7 Comments

Thank you for this post! I've always said that Apple devices are terrible for various reasons and you hit the nail on the head here! I got my teenage sons iPhones because they begged me for them but other than that I avoid all Apple products like the plague. I also avoid Microsoft products, as well, for the same reasons.

Expand full comment

Hello

First of all a huge praise! The lyrics are really well written!

And now I have a short question...

Will you still use Apple products?

And then a criticism of your review ;)

Apple may exclude certain software vendors, but they just say: "We have this platform. You can upload things here. And we have certain rules. And if you don't abide by them, you should leave it alone. That's just so that not everybody can upload some shit. That all apps always run great, that they comply with security guidelines and privacy laws. And they also make sure that everything always runs smoothly... So your statement is true, but it's not really a criticism.

And then I have a little info... According to rumors Apple is currently developing X-code for IOS devices, so developing on the iPhone/iPad is also possible.

And finally a little food for thought...

What would be very exciting is to compare Apple with other companies like Microsoft or Samsungs. So whatever these companies do.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you! I am still using Apple's products because I am quite locked into their ecosystem. I am less concerned with things like iMessages and more concerned with things like Airplay (I have an Apple TV). In total my household has 10 Apple devices.

In this newsletter, we will definitely write more about other companies as well!

Expand full comment

While the article presents a lot of good points I find the cynical take on those points a little much. The one thing I believe that Apple could do is explain why and how they come to make decisions for their platform.

I'd like to think that there is more to it than "we need to figure out the best way to make money". That is most definitely part of the equation, but I'd love to hear a candid discussion with Apple regarding some of the points that you have brought up.

I do think that they make specific decisions to protect the security of their devices along with the end user experiences. I'd venture a guess and say that 95% of iPhone users don't even think about the points that you have brought up. The people that do are often very involved in the tech industry, or a tech enthusiast. I'm not saying that justifies certain decisions that they make, but they have the numbers and I think they make decisions based on the majority of their users.

Android offers full control of their systems and the family members I've dealt with that use Android, generally the older crowd, have significantly more issues with their devices than my parents who use iPhones. Apple spends the time and effort to make this a reality while trying to balance what power users want. It has to be tough.

Expand full comment
author

I've always been a fan of Apple controlling the user experience, because it's given us a great and stable platform with consistent design. It's important though that we talk about how much control is too much control. It's one thing to enforce UI frameworks and ensure device security. It's another to restrict entire categories of apps that are allowed on the platform.

I think normal users do consider some of these issues – for example, many Fitbit watch users wonder why they are not allowed to send text messages from the Fitbit device, and why their device is not as featured as an Apple Watch.

Expand full comment

Is your blog about only tearing down technology, or about looking at both good and bad sides of it. There is not one thing positive or uplifting about your post, or frankly nothing I can discern that is attempting to meaningfully talk about the human impact of hardware technologies on people and our lives which I thought your blog was about. I'm just a little confused about what perspective you are writing this from? This latest article sounds like Tim Sweeney complaining about everything, not putting forward any realistic ideas for improvement, and not actually taking the time and effort to understand and write about the end user perspective...

Expand full comment
author

This newsletter will also discuss potential solutions, but first it's really important to unpack the ways the existing hardware companies are harming human creativity and innovation. Once we unpack the current problems, we'll start to dive into solutions.

Expand full comment