So I have to address this Apple thing – AGAIN

September 20, 2012
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victim commenter is Chris. Chris left a comment on my post contrasting the size and shape of Windows Phone devices and the new iPhone 5. Here’s what he or she had to say:

I have been coming to this site for quite some time in the hopes of getting information about upcoming Windows 8 news (ya know, like the name of the site would lead you to believe). But soon thereafter I started seeing the pro everything Apple theme. Normally I would just go somewhere else, since you can get that anywhere, but I was intrigued by why a site named windows8update would constantly either have articles about Apple products or talk down about Microsoft products and compare them to Apple products. I have to assume it is all about money. The site gets more hits when Apple is mentioned and hence, more Apple stuff. Couple that with the person doing this has an obvious love of Apple. You like to mention that you love tech and may the best tech win and that sort of thing, but what you don’t seem to realize is that everyone has a stronger pull towards certain things and I have never seen someone get entrenched and to some degree obsessed with a certain device and ecosystem and then have an unbiased opinion about other products. I will freely admit, I do not like Apple, their products, their ecosystem, how they market their products, how they run their presentations, pretty much how they do everything. Hence it would not make much sense for me to run an Apple website. People like different things. I like the look of the new Windows 8 phones by Nokia and HTC. I certainly prefer them over the Iphone. But at this point, that is irrelevant to its success. The majority of people think smartphone and Iphone mean the same thing. There is a small percentage that think there is only two players, Iphone and Samsung (they don’t really even know what Android is). The rest are people that follow these types of sites that know what is out there and try to make informed decisions (informed, not unbiased). The reason I will continue to support Windows Phone 8 is because I do not want to wake up one day and find that my only phone choice is an iphone. Where I get to send Apple a large chunk of my paycheck each month for their services because they have taken over every digital market there is and I am forced to join the rank and file or be an outlier scraping by with whatever is left out there. Reminds me of Demolition Man when all of the restaurants were Taco Bell! I do try to spread the love around. I bought a PS3 instead of an Xbox. I bought my kids Kindle Fire’s. I use Netflix and Amazon Prime. I like having choices. Apple is not a big fan of choice. Microsoft puts their products into other ecosystems as does Google. So they ditch Google Maps and offer their own mapping service, which is not nearly as good as the Google offering. They certainly didn’t do that for their users, as their offering is subpar in comparison. Sorry this went on so long, it has been building up for some time. I work for a global company and have had to deal with the constant chatter of people wanting to bring their idevice into the workplace, where there is no business need to do so, and it is frustrating. If there was a reason I wouldn’t mind. I was sitting in a meeting once and I asked please tell me what you need this idevice for and the only response I got was, “I want to play Angry Birds”. Computing has become so dumbed down that it makes me sad.
Fun Fun. Let’s address point by point.
I have been coming to this site for quite some time in the hopes of getting information about upcoming Windows 8 news — Find more comprehensive Windows 8 news elsewhere. Go ahead. I’ve tried. 🙂 I was intrigued by why a site named windows8update would constantly either have articles about Apple products or talk down about Microsoft products and compare them to Apple products. — Because I am interested in premium products and it’s silly to have a discussion of Microsoft products in a bubble. The 800 pound gorilla is Apple in the mobile phone space so do you want me to just say “ra ra Windows Phone”? I have to assume it is all about money. The site gets more hits when Apple is mentioned and hence, more Apple stuff. — Actually the opposite. The site gets less hits because most people like you don’t like Apple and don’t want to have an objective discussion about their products. Understandable but unfortunate. I guess that takes the money theory off the table. I have never seen someone get entrenched and to some degree obsessed with a certain device and ecosystem and then have an unbiased opinion about other products. — You should read the blog sometime – search for my full throated endorsement of Steve Ballmer etc I just try to be objective but I state all the time that I love and own Apple products. Should I hide that fact? I will freely admit, I do not like Apple, their products, their ecosystem, how they market their products, how they run their presentations, pretty much how they do everything. Hence it would not make much sense for me to run an Apple website. — True but in this case, I actually like Windows 8. I am looking for great phones, tablets, servers and associated products from Microsoft. I just am not a groupie. There is clearly a difference. I believe a true tech enthusiast can be objective and see all points of view. I like the Samsung ATIV phones and the way they look, I dont like Nokia. Welcome to America, i get to choose. The reason I will continue to support Windows Phone 8 is because I do not want to wake up one day and find that my only phone choice is an iphone. Where I get to send Apple a large chunk of my paycheck each month for their services because they have taken over every digital market there is and I am forced to join the rank and file or be an outlier scraping by with whatever is left out there. Reminds me of Demolition Man when all of the restaurants were Taco Bell! — Excellent point. Competition is healthy and I have said several time that if Microsoft can kick Apple’s ass, it will be GREAT for the marketplace. That’s different from saying that you will buy everything that’s not Apple because they are becoming too big. Dumb – buy what you like and let the marketplace fight for your dollar. I like having choices. Apple is not a big fan of choice. Microsoft puts their products into other ecosystems as does Google. — That is a valid criticism of Apple. they are too insular. Their response – buy something else if you don’t like it. So far, the market likes it. Sorry this went on so long, it has been building up for some time. I work for a global company and have had to deal with the constant chatter of people wanting to bring their idevice into the workplace, where there is no business need to do so, and it is frustrating. If there was a reason I wouldn’t mind. I was sitting in a meeting once and I asked please tell me what you need this idevice for and the only response I got was, “I want to play Angry Birds”. Computing has become so dumbed down that it makes me sad. — Yeah, I can see how that would be frustrating. People love Apple. Ideally, people should want to bring their Microsoft devices to work and by this time next year, they probably will.  🙂
Here’s the bottom line. I am technologically agnostic. I love whatever works best. I have a MacBook pro that I love but if Samsung or Dell or ASUS or Acer get off their asses and design a sleeker, cheaper Wndows 8 laptop/tablet hybrid, my Macbook Pro will be on Craigslist immediately. People are buying MacBook Pro’s because they look and feel beautiful and they work. Give them a viable alternative and people will buy that instead. People, you have to understand that Microsoft are smart. They didn’t sit around bitching about Apple and their success. They did something about it – it’s called the Windows 8 ecosystem. This is their response to Apple and Google. It’s unique, original and refreshing. It looks NOTHING like Apple and over the next year, consumers will make a choice. The entire industry will throw their advertising money and weight behind Windows 8 this coming year. Consumers will be the ones who dictate whether the “riskiest bet” was worth it. If it was worth it, history will look at Ballmer and Sinofsky as geniuses and revolutionaries who were able to see the future and successfully adapt. If not ….. The bottom line is I love this blog because of the free exchange of ideas. Good ones and bad ones. I don’t mind people who dislike Apple, just don’t ask me to write articles that pretend they don’t exist. Lots of other crap sites for that. 🙂 That’s off my chest. What say you?]]>

