thomas fitzgerald.net

If you follow the technology industry in any shape or form you couldn’t have helped but hear about Apple’s many “problems” over the last month. Since the iPhone 3G and MobileMe launch in July, pundits from all parts of the web have been falling over themselves to criticize apple for just about anything they can think of. It seems that the MobileMe launch in particular was the catalyst for a rallying call to all those with some sort of pent up angst to let loose on the cupertino electronics maker. With varying ferocity bloggers and journalists decried a company that was, as one pundit put it “flailing at the edges”. Yet out of the spotlight of the technology media Apple was doing as well as, if not better than ever. Why has such a gulf developed between what is being reported in the online technology press and the reality on the ground? If you put the seeming hysteria aside you begin to see that this backlash is just that, hysteria.

I had been toying with the Idea of writing about this for a while. Blogging about Apple can be a risky business in someways. If you criticize the company in any way shape or form you can be set upon by the crazy minority of fans who take the company’s pr messages as gospel, but on the other hand, defend them and you’re a crazy fanboy. But what bugged me into writing about this is an increasing level of commentary, much of which is a variation of the same theme, that Apple had in this instance, and has been in the past, given a free pass by the media and the “Apple faithful” and that the Mobile Me launch showed the world what the company was “really like”. Frankly, this is complete and utter rubbish.

Apple is an extremely successful company and not only that but an extremely popular one. Not just by the crazy internet dwelling nerds who seem to think Steve Jobs is some sort of reincarnation of Jesus, but by normal regular people. In fact those normal people, the ones who don’t read technology blogs, but bring their kids to school, go for walks, do the shopping at their supermarket rather than on ebay, probably make up a far bigger demographic than the stereotyped mac zealots. Yet Apple has a few problems and suddenly they are “doomed” again and people are giving the company a “free pass” because we’re all brainwashed zombies under the influence of Steve’s mind control powers? Most of Apple’s customers don’t read blogs or post on digg, they just go about their business and according to several surveys they are very happy with their products. It’s amazing that some people just can not accept this fact, and that in their minds Apple has no business being successful, therefore it must be just mass delusion.

The MobileMe launch was just the catalyst though. People are coming out of the woodwork complaining about everything from hardware failures (that they strangely decide to take apart their computers for spare parts rather than insist on repairs) to software so buggy it’s unusable. And yet survey after survey shows Apple has the one of, if not the highest satisfaction ratings of any computer manufacturer out there. So just why is there so much hysteria surrounding Apple. Why is it that the company makes some relatively minor mishaps in the grand scheme of things and they are portrayed as the beginning of the cyber apocalypse ?

Compared to a lot of mistakes and screw-ups made by other companies, the MobileMe launch and the iPhone 3G teething problems are very VERY minor. Im sure I’ll get hate mail for saying that but look at it with some perspective and with a level head and you’ll see what I mean. Lots of companies screw up email all the time. Yes it is a huge pain, yes it is wrong and it shouldn’t happen. I’m not saying Apple should be let off for it, but they moved quickly to deal with it and they offered financial compensation in the form of free service extensions for those affected. By contrast at least two of the service providers I have had dealings with in the last few years screwed up email access several times and on at least one occasion email was lost. Customers were pissed off but no one thought it was anything more than it was, a technical screw up. But with Apple the reaction has been so strong it is like Steve Jobs personally stabbed someone’s child and threw it in a bonfire then put the fire out with a vat of acid.

I’m not trying to say Apple has done no wrong, or that there haven’t been mistakes or that those mistakes haven’t effected people, I’m just trying to urge a little perspective here, but then the concept of perspective seems to be lost on those who want to rage against Apple. Why is it that the huge demand for iPhones leading to supply issues is considered a sign of bad management by Apple’s company heads, and yet the Nintendo Wii, had months and months of supply issues, and everyone considered this a sign of the console’s great success. Why is it that scientifically conducted surveys get dismissed but a few disgruntled posters on Apple’s support forums some how make for “widespread problems” ?

I think that part of the reason for this backlash is simple “Apple fatigue”. There is huge scrutiny of Apple by the media. For years now Apple’s been the media’s golden boy. The company has enjoyed success after success and I think people writing for the technology press are bored with the same story. The thought of Apple’s shine being tarnished is like a drink of water in the desert to some of these “journalists”. A comment I heard recently was that with Apple gaining market share all of Apple’s new windows converts are not going to put up with the way Apple treats it’s customers and that all of the problems that have always been there but none of its existing users could see because we’re all brainwashed fanboys. But the fact of the matter is most converts are coming from other manufacturers who regularly make mistakes, have technical problems etc, and because they don’t have the media scrutiny it’s just par for the course.

Of course there is always the fail-safe get out of jail free card for someone who wants to bash Apple. If anyone counters your argument, points out flaws in your reasoning or otherwise stands up for Cupertino then they’re just crazy mac zealots. That stereo type lets you write just about anything. Of course there are some pretty crazy fanboys out there, but there are passionate supporters of many platforms who are just as polarized in their views. Just try reading any game sites where xbox 360 fans get onto the comments or forums. Ironically those who believe they are defending Apple are just perpetrating the myth of the religious mac user which in turn reinforces the skeptics who think Apple is just a company for fanatics. But I digress. If Apple was running into financial difficulties, or if iPods, iPhone and macs weren’t selling at record levels then a few hiccups might be something to worry about, but the events of July were really the first relatively major hiccups Apple has made for quite some time and in the grand scheme of things they’re not really that major. Mobile me has been mostly sorted out, the iPhone software updates continue to improve the iPhone bugs and the App store is a massive success. iPhones are selling in record numbers, Macs look set for another record quarter and the company is making in roads into markets previously thought to be out of reach. Hardly the signs of a company “flailing at the edges”. But then again, I’m just a crazy fanboy.