– 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.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
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.
2 words – hit whores.
Look at how riled up the Mac Masses get at a negative (usually undeservedly so) article.
@dd
Thank you for making me laugh! (because they are dumb) 😀
In Australia it’s called the “Tall Poppy” syndrome. The tallest poppy gets cut back to the height of the others. Apple being the tallest er… poppy of them all.
Many people hate others success.
I like Oscar Wilde’s take. “Better to be talked about badly than not to be talked about at all” (approximate quote)
Even the Apple bashers are still talking about…. ta dah!! Apple!
Most Mac products are not made for geeks and the geek community cannot stand buying a device without the ability to “modify” it therefore, they hate the product without having to experience it. Somehow refusal by the “tech” community gives tech writers permission to trash products. Apple really attempts to create products “for the rest of us”. Observe the acceptance or the iPad by the non tech world. It galls me when someone says when they see my iPad “it’s just a big iPhone or a nice toy”. As a professional photographer I’ve used Macs exclusively since the 70’s because I needed a tool. Not to use a computer but to get the job done!
I really think the whole anti-Apple stems from people who really wanted to buy Apple products when they were young, but could not afford it and thus became bitter towards Apple. I paid over $5500 for a Mac Quadra 800 system in the early ’90s as a college student, which was hugely expensive even by today’s standards. Every year computers get faster and cheaper, but Apple maintains it’s profit margin – and that pisses the cheapskates off royal.
Joe Architect is absolutely right on the money. As to why the mainstream “experts” hate Apple, I’m as baffled as the next guy. If you ask me, the whole country has gone stark raving mad and stupid, fake journalism is just one of innumerable examples one can present to prove the point.
@John E
… “Apple is definitely arrogant, sometimes even smug. it is certainly secretive. it consistently projects a superiority meme as an integral part of its marketing. “
I’ll accept your judgment if you can provide and illustrate numerous instances of “DEFINITELY” being arrogant and sometimes even smug.
Can you actually can demonstrate and substantiate that Apple is “DEFINITELY” arrogant?
Can you truly demonstrate and substantiate that Apple is sometimes smug?
Not that this really counts too much as they have a right to be smug sometimes!
Have you thought this through fully, there as various reasons why Apple might appear “DEFINITELY” arrogant as there are reasons you have failed to decipher and comprehend them. It seems that you want the Apple Inc. to spell out their strategies to you.
To be justifiable you need to show a sustained track record … una hirundo non facit ver
Apple has ALWAYS marched to the beat of a “think different” drummer & MAINSTREAM people LOATH anybody who dares to do that.
Apple does not play by the rules, they redefine the rules.
I think, therefore I use Apple products.
Change is painful and hard to face (“Who stole my cheese”). Apple’s growth into the preeminent tech company, supplanting the Microsoft hegemony is painful because, tech pundits are finding out that they’ve hooked their career wagons to declining star.
On top of that, journalist grads have come out of college with a ridiculous world view that “equality” trumps everything. They must find some equivalency and value in all things. If it doesn’t exist, they will do back flips to create it. At least with Macs were $4K vs a $2K PC they point to price as big PC advantage (which excused a lot of blind eyes in regards to quality and total cost of ownership). Now with Apple selling iPads for less than any second rate copycat, that rug has been pulled out from under them. There world is topsy turvey and they blame Apple for their confusion and consternation.
Other than that, I haven’t got a clue.
@skylark – you serious? constantly claiming without qualification that one’s products are “the best” is textbook arrogance. Apple’s products are often best from various perspectives, sure, but no one company or product or person on earth is always the best. and no one perspective captures all truths. sometimes and someways the other guys are better. not much humility at Apple, the opposite of arrogance. instead constant referrals to “amazing!” and other rhetorical superlatives for anything Apple, while very dismissive of competing ideas and products (like calling 7″ tablets “DOA”), if not outright condescending.
Simple:
Tech Media folk need something shiny and new to talk about each and every day to achieve web clicks and people hearing about the latest this or that.
Apple does not provide a daily meal for magazines and tech writers. If Apple dominates it does the tech journalist world no good. They starve for news, so they pump up anything they can as intriguing or great, bla, bla, bla.
They care not about you, just their paycheck and success in keeping suckers coming back for more reviews on garbage.
Mark
T-GAAP.com
@Max
“I like Oscar Wilde’s take. “Better to be talked about badly than not to be talked about at all” (approximate quote)”
Yes!
No other company on the face of the planet get’s the type of constant press coverage that Apple does.
If Apple hiccups, burps or smiles it is news.
If Apple is holding an event it is covered in every national radio and TV newscast and in all major newspapers. The blogs hum like beehives with speculation.
No other company gets that kind of coverage.
Apple makes news everyday. Even CNBC and others who report on financial matters include some comment about Apple daily.
