[citation][nom]robochump[/nom] I am poud Apple is a US company I was tired of buying all my electronic goods from foreign companies in the 80s & 90s.[/citation]
My dad posed an interesting question a few years back when he was picking out a new vehicle: What's more patriotic, a Chevrolet made in Mexico or a Toyota made in Kansas? So many nationalities are involved with designing and building anything, you can hardly make a claim of patriotism with your shopping these days.
Back on topic, people aren't frustrated with technology companies applying for patents. Rather, we're frustrated with patent trolls that don't have a product for their patent yet still sue, or companies that patent an idea rather than an implementation of a product or part of a product. Patents should exist to protect the inventor's intellectual property, not to feed the lawyers and and spice up the competitive playing field by gambling with the earnings of multiple companies, pitting them against each other in what seems hardly more just than a game of chance.
Previously, I had respect for Apple as a company. I've always preferred not to use their products, because I like options and flexibility (what some would call needless complexity) instead of one choice, but I acknowledged that they were easy for the non-technical consumer to use. But now, Apple disgusts me with their blatant patent trolling and suing over shapes. Instead of thinking "It's not right for me, but it's probably right for others", I'm now leaning closer to "They are abusing the system, and everyone should boycott them to show them it's wrong."