– Why are the mainstream tech media and most market analysts so blatantly jealous of Apple?
– What has Apple done to them other than make great products which improve the lives of millions of people around the world?
– What has Apple done to them other than lead the world in technology innovation; forcing all the other habitually lazy and brain-dead tech companies to raise their own bars?
– What has Apple done to them other than build an incredibly successful business which creates jobs?
– Why are they compelled to recklessly guide ignorant readers towards pain and suffering resulting from buying half-baked copycats?
– Are they all being paid by these other companies [“journalism as advertisement”], and if so should there not be proper disclosure?
– Why would anyone with a shred of credibility be compelled to advocate for wholly un-original thinking / products predominately drawn through intellectual property theft?
– How can they so blatantly compromise journalistic integrity by consistently manipulating facts in favor of so-called “competition”?
– Why do they consistently skew facts and statistics in an attempt to portray Apple products less favorably?
– Why can’t they just be honest and call out Android the being the unrefined, derivative plagiarism that it is… AT LEAST relative to the Apple originals?
– How can they possibly justify repeated casual use of “absurd correlations of equivalence” with statements such as “…as with the iPad, GalaxyTab and similar products.”
– Why do they regularly ignore profit comparisons (i.e. “business success”) in favor of highlighting channel-thrus resulting PREDOMINANTLY from price-slashing, rebates and buy-1-get-1-free offers?
The iPhone and iPad rightfully deserve to own these markets in manner similar to the iPod. Sorry, diluted Stuart Smiley “I’m good enough” failures, but Apple has built better products and a better business model and therefore in the present context “Wins.” Go see your quack therapist, get over it, and accept reality. It will be better for you and your readers/investor clients if you live in fact.
What do you think?
You ARE right. Mere jealousy and pay off from other tech companies. However, on long run, they LOSE
The loss of real journalism is my guess.
It’s because most people in the media can’t do something productive. It’s not just tech media either; sports media types are jealous of sports stars, business media are jealous of successful investors, auto media types are jealous of car designers.
In journalism school, you’re taught that you need some kind of controversy, some tragedy, some injustice, in order for something to be “news.” If it’s just a feel-good story (like “Gee, look how wonderful the iPad is!”), your editor will circular file it because “it’s not news.”
Most journalists also have some kind of inferiority complex — they feel they’re better than those they write about, or that they know the best way to get something done because they are informed on the subject. So they have to bash those who do things because the media can’t do anything itself.
So why does Apple get bashed and others not so much? Because Apple is a leader, Apple innovates, Apple takes chances and is right about its products 95% of the time (and when Apple is wrong or misses the mark, like with Ping or the Cube, the media will never let it die). So the media has to portray Apple as having some faults, some problems, some injustice (“iOS isn’t an ‘open’ system!”) in order to justify their rants and column space.
Because they make a living going through the jungle of choices and options and telling you which one is the best for you to use.
When the mp3 market was emerging, tech writers were hovering over their keyboard getting ready to write story after story about which ones had this feature and that price, which one was new, and the only way to make since of the whole thing was to read their article.
“Just pick the iPod” You can’t write story after story about that!
Now all they have to write about is how Apple is making the best device, again.
Everybody already knows that. And that pisses them off!
I think in many cases it’s because they never got to write that story they were all ready to write back in 1996 – the end of Apple, or its sale to some other entity. They were a part of companies that had invested in Microsoft, and they were convinced that Apple’s “whole widget” model had to fail, and serve anyone right who had gone with Apple.
The next part is that most journalists are never as well versed in technology as the average viewer of the average tech blog (present company excluded, because this crowd at MDN is not average), even journalists that write about technology-which means they are fairly ignorant of who did what first and who copied who in this business. And if they are not, then yes, there is probably pressure from superiors to be even handed in their coverage, even when i means including some of the worst products from two-bit players.
And, perhaps the “hit whore” factor plays a great part in this as well. Negative Apple press always gets your site some extra hits. MDN warns us to “think before we click”, and for good reason. Outrage sells these days, in politics, journalism, entertainment and elsewhere.
Stupid opinions generate friction.
Friction generates hits.
Hits generate revenue.
Pageviews rule the monetized web.
Another dynamic for which you can thank Google.
