glu wrote:If i spent over grand on a computer, it better the hell work as it should!
I am lucky to have held off this long. No trigger pulling this year
I do see myself getting a macbook once things get settled, and I am sure apple is working day and night for this- for their customers, and for their MACreputation, so it is only a matter of time.
Unfortunately, Apple doesn't much care about it's customers... at least in my experience.
Perfect example is what recently happened with the iPods.
For many years, the single biggest feature request for Apple's iPods has been Gapless Playback. Gapless Playback, for those who do not know, is the ability for the iPod to play a continuous CD without any audible space between the tracks. This is an essential feature for DJ mixed CDs, live recordings, classical music, or any music which plays continuously.
For years, the iPod users have been forced to rip their mixed CDs as a single, long audio file. This single file could be played without adding the audible spaces, however you lost the ability to see track information and quickly skip between tracks.
Some time ago, third-party companies began producing firmware which could be installed on iPods to essentially hack them and add features. Some examples of third-party firmware include iPod Linux and RockBox.
These third-party firmwares added many features, among which Gapless Playback was included. So, this fact proved that there were not any hardware limitations which prevented the iPod from playing music gaplessly. It was simply that Apple needed to update the firmware to include that feature.
iPod users eventually learned of these third-party firmware solutions, and increasingly hounded Apple for them to add the gapless playback feature with their own firmware update. "If these other guys can do it, why can't Apple??? Right???'
Anyway, a few weeks ago.... Steve Jobs announces upgraded version of iTunes, and some new iPods and iPod Nanos. One of the more talked about features added was.... you guessed it... Gapless Playback. Steve specifically said that it was their most asked-for feature.
Sure enough, along with the new iTunes software came updated firmware for iPods. All of us iPod owners who have been waiting for Gapless quickly downloaded the new firmware and installed.... thinking to ourselves... FINALLY!!!
Unfortunately, we quickly discovered that the upgraded firmware did not give Gapless Playback to older iPods like the 4th generation iPod Photo. No... in fact, Gapless Playback only works on new iPods. 5th Generation video, or 2nd Generation Nanos.
So why would Apple do this? The first answer someone may give is that the older iPods must have some hardware limitation which prevents gapless playback. But that can't be true... because I could install RockBox on that 4th Generation iPod, and it will play gapless.
So, if there isn't any hardware limitation for the older iPods... why would Apple not give them the feature?
Simple answer..... because they want people to buy newer iPods to get the feature. What does Apple gain from adding a feature to an older iPod? Nothing. They get a customer who is happier with his older purchase, but that doesn't benefit Apple in the short-term... because that person will just keep that old iPod longer.
So.... it is clear that Apple has decided to screw over its customers. In particular, they decided to screw the very people who begged for years for this feature.
Of course, the threads began flying at the Apple Discussion boards over this issue. Loads of unhappy iPod owners all feeling let-down by Apple. Why would the company they have been so loyal to treat them like this?
What was Apple's response to the threads in the message board about gapless playback? Their mods deleted them. Every last one. Every mention of the new firmware only working on new iPods, erased. Obviously, Apple was getting a bit nervous about all these people who knew what they were up to.... and wanted to run damage control before more people learned about it.
So.... I'm afraid I won't be convinced that Apple realy cares one ounce about it's customers. They only care about the prospects. This is, of course, a very short-sighted business practice..... but it is the only explanation for what is happening.
