Why Apple Fans Hate Tech Reporters

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I think a very fair question to ask a tech columnist who tells you "I dont claim to be objective" is:
"ok, what are your biases?" - you know, just to see if they are only managing to admit a small degree of general fallibility, or are actually aware of something they are being biased about.

In other words, its easy to say "of course im not perfectly fair...." but a little harder to say "yes, I know I am attracted to the shine and battery life of a new macbook and dont need to benchmark it in crysis to know that I prefer it."
For example.

If a journalist admits they are not fair, but at the same time doesn't think they have any specific biases - thats a little curious.

Tuan, dont take this the wrong way, I actually thought your article where you found some pc's that were specced better than macs (for far less) was pretty even-handed. (Or at least as even handed as could be expected when comparing apples and oranges like specs and price vs looks and battery life.)
 
I have absolutely no problem with Mac fans as long as they don't bring up absolute fabrications about there computers. For example "Macs are more secure" or "Macs are more stable." If you want to tell me you like Mac because you personally like it better than any other OS then I can absolutely respect that.
 
[citation][nom]MDillenbeck[/nom]Nice article except for this opening. When saying "a select few", are you counting all the other users that rated the comments thumbs up or all the users that decide not to comment with "+1" or "me too"?[/citation]

When saying a select few he's talking about the actually very small percentage of people who register and/or comment at all.
 
I've noticed this Tuan. In the weeks leading up to the iPad, we were bombarded with ridiculous articles about how amazing the device was by pundits that had never even touched it(not talking about this site btw). It was really getting to the point of obnoxiousness. But as soon as an article that didn't praise the iPad as the work of God himself, hoards of Zealots would rush in slamming the author, or the entire site for being on "M$ payroll" or something of the likes.

I think it would be really fascinating to study the psychology of Apple zealots. They show remarkable symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome, and Apple is their captor.
 
A few years back I met the father of a girl I was dating; he was an crazy, long haired, ex-hippie Mac psycho. At the time I was just beginning my IT career, and my experience was limited to PC. Within minutes of meeting he laid into me with a "Macs are better than PC" rant that left me feeling rather insulted. As I mentioned, I was a greenhorn, and lacked the knowledge to hit back with a rant of my own. At the time I knew nothing of Apple machines.

It is that "in your face", aggrandizing, voracious fervor that makes the entire Apple corps so unappealing.
 
"Hallelujah, the Mac Is Back."
Well what kind of krazy person could see a bias in something as obviously impartial as that? :)

But seriously, the zealots from both sides really drive me up the wall!
Apple does drop the ball now and then, but also produces some of the most brilliant stuff around.

And hey, don't bash making decisions based on emotion. The most effective way to handle complex decisions is to browse through the facts, then let your subconscious sort them out.
 
THIS ARTICLE IS SO BIASED!! Just kidding :)

On a serious note though, I think it is 100% legitmate to point this out. However I also think it is NOT legitimate to say that if anyone says an article is biased that they are being unreasonable.

First - The Mossberg review that was referenced. It was SUPPOSED to be biased, it was a review - inherently an opinion. News is NOT supposse to be biased.

My 2 cents - Toms Hardware has become one of the most biased news reporting sites I've read, particularly when it comes to Apple. Nearly every story has a snarky connotation, from "Apple promised to have the iPad launch internationally"... "well too bad!" to titles that say "Steve Jobs Smoke & Mirros" to "5 laptops that destroy the Macbooks"

These are all absolutely biased, and often innaccurate. Apple never promised, it stated. Steve Jobs responded with a 2 sentence summary of why they opted for (the clearly advertised) Core 2 Duos in the Macbooks, and all of the sudden he is using smoke & mirrors? That's highly debatable. And 5 laptops that 'destroy' the Macbook Pro? That is certainly true by specifications, but nowadays, that's only one factor when purchasing a computer, and as such is higly debatle - and thus biased.

I have no problem with those opinions, I'd love to read them in articles, but if you are trying to post this to claim your news is not biased unless you are an unreasonable fan boy, you are delirious. These would be more appropriate headlines/phrasings:

"Apple originally stated the iPad would be available for international launch at the end of April, but has now changed the launch to May due to supply issues. Apple says supply cannot keep up with demand, some rumors claim this may be due in large part to supply chain issues [link]." Using the term promise inherently implies a broken promise, which besides being inaccurate, is also negatively biased.