I suppose that for people who don’t like or want to like Apple they are driven to distraction with Apple! Apple! Apple!
It’s not hard to imagine, as others have pointed out, that editors tell reporters you can’t continually just write Apple is great-The End.
So they create the fictional “monster competitor” or the “glitch” in an Apple product.
If Apple didn’t fascinate the planet we would hear very little about it.
Other than perhaps in some remote villages in third world countries or the rainforest almost everyone has heard of Apple.
Here is a test, pick a high school anywhere in the US hold an assembly for all the students.
Tell them that you will be handing out smart cell phones and that if they name the correct company they think makes the best cell phone they will get that cell phone to take home today. Give them each a blank sheet of paper-tell them to write down the name of the company along with their name and address legibly printed just fill it out fold it and hand it in.
What company do you suppose will get named the most by a substantial majority?
Exactly!
I rest my case!
The mainstream tech media and most market analysts aren’t jealous of Apple, they’re just directly and indirectly paid by Microsoft to evangelize the Windows ecosystem while slamming the alternatives.
Oh wait, that was the past. Now they’re receiving incentives from Google as well. Can’t forget that the company of “Do No Evil” has joined in on the fun.
@John E
Are you serious? You say it’s arrogant for Apple to call its products the best, but then you say their products are often the best from various perspectives. So Apple is arrogant for what, being candid?
And they use superlatives like “amazing”? Well, let’s see. They revolutionized personal computers, MP3 players, the way music/tv shows/movies are sold, smartphones, and tablets. Do I even have to mention the impact that Aqua, iMacs, and iPods had(and continue to have!) on pretty much the entire design industry? Before Steve Jobs left, and since after he came back, Apple has had a very solid track record for recognizing it when they have something amazing on their hands. But I guess daring to call something amazing, even when it turns out it really is amazing and goes on to basically change the world, is “arrogant”?
And they’re very dismissive of “competing” ideas and products? Umm… why shouldn’t they be? All the competing ideas and products are just shameless rehashes of Apple’s own ideas and products, warmed over and served badly. The only time that’s ever worked out is when Microsoft backed it up with predatory anti-competitive shenanigans, but now even that’s running out of steam.
So what would you have Apple do? Talk down their own stuff? Feign concern over DOA competition? And you’re calling them arrogant as compared to what, exactly? They’re absolutely humble compared to the likes of Microsoft, Google, RIM, Dell and way too many other companies to list.
@Max: an excellent quote, and a great analogy. Wilde, and the likes of Hunter S. Thompson and Ayn Rand (in most cases) had the bead on the sad human condition. I would also refer you to the Rush song “The Trees” for another example of the tyranny of the “majority.” Good one on you!
Objective journalism (at least from the perspective of what we consider to be objective) is dead. Frankly, I believe most competing reviews are tainted for a variety of reasons:
1) The rag that the journalist writes for is paid to advertise the competing product(s), so the review MUST be favorable;
2) The journalist is a paid shill for the competitor(s), ipso facto, favorable review…;
3) The journalist owns the product and MUST justify his/her purchase favorably;
4) The journalist just plain dislikes Apple, for whatever reason.
As a long-time Apple client (I’ved owned one form or another of Apple’s tremendous Mac line of computers) and a current iPhone4/iPad/iPod user, I decided (long ago) to pay the so-called “premium” to own Apple products because they are, simply put, superior to the drivel of mediocre offerings available. I’ve never regretted my decision, and Apple continues to produce better products. You get what you pay for…
Apple is a movement and that scares people.
Also, Apple is not afraid to call out crappy technology and that pisses off people.
Keep it up Apple.
What?!? My original comment was pulled, and then my comment that my original comment was pulled is pulled?!?
There was NOTHING wrong with my original comment! I have been posting here for years, and have never had a comment pulled. I have OPINION pieces written for MDN. Why are you pulling my comment?
My comment was no different than the one written about Australian “tall poppies”. People don’t like to see others succeed. Why was my example pulled?
‘Success’ for one brings out ‘Jealousy’ in others. This concept is not really too hard to understand.
Wonderful
dining tables furniture
living room table
I have worked in newspapers for 25+ years, and my best guess is that some journalists are bogged down by a “fairness” thing. They bend over backwards to give every one a fair shot. Which is great and understandable for politics, criminal cases, etc. But journalists should also be looking out for us, and if a product is simply superior, PLEASE TELL US. There is no need for political correctness when it comes to me spending my hard-earned dollar. And, folks, Apple is it.
If people are not assured what to select, essay or asia essay, they must ask you, because you do really know how to create the great information.
Delusional people like to think that everybody else is delusional.
At present time men have a good opportunity to use the help of the thesis service , which will create the best doctoral thesis more or less about this post. But I suggest to find the professional buy dissertation service to buy thesis theme at.