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Minority Report: The 10 worst things about Apple
Arrogant, litigious, lunatic...

By Seb Janacek

Published: Monday 05 February 2007

Despite the desirable, good-looking products, Apple often manages to put more than a few noses out of joint. Today Seb Janacek looks at the most common complaints about the Mac maker.

Much like Marmite, people seem to either love or hate Apple. In the time silicon.com has been reporting on the company, the comments received on Apple-related stories are always the most animated and the most polarised in their views.

In a two-part column, Seb Janacek will look at the best and worst aspects of Apple - as inspired by years of reading silicon.com and forum feedback on the company.

Here we begin with the 10 worst things about Apple. We'll be bringing the 10 best things about the Cupertino company in part-two of the series, so stay tuned.

So running from one to 10 in no particular order and aggregated through no scientific method whatsoever...

1. The 'reality distortion field'

The infamous 'reality distortion field' refers to Steve Jobs' ability to work onlookers into a frenzy of excitement over the most ordinary of products. Jobs' usual line, that no one does it better than Apple, is all-pervasive in its marketing.

However, it's no secret many of the innovations Jobs swoons over in his keynotes are already embodied in other technologies. And sometimes the endless, effusive claims of "revolutionary" or "super-cool" products just start to grate. Example: "This is the most beautiful bottom of a computer I've ever seen," he purred at the 2002 launch of the 'anglepoise' G4 iMac.

2. The iPod

The best selling MP3 player has taken on iconic status ever since it was first launched in 2001 and today dominates the market, easily seeing off the latest challenge from the Microsoft Zune with a record-breaking quarter of sales.

But the device has long been dogged by accusations of dodgy battery life, defective mechanics, easily scratched or cracked screens and a general lack of longevity. Most of the silicon.com editorial team have got through at least one iPod each.

It's probably best not to mention the alleged worker abuses at the company's factories. And given their ubiquitous nature, the once cool white earbuds are now distinctly run-of-the-mill.

3. Style over substance

The translucent Bondi Blue iMac initiated Apple's much-trumpeted departure from the Beige Brigade and a return to good times for the struggling company. The criticisms of style over substance and form over function have followed the company ever since.

Certainly since the company upgraded to Intel chips and left the slower G4 and G5 chips behind, Macs have gained parity in the MHz wars with Wintel machines. However, the old arguments persist over why a consumer should buy Apple kit at 'premium' prices when you can pick up an equivalent spec Dell at half the price.

4. The iPhone

Some say the latest device to come out of Cupertino is a classic example of 1 and 3. It's a phone that does email, web browsing and plays music. "Three revolutionary products in one," Jobs said to the San Francisco Macworld attendees last month.

It's pretty and it has an innovative interface but a clutch of mobile devices have been offering the same services for the last year or so at a fraction of the price. And it doesn't arrive for another six months or so. And when it does there will be just one operator to choose from. The latest example of Steve Jobs snake oil?

5. Arrogance

Even its fans would have to admit that Apple can often come across as a pretty arrogant company. For instance: announcing the iPhone on a worldwide stage when the trademark to that name is owned by Cisco. Openly scorning Vista at its last developer conference. Jobs putting the Mac clones out of business by demanding much higher royalties.

And let's not forget regularly refusing to comment on most articles other than those that relate to its product launches - a particular frustration to tech journalists.

6. Litigation, litigation, litigation

For a company that can appear so friendly, Apple certainly does take a lot of legal action - even against those who are perhaps its most loyal fans: people who run rumour sites and write blogs.

The world will not soon forget how back in 2004 the company took legal action against rumour site Think Secret for disclosing software and hardware details, and filed a series of lawsuits against a number of (unknown) individuals for disclosing company secrets about an unreleased product called 'Asteroid'.

Its recent moves to take legal action against any company daring to use the word 'pod' in a product name aren't doing it any favours either.

7. iEverything

The first iMac started the trend of using the 'i' prefix in product names. The 'i' originally stood for 'internet' and was a reference to the iMac's focus on getting users up and running online in the least amount of time possible. Now we have iCal, iChat, iDVD, iMovie, iPhone and many more consumer-targeted products sporting the prefix. Jobs was even 'iCEO' while serving in an interim role. It's all a bit too iMuch and cutesy.

8. DRM

Songs purchased at the iTunes store are encoded with Apple's FairPlay digital rights management software which prevents them being played on more than five computers or any number of iPods - and ensures they won't play on any MP3 player other than Apple's own.

Parties ranging from music software maker Real to the French and Danish governments have objected to this and lobbied to force Apple to open up its DRM so iTunes music plays on any device. While Apple's approach is neither surprising or unique, it's an issue that no doubt will continue to provoke considerable amounts of negative sentiment towards the company in years to come.

9. Environmental record

Apple has a particularly poor record on changing its manufacturing and packaging processes to reduce the impact on the environment.

A recent Greenpeace report rated it the worst offender on a list of PC companies including Dell, HP and Sony, saying: "Apple fails to embrace the precautionary principle, withholds its full list of regulated substances and provides no timelines for eliminating toxic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and no commitment to phasing out all uses of brominated flame retardants."

Though Apple may set trends in product design, it is behind the curve when it comes to eco-awareness.

10. The lunatic fringe

We're not talking about the vast majority of Mac users, who as research has proved are more intelligent and cooler than their Wintel counterparts. We're talking about the lunatic fringe. The ones who rant and rave at any perceived insult to their beloved company. The loons who do the company they purportedly support no favours with their outpouring of vitriol against any article that dares to criticise the company, its products and, above all, its CEO. Keep an eye on the Reader Comments section below, there'll probably be a couple along before long.

Stay tuned for the next column in this two-part series which takes the counter-position and celebrates all the great and good things Apple has achieved since its launch in the late 70s.