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Microsoft

Mike Johnson is a writer for The Redmond Cloud - the most comprehensive source of news and information about Microsoft Azure and the Microsoft Cloud. He enjoys writing about Azure Security, IOT and the Blockchain.

All Comments

  • yep i probably prefer winbeta for windows 8

    RIP September 20, 2012 9:42 am Reply
    • I like them too. See my sidebar, I have a link to them. 🙂

      Onuora Amobi September 20, 2012 9:53 am Reply
  • I don’t give a damn who you write about, or even who you prefer. Just be blunt. Point out problems. Point out successes. Hey, guess what – if people don’t want to read it, point out that they have the CHOICE to go somewhere else.

    Jack September 20, 2012 10:10 am Reply
  • It is interesting that he is saying that this is an Apple site, when most of the links are pointing to Windows 8 tutorials and the like.
    I have Apple at home. I use to own a PC with Windows (built the computer myself). Got tired of the updates and virus checking…
    I use Windows at work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. I have been doing this since back in the 1990’s (DOS and Windows).
    I like the PC, Linux, and Apple products. I really do not care for Micro$oft products. I will use them, however, since the market is mostly Micro$oft.

    Coker September 20, 2012 10:12 am Reply
    • Thanks for the feedback…

      Onuora Amobi September 20, 2012 4:53 pm Reply
    • Actually, putting $ sign in MS name is not appropriate nowaday as Apple is the one that have the most cash onhand. All those cash are taken from your pocket.

