Apple. The most frustrating IT company in the world?

[DSM10000]

My answer to OP's question (is Apple the most frustrating IT company in the world?) is YES. I could write a book about the problems with an Apple computer , an Ipad and Apple's so-called customer service.

I know a chap who is head of IT security for a very large and well known bank. He swears by Apple for their security!

 

[optimusprime]

Cousin has all Apple products .Well he did have , but he got rid of his Apple computer, , phones, and his wifes tablet . Stopped them all .He told me not to have any Apple items.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Cousin has all Apple products .Well he did have , but he got rid of his Apple computer, , phones, and his wifes tablet . Stopped them all .He told me not to have any Apple items.

Why so?

 

[optimusprime]

Wellone thing know is all apps are to be purchased

 

[HappytalkAgain]

Wellone thing know is all apps are to be purchased

I doubt I’ve ever paid for an App.

 

[DSM10000]

I doubt I’ve ever paid for an App.

I didn't understand it either!

 

[HappytalkAgain]

I didn't understand it either!

Who said I don’t understand it???

 

[DSM10000]

Who said I don’t understand it???

Don't you start!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Wellone thing know is all apps are to be purchased

Wouldn’t you have to pay for those same apps on Android, Chrome or Windows though?

 

[optimusprime]

No its all free for me .

 

[Dryce]

Apple is fine if you live in the Apple universe.

Android is fine if you live in the Android universe.

Even Microsoft is fine if you just live in the Microsoft universe.

It's crossing between them that causes problems.

For straightforward, no messing there's always P*****Bay

They all want a piece of you in terms of identity and ownership of content and a tie in that means you pay monthly fees and can't ever escape their ecosystem.

Are they fine? I have people telling me all the time that Apple or MS ecosystems are so great. My professional experience of Office 365 has involved several problems and the general pattern is that you have an issue - but no it's not not Microsoft it's you. Nobody around you believes it's not your fault. You try and contact MS and when you get a response it's got to be your fault. You eventually get MS to recognise there is a problem and it gets resolved .... but every body remembers that it was your fault.

My feeling is that during the 90s we saw reliability of software and systems improve. Things plateaued. Now we are seeing a slow decay as the number of inter dependencies and behaviour peculiarities increase.

 

[clk320x]

No its all free for me .

Every single app?

 

[clk320x]

Apple works well as long as you stay within their ‘family’…

I have set up a family iCloud plan - everyones device(s) sync to the Cloud automatically daily - at one point I replaced my phone, logged in on the new one and everything automatically transferred over. You’d never even realise you’d switched phones. Seamless.

The cameras image processing is also top notch on the newer ones, very good service support (many Apple stores all over the place), devices feel incredibly well built and high quality…

 

[HappytalkAgain]

@MancMike would have been all over this thread.

 

[fabes]

Apple is superb if you play by their rules.
Those rules are there to ensure you have a superb user experience (from hardware, accessories, software, ancillaries)

Their rules are too restrictive for me.

Security has to be modified for corporate use, you should buy genuine cables etc but if you do, my families iPhones work faultlessly, the 12.9 iPad Pro foster daughter saved up for (for drawing) is a helluva a piece of kit and airpods are okay (my Sony Link buds are better)

But I like music that isn't on Apple music (though I use AM family plan for streaming), iTunes is horrible, USB C is better and cross device usable (Apple only USBC will probably launch on the 15 to protect the premium experience) and I prefer the ability to use my phone as a media device with folder access.

It's is frustrating, but Tesla, Ferrari and other (all) premium brands are in their own way. Perhaps frustrating is the reflection of premium if you're not on the inside....

 

[HappytalkAgain]

I have a good mate who’s an android user. It’s hilarious to see him so angry at our Apple collection when he visits our house. I couldn’t give 2 hoots what’s in his house so long as he’s happy with it.

 

[Londonscottish]

Apple is fine if you live in the Apple universe.

Android is fine if you live in the Android universe.

Even Microsoft is fine if you just live in the Microsoft universe.

It's crossing between them that causes problems.