Or, "Steve Jobs comments on Core2Duo's in Macbooks" - objective... is it smoke and mirrors? Maybe - but let the readers decide, or write an opinion piece. Smoke and Mirrors on a product claim is absolutely a biased statement.

"5 Laptops that offer higher performance for less than a Macbook" - is (1) more objective and (2) more specific - generalizations of "good" or "bad" or always biased. Don't tell me that you don't think using "destroys" is a little biased? Besides the fact that it is a broad term applied to only one part of a laptop (the benchmarks of internal hardware - which have little affect on many consumers), it also does not take into account things like Operating System speed and efficiency. You posted an article detailing Windows 7 VS Snow Leopard showing Snow Leopard to be the fastest operating system some time back... this might be worth mentioning as the platform a system runs on is a big part of the equation, both hardware/benchmark wise but also as part of a computing platform. This is about as conducive as writing an article that says "Windows destroys OSX" - that's certainly an opinion and not news story language. Be specific.

Clearly I am not suggesting you don't report news from both sides are that you are anti-this or anti-that. Obviously, you posted an article showing Snow Leopard to be faster than Windows in many benchmarks. My point is only to say that recently, the number of snarky articles/phrasing has really increased, particularly with a biased negativity towards Apple.

Ironically, this has been from Marcus Yam, who was originally crucified on these boards as an Apple fanboy, and an article had to be posted on this. Now it seems as if in defense, he needs to post every Apple article with a dash of negativity so as to avoid be ripped apart here. How about just posting the news objectively? I am seriously sick of reading news articles that are clearly written with a dash of negative sarcasm or snakiness. It's highly unprofessional. Let the readers and commentators be the snarky and biased ones.
 
This is something like I would post but only better written except the opposite of opinion. To be honest I am SICK of the apple crap and the apple fan boys or at least some of them would agree to this. These articles are not only annoying but out right irritating. It goes from licking that apple boot to being a full flip flop and about face. I hate apple as much as I hate microsoft and I loathe both.

Time for something new for a change wouldn't you agree...
 
Best article ever written on this site that has anything to do with the mac/pc "debate". Yes, i put " " around debate because in reality it is anything but.

Personally, this article details the primary reason me and pretty much everyone i know HATE, and yes, use that word full on, HATE the Apple flock. It is because they go beyond fanboism to a religious level. I have no issues with Apple's products, some of them are quite good. I own an ipod nano for example. I also have no issues giving credit where credit is due. I.E. That for video and picture editing, MACs are quite good.

What i do have issue with is how Apple runs as a company in regards to advertisement, and how their fans also carry themselves.

I wasn't at all surprised to read that the guy who wrote the pro mac article got more complaints from mac users than pc people about the article. It really sums up quite nicely the average mac afficionado's complete lack of ability for rational or logical thought.

IMO when a company can't or doesnt advertise its products based on the merits of its product, and instead tries to debase their competition in a sad appeal to elitism, they've gone on my blacklist o hatred.
 
"The only person both sides will agree to hate is the person who tries to compromise".

And don't forget Macs are status symbols more than anything else, so owners get defensive when you claim their "trophy" is less than gold. It would be the same if you went to the Ferarri owners club and said the F430 had too harsh of a ride for streets (which it does according to Top Gear)...they'd jump down your throat.

I wouldn't hate Apple products so much if their little "we're better than you because we like Apple and Apple products are PERFECT" fanboi club would go to hell.
 
I see this in a much easier sense.

People who love their Macs are insecure.

You say one negative thing, even if it's minor, they act like an insecure person and immediately defend themselves.

It's as simple as that, and I didn't spend millions on studies. :)

Again, I have many Macs, I'm just not dumb enough to buy them new! And I like myself. So I use PC's almost exclusively. With Linux, except for gaming. Yeah, I know, I'm perfect. :)
 
No one can deny that apple supporters are some of the most fervent in their arguments. They even put Playslaves and Xbots to shame with their ability to bash people in THEIR FAVOR. The reason for that, though, in my opinion, is Steve Jobs himself. Everyone's succeptible to the power of suggestion, especially when that suggestion comes from the media. So if they're a huge fan of something, and they see that something's creator doing "anything." They want to imitate because they think he's cool for creating their favorite thing.

