I no longer buy Apple products, based on my own experience with their products, and also on principle because I don't like their business practices—which was true even before this iPhone issue and their abysmal handing of it.
I am not an IT professional. I'm a graphic designer and used Macs exclusively throughout the 90s. The reason then was simple: Windows systems just didn't have the graphics hardware or software capabilities of Macs.
Then at the turn of the millennium, it came time for me to upgrade from my solid, dependable Power Mac 8600. I had a choice: spend $5000+ for a G4 that had what I needed, or let Justin build me a Windows PC for about $1000 -- not to mention with many more personal software options, bells and whistles. It was an easy decision. I've been using Windows since then and love it, not least because Windows XP made the OS interface bearable for artsy types like me. And of course now there is virtually no difference in the graphics and software quality between the two systems, at least for print/web purposes. I have used Macs at contracting assignments here and there, and at one job in particular that I did for several months, we had almost daily issues with OS X, plus several crashes every day. It drove me insane...
Some people had suggested to me a third option: the iMac. But my using an iMac would have been like trying to haul freight with a Honda Civic. And I never liked the whole principle behind the iMac. Macs are traditionally expensive and therefore cost-prohibitive with the general public. But instead of making their hardware and software compatible with products made by other companies, they decided instead to stay ‘exclusive’ and just offer something in a 'friendlier' price range. Behold, the iMac. BOOM! A movement was born. But, there was a catch. After paying for the iMac, one then had to go and buy a ton of other components to give it the functionality it needed, so in the long run you weren't really saving much $$, and you had a cluttered up desk with all the external components that are standardly packaged inside a Windows desktop PC. I was pretty disgusted with that little marketing trick. It's like McDonald's saying, fine we'll create our own 99¢ menu just like Wendy's has, so you can get a burger for 99¢, but then we'll charge another 50¢ for tomato, and 25¢ for lettuce, $1 for bacon, 30¢ for cheese, etc. GOTCHA! iMac was also touted as being amazingly stable and dependable, but when I had my own business, one of my word-of-mouth services was Mac tech support, and I was not infrequently contracted to fix iMac issues. And you had to have a degree in engineering to be able to get that case open because God forbid if any owner should mess with their factory-installed set up. It was not all it was cracked up to be, that’s for sure. Oh, and then of course the whole iMac clear colored plastic look dominated office product design for years… and boy did I get sick of that!
Then came the iPod, which got rave reviews by everyone in this galaxy and the next, so I bought one. I had to return two (or three?) of them for a free replacement, both due to 'sudden death' after only a few months of use, so I switched to a Creative Zen Vision:M which I've had for, hmm, 3 years and counting?
Then there's the horrible song management program known as iTunes, which I can't express how much I detest. I used it during my stint with iPod and it was endlessly frustrating. (I’d share details but I’ve blocked it out of my mind.) And the iTunes Music Store itself with their tight restrictions on song 'ownership’ always made me throw up in my mouth a little. I’ve never bought any songs from there, again on principle: I think a purchased MP3 should be yours to use how you see fit, from then on. They’ve just recently abandoned those restrictions, likely because of competition from Amazon MP3.
I have nothing to say about the iPad and iPhone except 1) the thought of buying one has never even crossed my mind, 2) watch this video, and 3) those little lowercase i’s in front of everything are getting really old!
I understand that Apple has done groundbreaking work in the technological innovation of the past three decades. But just because you’re the first, doesn’t mean you’re the best. Their tight-fisted, elitist business practices are a real turn off for me, not to mention my own lousy experiences with their products over this past decade.
So when all is said and done, I think I actually dislike Apple more than my husband (Justin-the-Green) does, even though he's much more passionate about the whole Apple vs. Microsoft issue. After all, he's the one who owns an iPhone and uses iTunes, not me! (Ha ha!) But, I respect the rights of other people to use Apple products as much as they choose. You know who you are.
P.S. Wikipedia reports that “The Apple I went on sale in July 1976 and was market-priced at $666.66.” Things that make you go ‘hmmm….’
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P. S. The issue I refer to in the first sentence is the notorious http://www.pcworld.com/article/199853/apple_responds_to_iphone_4_antenna_problem.html.