just doesn't cut it IMO. Apple is merely turning the crank - it's not innovating, it's not doing anything "game changing" any more.

Reply 16

TenOfThem

Original post by Jammy Duel

I bought my first apple computer in 1986 (A 4/40)
I was not rich
It was superior
Not fanboy rubbish - it was certainly not a choice of many at the time
It is superior

Now I have lots of products - I like the ease with which they work together

Reply 17

Jammy Duel

Original post by Josh_B

AS far as gaming goes it is more of a pain, you're right, not all games can be played on mac. I don't know how much of my steam library will run on a mac since steamgague isn't loading, but I know it's pretty pathetic, people I know with macs tend to have windows installed to be able to play games

EDIT: Not as bad as I thought, 46 which is substantially better than Linux with 26, at this time at least, but still nothing on windows.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 18

AdamskiUK

I buy Apple because it just works, and if it doesn't then the customer service is second to absolutely none. My iPhone 5's lock button went a bit dodgy about 9 months. It took me the best part of 30 minutes to get a like-new phone and be on my way afterwards. There's now a scheme in place for all with an iPhone 5 to have their lock buttons replaced if theirs was one of the minute percentage who received faulty lock buttons.

They're simple enough to get one for my technophobic mum and for her to be able to use it efficiently. On top of that, it's the usual best app selection, best OS stability, best build quality etc. etc.

In contrast, my dad just picked up a new Nexus 5, touted as being one of the best Android phones ever available, and from downloading a keyboard app with hundreds of thousands of 5-star reviews, he's already contracted some kinda malware. He even had AVG running! On top of that, his phone won't automatically push sound into his headphones and his apps crash left, right and centre. The only reason he has one is because he's:

a) too anti-Apple to buy an iPhone
b) needs Android for work - he develops business android apps (primary one, I guess)

I'll be buying a Mac for uni because, after buying a Win8 family laptop, would have to commit ritual suicide if I had to use that waste of 1010101010111010101's again. I could use Linux, but that's too much work; I want an OS which works out the box and which doesn't require maintenance. I run Ubuntu alongisde Vista on my home PC - I prefer Vista. That's saying something.

EDIT: Anybody who tries to play the 'innovation' card; what about 64-bit mobile processors and sapphire displays etc etc. that are going into their phones?

Does it look like LG or Samsung are innovating to you?

You're like daft investment bankers - you expect growth year, upon year, upon year. The car industry has been putting diesel engines into cars for 80 years - why haven't we 'innovated' more and found something more efficient? Oh, we have? Minor, incremental updates including the revision of the constituent elements of the fuels and engines used? Not hydrogen powered cars though - not innovating enough. Shun them. They're rubbish.

^ Doesn't sound very plausible, does it? About as plausible as you sound when you say that tech companies have to produce new products every 4 months.

tl;dr? I buy Apple, not as a fanboy, but because I have no other viable options for my needs. My needs? Simplicity, speed and good after-purchase support.