– Why are the mainstream tech media and most market analysts so blatantly jealous of Apple?
Because they are dumb.
– What has Apple done to them other than make great products which improve the lives of millions of people around the world?
Nothing. Those other companies are dumb.
– What has Apple done to them other than lead the world in technology innovation; forcing all the other habitually lazy and brain-dead tech companies to raise their own bars?
Nothing. Those other companies are dumb.
– What has Apple done to them other than build an incredibly successful business which creates jobs?
Nothing. Those other companies are dumb.
– Why are they compelled to recklessly guide ignorant readers towards pain and suffering resulting from buying half-baked copycats?
Because they are dumb.
– Are they all being paid by these other companies [“journalism as advertisement”], and if so should there not be proper disclosure?
No — they’re just dumb.
– Why would anyone with a shred of credibility be compelled to advocate for wholly un-original thinking / products predominately drawn through intellectual property theft?
I’d say they’re dumb, but they might be getting paid to point people in the wrong direction. That’s financially smart, but ethically-questionable.
– How can they so blatantly compromise journalistic integrity by consistently manipulating facts in favor of so-called “competition”?
I’d say they’re dumb, but they might be getting paid to point people in the wrong direction. That’s financially smart, but ethically-questionable.
– Why do they consistently skew facts and statistics in an attempt to portray Apple products less favorably?
I’d say they’re dumb, but they might be getting paid to point people in the wrong direction. That’s financially smart, but ethically-questionable.
– Why can’t they just be honest and call out Android the being the unrefined, derivative plagiarism that it is… AT LEAST relative to the Apple originals?
I’d say they’re dumb, but they might be getting paid to point people in the wrong direction. That’s financially smart, but ethically-questionable.
– How can they possibly justify repeated casual use of “absurd correlations of equivalence” with statements such as “…as with the iPad, GalaxyTab and similar products.”
I’d say they’re dumb, but they might be getting paid to point people in the wrong direction. That’s financially smart, but ethically-questionable.
– Why do they regularly ignore profit comparisons (i.e. “business success”) in favor of highlighting channel-thrus resulting PREDOMINANTLY from price-slashing, rebates and buy-1-get-1-free offers?
Because they are dumb.
All easy answers 😀
“Methinks thou dost protest too much.”
Apple stands on its own and does not need to be defended by anyone. The company won’t do any better or worse because of paranoiac rants like this.
there are at least three real reasons:
– Apple is definitely arrogant, sometimes even smug. it is certainly secretive. it consistently projects a superiority meme as an integral part of its marketing. all this generates a predictable negative reaction from many people, understandably. so they go after Apple, want to debunk its hype, reveal its flaws, and so on.
– it’s a more entertaining story to write – “fight” “horse race” “shootout” “showdown” etc. – and gets more readers and hits. so they need to promote the competition as credible rivals, even if they are not.
– the level of journalism on the web is generally pathetic. most articles are poorly researched – if at all – top of the head bull sessions. most “analysis” is utterly superficial, with no deep technical expertise. and the self-centered blogs are often “all about me” – personal opinions/values presented as urgently important, if not universal truths.
Try drive a Ferrari and you’ll understand..it’s human nature:(
Many of the reasons that other commenters have listed are pretty much right on the mark. I’d like to add that Apple (and Steve) treats the media like the useful idiots that they are, and I think that pisses them off a bit as well. I love the quote by a Wired Magazine reporter from “The Second Coming of Steve Jobs” (a rag piece of trash, IMO, but I still read it), “He was completely rude and demeaning to someone who was trying to give him a platform so he could look brilliant. I was crying afterwards- not in front of him, thankfully.” These reporters do… not… get… it. Steve does not care how he personally looks to the public. The company’s products, operating philosophy, and innovation says everything that needs to be said. The fact that Steve made poor Mr. Useful Idiot cry says more about the reporter’s self-esteem than anything else. I have to laugh at those who say that Steve is an elitist egomaniac, like it’s a bad thing. Only those with mob mentalities; the types that have to pigeonhole themselves with “social” labels in the eyes of their “peers”; would equate something like supreme self-worth and confidence with egomania. Whining maggots.