Like dad buys a girl a new puppy and she loves her puppy more than anything in the world. Dad and daughter suddenly are on better terms than they've ever been and they're best friends. Then dad starts bashing homos. What is the little girl gonna think? "Man, I hate homos." Why? Because her friend, and the person who bought her such a cute, innocent, and lovable puppy is not a fan of gay people.

It's the same deal with apple and its fans. Apple spends almost 10 times more ad space bashing other companies than advertising its own products. Steve Jobs himself goes into press conferences to spend more time talking about how google is evil and adobe is the source of all computer problems in the world, than to talk about his newest product. Every apple products comes standard with the "I'mBetterThanYou" lack of compatibility with almost "every" other technology company. If it's not from apple, you shouldn't be using it. Or at least that's what they tell their customers.

So coming from a company that spends more time than any other company spreading hatred and zeal, is it so surprising to see that their followers are spreading hatred and zeal as well?

As for me, I don't advocate apple or windows, but I have trouble bringing myself to buy a product built out of parts several years old, (i.e. the core 2 duos standard on the imacs that they're selling on their site "right now"), that provide much less performance (and speed), for a 30-70% markup over comparable brands. Even their ipads (though I will admit are niftier and would be better for watching videos and movies because of the screen) provide a DOWNGRADE in performance from the standard netbook, and are priced at MORE THAN a 100% markup. For the cheapest version. That's the only reason I don't buy apple's products. And from "anybody's" standpoint. (except the brainwashed, of course) That's a BIG reason. And an objective comparison, too.
 
I don't generally find articles about Apple unbalanced. What I do find is that their sheer number is in gross disproportion to Apple's market share.
 
Everyone hates fanboys. But everyone also hates stereotyping.

There are many intelligent and reasonable people who support Apple, along with intelligent arguments and reasoning behind Apple's products and business model. I totally get people who dislike it, but it's unreasonable to stereotype people who appreciate Apple as being blind fanboys. I think Apple makes better hardware and software for most users (key: most users) than the large majority of other computer hardware and software companies. I fully realize the negatives that come with Apple - price premium and more limitations, a longer wait for features. But everything is a give and take.

When everyone everywhere just calms down and can speak rationally (ie "Macs don't fit my needs and I personally would not buy one because I value speed over XXXX" or "PCs don't fit my needs because I would rather pay more for XXXX since I don't need extra speed" - or whatever, I think everyone will get along better. Fanboys and elitists on either side will ALWAYS be obnoxious. But the majority does not fall into that category.

I would simply like to see objective news reports.
 
just stick with the facts tom's... benchmarks, hw info etc... no opinion pieces please...

on this topic though, there is something that keeps some people from admitting the truth. they'd almost rather rant about something blindly, than actually understand the truth behind it. it's all blurting out opinion without putting any real thought into it. maybe it's some form of therapy they choose, maybe its a fear of ever being wrong, but whatever it is... it really gets under my skin when people try slinging their opinionated rants as facts...
 
I don't generally find articles about Apple unbalanced. What I do find is that their sheer number is in gross disproportion to Apple's market share.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how accurate this is. Speaking of overall market share, very recently:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/gadgetreviews/?p=13904

But it's also worth noting that this is all inclusive - long established window's businesses, servers, etc. Among the consumer market space, Apple's market share is much higher and growing rapidly. They also have the largest market share in smartphones and are on the road to becoming a major player in tablet computing (like it or not - that's a different topic). Further, they are the fastest growing tech/computer company out there, gaining market share more rapidly than any other company. Finally, they are hugely influential in the computing space nowadays, both on consumer perception and hardware/software design - not to mention advertising.

To me, happenings with Apple are certainly newsworthy. They are a major and highly influential player; I'd like to be up to date on the news (negative or positive) - I just want to see both issues presented without bias and personal preferences (IE, I don't want to see "Apple today released the most amazing tablet ever, the beautiful iPad" - but I also do not want to see "Apple released a joke of a device today, using smoke and mirrors to position a feminine product to fanboys" ... both are equally annoying.)