      CY September 20, 2012 10:13 pm Reply
  • I like getting both sides of the story. You cannot write about MS Windows and ignore Apple. It is not a genuine article.
    Dating myself as a caveman, I remember my first term paper in college and I refused the selectric typewriter and wanted to use the new computer room at CSU-Long Beach. I tried Word*Star on a Windows 3 PC, but it was too complicated. I tried Apple*Write but it was almost as bad. But they had a new mini-box PC – just 3 of them – called “Mac 1.0.” And it was incredible – WYSYWIG – you saw the line in bold, it printed the same way. I thought it was the most incredible revolution in computing. Unfortunately, they designed their “Mac” for design, fun games and students, but not really for business. And my first home PC was Windows 3.11, not a Mac, because all the programs I needed were Windows based.
    My work has been based in Windows and I’ve gone through all the versions, though hoping for a faster Win 7 recently, but been on Win XP for years. The market for my company’s software has barely touched Apple at all, so we don’t design for it. Nowadays, some people want to use iPads, though some apps are out there to fill some of the gaps so we may not need to even change our design. Will be interesting to see if Windows 8 can make a major jump again and blow out ipads, or will it just become another competitor in the tablet and business marketplace. Interesting days ahead.

    James Harvey September 20, 2012 11:37 am Reply
  • Fair enough, Onuora … but the article you wrote comparing the thicknesses of the iPhone and the Nokia Lumias was just a backhanded swipe at Nokia … who you openly state you dislike. Not really a technical comparison of anything. I think this sort of thing is what the lady was complaining about, and her complaint was justified.

    Willem September 20, 2012 3:54 pm Reply
    • LOL
      Don’t know if it’s a lady or not.
      Just an interesting graphic I used.

      Onuora Amobi September 20, 2012 4:18 pm Reply
  • I completely agree, except that I want Microsoft to be able to get back in the ring. It’s kinda sad to see Microsoft making the news for NOT being invited to a tech conference. But so far, I think Microsoft’s biggest hinderence has been hardware, if it weren’t for OEMs being lazy asses that make crap hardware, Microsoft would be doing pretty good. But necessity is the mother of invention, so they made surface to fight off apple. Personally, I am also technologically agnostic. I’m not a fan of anything really, but overall, I don’t want Microsoft to fall into the trashbin. But I don’t see any way of doing that. Also, I need someone’s opinion on android phones, since I’ve never used one before.

    Kevin September 20, 2012 4:23 pm Reply
  • Also, I just saw the new HP hybrids. (A tablet as a screen connected to a keyboard. http://www8.hp.com/us/en/ad/new-pcs/multitouch.html?hhosnl=hpn_2281%7c1338650%7cC25221B76EDFDB39%7cCE10C0B8CD03179A83122432C249159B&rid=D490929D4A29DA383C23C6FD6CA815E2) This is why OEMs are dead.

    Kevin September 20, 2012 4:27 pm Reply
  • I LIKE windows…all versions because of the broad compatibility it provides with most EVERYTHING else!
    Over 90% of all pc devices run some version of windows…that speaks to what code is written for what O/S and how many coders are employed coding apps for windows.
    The windows 8 O/S is very different in presentation but the foundation or core of windows 8 is simply a much improved windows 7 kernel and security has been ramped up but response time has been cut significantly.
    I’m not a fan of the Metro Gui but I…just like many others…do not use the metro gui anyhow…I use the desktop and ViStart from Lee-soft.com to restore the start menu and button.
    It isn’t perfect and some functionality is gone but the critical elements are all there. Otherwise…I enjoy the advanced security and responsiveness of the new O/S although drivers are a bit wonky still but drivers are like everything else or wine…they get better with use and age!
    I do NOT enjoy apple, it’s products, or the ecosystem it operates in…and the fact that EVERYTHING costs some amount of money to obtain the applications that make using a pc enjoyable for me.
    I’m an IT professional holding several technology degrees and I have used all the O/Ses I can get my hands on for different implementations…linux in numerous flavors has been good for server implementation…ubuntu and OpenSuse are more desktop driven but too many things do not work on them for me.
    So although I seriously enjoy MSWindows in all flavors…I also enjoy other items and like the author states here…I use what works best for me and my preferred applications..a PC is just that…a PERSONAL COMPUTER that allows me the choice of what I want to use and what I do not…but I keep up on EVERYTHING technological…I have ran OS X in a virtual machine and it’s currently on this laptop I’m writing this on and I also am in my windows 7 O/S at the moment but will be rebooting this evening to my Windows 8 partition for updates..so three O/S on my laptop.
    I love the CHOICES available to me…as do a lot of my professional associates and friends around the globe! The American Dream is alive and well and still kicking…so I like many others I see across the forums online all like what they like but peruse the NET everyday to keep up with what is going on in the computing world…ALL computing…not just apple or linux or windows or open source!!! It’s our right and what we fight for against those like SIPA etc…
    I enjoy this site for all of the reasons above and just because I CAN!
    Respectfully,
    Bobby Ketcham

    Bobby Ketcham September 20, 2012 4:39 pm Reply
  • Thanks Bobby!
    I appreciate the feedback.