The “media” is a joke, and are only good for one thing. Unfortunately, only Apple and Steve can bring it out in them. All others cow-tow like the automatons that they are.
The vast majority of people still use PCs and are still simply completely ignorant of everything the Mac ecosystem offers. That includes most journalists as well.
The iPad is going to change all that.
I really believe it is the tipping point. I’m completely dumbfounded by how many die-hard PC-wonks I know have gone out and bought an iPad. It is truly amazing.
The mainstream corporate world uses windows.
Most people are insecure creatures of habit.
They don’t know how to think different and anything different or fresh is a threat to them.
It shows them up for their ‘monkey say monkey do’ narrow minds.
It’s just the quest for balanced reporting.
Mention iPad and you have to say Samsung whatever it’s called in the same breath.
No piece on iPhone can be published without a shout out to Android.
Apple’s proprietary OS must be compared to Google or Microsoft’s open OS, completely ignoring the fact that neither Google nor Microsoft have a truly open OS and Apple’s OS is based upon open source Unix.
Remember the good old days when it was fun to bash Microsoft’s evil empire? Now it’s Apple’s turn. Thing is, Microsoft deserved it’s treatment, Apple doesn’t. Google is the new Microsoft, not Apple.
You actually think the press is fair?
There is little fairness in our “mainstream ” press.
Show me a fair press and I’ll show you unicorns.
They have insulted and dismissed Apple for so long that they can’t say anything else without hurting their pride. To actually admit Apple is a success is to admit that they were wrong.
Totally agree with bizlaw. It is the same with film critics. They are not able to create anything, just consume what others produced. Their pitiful existence is translated directly into pitiful articles.
“The mainstream corporate world uses windows. Most people are insecure creatures of habit.”
Yup. To put it a little more strongly, it is VERY hard for most people to admit, “I’ve been a pea-brained, narrow-minded ass for the last — years.” Even so, more and more are admitting it all the time.
..not hard to figure, same reason the Roman Catholic Church put Galileo under house arrest. same reason federal government tried to deport John Lennon, same reason Leonardo had to write his research notes in mirror-image…mediocre minds have only their ability to connive against, distort and smear those who produce excellence, the answer is always the same: fear.
Most people including business leaders who should know better don’t understand the difference between price and value. I recently sat down with the owner of a successful medium size company to review products’ photos. We wasted about one fourth of our time waiting for his Dell crapslab to produce images that I had ready almost instantly. He commented about how much better my MBP was at handling images and opined that it is too bad that they are so expensive. Evidently his time (and his customers’ time) has no value. He is a smart guy but he doesn’t get it.
it is true, they do portray Apple and its products in a negative light. Android sends your text messages meant for your girlfriend to your mother and that is accepted as normal. iPhone forgets to wake you up for three days and the world, according to the tech writers, is coming to an end. Bunch of cfuktards really.
I think a lot of them (along with many non-journalists) “psychologically” bet against Apple during the 1990’s, writing and saying how Apple was doomed; many of them were probably in high school or college. They may have even ridiculed Mac-using friends and colleagues, who stayed loyal to Apple (even through the bad ol’ days). They are mentally invested in being anti-Apple.
NOW, they are too embarrassed to admit how absolutely wrong they were… Apple is now a $300 BILLION company and the constant center of attention in the tech world. It just drives them crazy.
@DeltaNick,
“Show me a fair press and I’ll show you unicorns.”
That is just unfair, I really wanted to see the unicorns.
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I think Leo Laporte tells all his cronies to tell all their cronies to talk up Android and talk down Apple. He’s such a phony.
“Journalists” (& I use the word very loosely) are most used to being required to “put out”.
The boss says “I need an article every 2 days” or “every week”. Doing a thoughtful, researched, accurate & relevant article takes a lot of time.
Hence, it it my firm belief that a lot of the “Tech News” and “Tech Comments Articles” and “Product Comparisons” are thrown together about 10PM before the 6am due time.
That means probably 80%+ of all tech stuff is “borrowed”, “cloned” or “lifted from the people who do the hard work and then a massaging of the adjectives and adverbs makes it look like the “journalist” or “tech blogger” actually did a seriously worked up article. In fact, I suspect serious copying is the basis for most articles (4 out of 5 to be specific).
Prove me wrong.