Like JSM6746 said - just the facts, toms. At least in the news reports. It's starting to look like a blog.
 
Look, there are some issues that are simply black and white. Abortion, religion, gay marriage, Holocaust denial, Macs and PCs... if you are neutral about any of these issues, then you're being intellectually dishonest or simply uninformed. PCs and Macs are complete opposites in every way and you can't have an interest in computing and like both. (actually you can, but then you're an idiot)
If Macs gain a high market share, it will ruin the IT industry with one company controlling both hardware and software and then you'll be looking at Macs for $2000 as the good old days.
 
[citation][nom]dannyaa[/nom]I'm not sure how accurate this is. Speaking of overall market share, very recently:http://blogs.zdnet.com/gadgetreviews/?p=13904[/citation]

8% of the US market share is not that much. The total population of the US is 5% of the World's population and you can bet Macs don't have a 8% market share in China, Korea, Japan and most of Europe.
 
[citation][nom]killerclick[/nom]if you are neutral about any of these issues, then you're being intellectually dishonest or simply uninformed. PCs and Macs are complete opposites in every way and you can't have an interest in computing and like both. (actually you can, but then you're an idiot)[/citation]

Funny how you think you can judge someone's intelligence. What makes you that much superior, the fact that you are unable to look at a subject imparcially? I've used PCs all my life but I would definitly get a Mac if their pricing wasn't so unfriendly. Oh well maybe I'm an idiot for not being either one of Tom's angry people who blidly flame Apple everyday or one of Apple's fanatic fanboys.

[citation][nom]killerclick[/nom]If Macs gain a high market share, it will ruin the IT industry with one company controlling both hardware and software and then you'll be looking at Macs for $2000 as the good old days.[/citation]

What the hell are you talking about? If they got market share they would end Microsoft's monopoly. How about two big players in the market instead of one, hello? Do you even realise the number of new technologies that the AMD vs NVidia is bringing us so fast? Do you know why is that? It's because of COMPETITION, one trying to beat the other. If Apple gained significant market share maybe we would have that in operating systems too. Software being back to keeping the pace with hardware, anyone?
 
Wow very good article 2 thumbs up on this. I have been coming to toms since the early days back when Dr tom was scared for his life because he had either done something to a PII 233 CPU & was scared Intel was going to sue him,I remember that article I do wonder if it is still somewhere on this site. It would be a good read for sure.
 
99% would probably think im bashing apple any time, and it might be true, but when the iphone came out, i thought bah its just another apple hype. I changed my opinion after seeing one and when my brother had one. It remains the only item that I would say i would buy from apple, but like many others, i can not accept the fact that I would be locked with such a product, some of the things that I know i couldnt stand even my brother got very frustrated with.

To this day, i cant understand why apple wont let you build your own system and let more competition go? why not have a few select "certified" devices or work with them and certify them over time, and maybe let the public beta test the few select...

I know the answers to these questions, but it bugs me to think that you cant build your own system from a few competitors hardware seriously how many motherboard, cpu, gpu main players are there?

I know people would still bash them for having a limited supply but it would be a step forward... it doesnt make any sense at all for apple to try any form of gimic that the mac is so special on the inside, its not its using the same parts be it selected as a PC, and the fact proves that you can run a windows OS on it...

seeing that apple might move to amd or open up, only proves the point, i would really hate to see amd inside and pay the same price as having some of the intel chips...

the whole flash/adobe thing is quite amusing i cant wait to see how this turns out btw
 
I started out programming on Mac 2E's and later bought a Mac Plus, even though I had a faster PC, just to see what the hype was all about.

I enjoyed the little Plus as it was a great machine for work, and was small and light.

Back in the early days of Windows the MAC GUI was clearly superior, and much more stable.

Unfortunately as a gamer the PC was the way to go, and software was ported / written to that platform in much greater volume.

While the Apple community might be smaller it is clearly a vocal one, and an intelligent one as well.

I have several friends with high end Macs, and they tend to be high paid academics, writers, and generally those who live for the written word.

When they shell out a lot for their machine they therefore have a significant amount of cognitive dissonance to "dissolve" ... hence your answer.

The much lower likelihood of virus and malware infections on an Apple based machine is also something we all envy.

Nice article Tuan.
 
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