    Onuora Amobi September 20, 2012 4:55 pm Reply
  • Big Grin..aw shucks…you are more than welcome and it truly was my pleasure!
    Keep on…keeping on! We love what you are doing out here!

    Bobby Ketcham September 20, 2012 5:12 pm Reply
  • First of all, congrats for the new addition to your family, Onuora!
    I admit I don’t care for Apple products personally, but that has more to do with their business ethics, or lack thereof. That said, I wouldn’t want a world without them (and hence, competition).
    I think so long as you put out a great product and not just crap, then there is room for everybody. That’s certainly a good thing for our economy. Go Detroit!! … and that sort of thing. I’m tired of all the outsourcing, tech support and hardware OEMs. But that’s another story for another time.
    Keep up the objective good work! 🙂

    Rodney Longoria September 20, 2012 5:55 pm Reply
  • I have one point to add. I think it is rediculous to require there to not be a bias for the technologies. That would require the exclution of passion. And without passion articles are dead.
    I know I disagree with you often, Mr. Amobi. But I would never accuse you of not having passion. It is why I do consider this the best place to come to comment about technology. Unlike many blogs that feel like click bait, I know you will always honestly say what you feel, whether I or anyone else will agree or not. Some people may need to read articles by people who believe exactly what they believe in order to justify their beliefs. But the problem is that the facts are only 10% of the reality. The other 90% is how the technology affects our lives and how we feel about it. And this is subjective. What I like about your blog is that though I think you have a higher affinity towards Apple products than I do, I know your point is to help illuminate the strengths and weaknesses of all products as you see them, not bash products that are not from your favorite manufacturer or thoughtlessly grovel over those that they make (trust me, I read enough of those to make me sick). I often find myself with a set viewpoint and by coming to your blog, I gain not only infromation from another viewpoint, I find that it helps me better understand my own viewpoint better.
    In a world where electronic communication has proliferated, people increasingly feel it is their right to say things any way they feel irregardless of how that may be an attack on others. This is a line that people need to come to grips with in this era. And it is a line that I feel you never cross and mostly take other to task when they do it themselves.
    So I would like to thank you for taking the time to put together this site. Keep up the great work!

    Rex September 20, 2012 6:05 pm Reply
    • Thanks for the nice words Rex.
      I try to make sure I don’t just spew the party line and I am always ready to say I’m sorry or I was wrong.
      🙂
      Glad to hear from you.

      Onuora Amobi September 20, 2012 6:29 pm Reply
  • My friend told me that after I used Apple’s product, I will love it. So far, that doesn’t happen.
    I got iPod, But I get frustrated that I have to sync using itunes all the time and so I switched to other mp3 player. It’s so much easier to drag and drop all the music and video files to it.
    I actually went to a store and tried their Macbook Air for an hour. And I left with frustration as well. Probably I got too used to Win system.
    And then I met a customer wanted to return a flash drive because it is not compatible with his mountain Lion OS. The supported system listed on the package says it supports up to 10.6. What? OSX 10.7 is not backward compatible.
    And then people are searching for various iPad adapters for all of the devices that they owned. The world will be much better if Apple includes micro USB in their products.

    CY September 20, 2012 10:35 pm Reply
  • Okay. I liked what you said in this article. I still don’t (won’t) like Apple, but I’m gonna continue to hang around here. I think you’re pretty good.
    One thing you need to do, imho, is get a thicker skin. When any of us rant about you being an Apple person, don’t worry so much about it. It’s what we do. Bashing Apple is our recreation. I’ve been doing it for so many years now that if I stopped I’m sure something dreadful would happen–like an arm falling off or something. Cheers.
    Frank

    Frank Bales September 21, 2012 2:35 pm Reply
    • LOL
      Frank, I just use the forum to blow off some steam once in a while…

      Onuora Amobi September 21, 2012 2:49 pm Reply
  • Just to address the google maps comment above stating its worse than google maps.
    Unfortunately thats not entirely true. In china for example Apple Maps is Superior to Google Maps as reported by many chineese bloggers. China has a population of around 1.5 billion people, so apple is carefully prioritising. People have to realise that the world does not revolve around the US, but there are many more markets out there.
    So Apple Maps is not worse, there are certain regions where both Google and Apple maps have lower quality maps.

    xinu September 26, 2012 6:56 am Reply

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