For straightforward, no messing there's always P*****Bay

I've narrowed it down to Microsoft (it's always been a no-brainer for work reasons) and Android (mainly Samsung; 4 x phones, some buds and a tablet).

At my last workplace they forced me to use an Apple iPad. The idea was that I would be able to demo stuff that my work produced on it. I find it hard enough to manage two ecosystems let along three. It was a right royal PITA. It's not the first time I've had to enter the Wonderful World of Apple but I sincerely hope it's my last.

I find Apple really irritating on several levels. The overbearing smugness is one. I once went into an Apple store and it was like walking into a Scientology convention. Deeply unsettling. Also, Apple acolytes seem to think nothing of any value is ever developed by anyone except Apple. Deeply irritating. The fact that EVERYTHING seems to be chargeable drives me nuts. Especially you can get most of it free from Google. The fact that you can't plug anything industry-standard into an Apple device is an enormous pain. Well, sometimes you can but only once you've bought an outrageously expensive connector that come free with every other device on the planet.

I've just learnt that, after having been forced by the EU to start using USB-C charging ports, they've hobbled the cables and chargers so that non-Apple ones will only charge at 25%, Guess what, you'll have to buy a whole new set of shiny Apple-branded Apple-only USB-C chargers and cables..........

In case it's not clear, I'm really not a fan.

 

[HappytalkAgain]

I’m pretty much a caveman (builder) when it comes to technology so it’s virtually impossible to have a view either way.

If I had better knowledge of (and needed) these products more I’m sure I’d agree with the non Apple fans. But for my needs I’m more than happy.

 

[st13phil]

My feeling is that during the 90s we saw reliability of software and systems improve. Things plateaued. Now we are seeing a slow decay as the number of inter dependencies and behaviour peculiarities increase.

I don’t think it’s just the increase in the number of inter dependencies and behaviour peculiarities that‘s driven this. My view is that there is now a whole demographic that is tolerant of things not working properly “because it’ll be fixed in the next release”. In other words, the providers of software are responding to the lower expectations of their customer base.

 

[Londonscottish]

Apple is superb if you play by their rules.
Those rules are there to ensure you have a superb user experience (from hardware, accessories, software, ancillaries)

Their rules are too restrictive for me.

Security has to be modified for corporate use, you should buy genuine cables etc but if you do, my families iPhones work faultlessly, the 12.9 iPad Pro foster daughter saved up for (for drawing) is a helluva a piece of kit and airpods are okay (my Sony Link buds are better)

But I like music that isn't on Apple music (though I use AM family plan for streaming), iTunes is horrible, USB C is better and cross device usable (Apple only USBC will probably launch on the 15 to protect the premium experience) and I prefer the ability to use my phone as a media device with folder access.

It's is frustrating, but Tesla, Ferrari and other (all) premium brands are in their own way. Perhaps frustrating is the reflection of premium if you're not on the inside....

I've had an iPod (iTunes was a horrendous experience, utterly shit) which wouldn't connect to my laptop without a £50 connector and even then it wouldn't work until I upgraded my laptop "because Apple". As soon as Spotify arrived, it went in the bin.

My kids had iPad mini's at one point which were over-priced and under-featured and Apple bricked the OS in the end. Gee, thanks Apple.

I had an iPhone 5 which was a pauper model. Tiny screen, hardly any storage which I couldn't expand "because Apple" shit battery life and performance that fell off a cliff after two years. Funny that.....

I had a couple of iPads including a Pro but I generally CBA with any tablets - I find a phone and a laptop server me better at what I actually use them for. I did fall for the Apple Tax and spent $100 on an Apple Pen for the Pro. Which I never used. Went in the bin.

The one Apple device I had which I rated was an iPhone 6. After years of denial, they increased the form factor to make them more like the Androids which had been on the market for years at that point. And the battery, storage and performance were way better that the 5. But still no better than an Android equivalent, more expensive and more restrictive.

At the end of the day I don't care what other people use; I just don't want to have any Apple stuff. The way you're locked in and restricted is not for me. There are worse problems in the world but I really don't want to play that game and have to pay for the "privilege"