I’ve owned two Macintosh portables. The first I bought back in 2004. It was second hand. But it didn’t matter. It was, in most ways better than the other laptop offerings at that time. It didn’t have viruses, I never needed to turn it off, and it opened native Windows office files pretty well.
The second Mac I bought in 2007. I stuck to the brand because this time, I could record audio and video podcasts on the fly. It didn’t just run native Windows files, it ran Windows. And it retained all the neat things I loved about the previous Mac, but lighter, and in sexy black.
When I bought these two computers I never recalled a clause that said I had to be tied with a specific wireless Internet provider for WiFi. I also never recalled having to go to a Macintosh reseller just to perform a System Update or activate my operating system. And yeah, I remember also paying a fair price for it.
I want to recall those memories when Apple was all about being remarkable and different from the status quo.
I want to recall those memories when an Apple product meant so much more than the hype.
Thus ends an age, I guess.
16 replies on “The Hype”
I really agree with you on this one, so well written. I can’t say much anymore except that the hype has gone way above its level. Sigh.
I want to recall those memories when Mac users weren’t babbling brooks who chant “I love ” and ram on other non- users, yet are really just too stupid to understand that they’re not supposed to install just about every IE toolbar there is – and later on complain about viruses etc.
I want to recall those memories when the majority of  users actually comprised of intelligible creatures.
I get bored with just about every tech there is. Even if you gave me one of those companion robots from Japan I’d get bored with it pretty quickly. Give me a desert or a jungle anytime.
Congratulations. You have just proven you are not a technoweenie. A technophile yes but not a technoweenie.
I knew Apple products were being overhyped but I didn’t know it was this bad already.
I don’t understand. Are you talking about the mac line of apple products or the iphone line? I have a macbook pro and I’m still very happy with it (bought it this year). And I’ve been using my home wifi and free wifi in coffee stores with no problem. Did they do something with the software update? I also have been doing online software updates as well.
One thing I noticed though is that when they introduced their MobileMe service along side a software update, my SMTP stopped working.
@noelperlas – im of course referring to the iphone line and comparing it to how easy it was to buy a mac. the iphone treatment for purchasing isn’t very compelling.
Oh ok. Whew! I thought we had lost a mac fanatic. I agree, it would take me some time to think about purchasing an iphone. but trust in apple… I am hearing rumors that by 2010 the lock-in agreements might be over?
I strongly disagree with the way [name of the service provider here] took advantage the of the iPhone and all people interested with it. How I wish other local telcos would have been allowed by Apple to sell the iPhone.
Kudos to this well-written post.
@raw_knee – sadly it might not even be the telco’s “fault” as they are mandated by their regional partner to sell this phone. it’s more of like they have no choice but to sell it.
And you’re saying this just after the iPhone 3G launch? 😉 I guess it’s because just about anyone can now claim to have a piece of Apple’s great products? =)
yeah im saying it after the iPhone 3G launch. as an Apple user of a number of years, the launch really cheapened the product by making it hard to access.
People think I have a preference for Mac products because of the stereotype “hype” and coolness factor. The truth is, I learned most of my multimedia on a Mac and really found it so easy to use compared to Windows.
So I was expecting it to be just as easy to have access to an iPhone. I don’t care about the 40k price. It’s just money and people can earn that. It just sucks how compromising it is to own one, it’s not worth it.
I love my Apple products. 🙂 Everything’s going smoothly except for this MobileMe launch which has always been on the rocks since the dotmac-me transition started. Until now the comments section in my iWeb page still doesn’t work. I’m happy that Apple is aware of their still-buggy MobileMe product but I’m not sure if the 3-month extension is generous enough to compensate the issues.
And I have often wondered that the iPhone 3G launch has also got something to do with these bugs of course. I couldn’t appreciate what they’re trying to improve or to do because the issues they caused on their other product are getting out of hand already.
Just like what it said on The Matrix, “Everything that has a beginning has an end.”
You could say the same with Samsung Omnia, HTC Touch Diamond, Nokia E90 and Sony-Ericsson Xperia. They are all very expensive.
expensive, but not hyped.