It’s been a great many years since Apple and Microsoft fans started bashing each other in forums and chat rooms, both ardent supporters of their corner and determined to fight to the death to win the argument. Yesterday, I wrote part 2 of this article series and it caused some considerable debate. I have to say the quality of the debate was generally very high and balanced. There was one comment though that I thought made a good point about anyone who writes about Microsoft or Apple at the moment.
Andy Clarke wrote “How much are Microsoft paying you guys at Windows7news.com? All I’m hearing is blinkered and biased propaganda from you guys.”
Yesterday I wrote that I believe that all operating systems these days are pretty much the same, Windows, Mac OS X and GNU/Linux (Yes, I stand corrected on that one) and that to the casual observer it was hard sometimes to tell them apart. I went on to say that I believed anyone who said that one was better than any other really should be saying it’s just better “for them”.
It’s quite common though nowadays for commentators such as ourselves to be accused of bias. This is Windows7News after all, so our remit is to write about Windows 7. We don’t have a Mac focus so wouldn’t be writing about that unless, as is the case with this article series, it’s relevant to our core subject.
It can be difficult to balance objective writing sometimes when you’re only mentioning other products in passing. This goes doubly so, I believe, for OS X because of the strong feelings people have about it.
Apple make quite exceptional products. The iPod created almost on its own the market for MP3 players and iTunes has led the way in selling downloadable music. Both of these are great for consumers. The iPhone has revolutionised the small smartphone market which I, with an HTC Touch HD, am benefiting from and truly appreciate. The iMac finally made computers acceptable in the living room and, I think, has significantly boosted the market for all-in-one PCs and, in a sideways kind’a way, has helped boost Windows Media Centre.
There are people who believe that Apple is abusing a potentially monopolistic market position, though obviously not with the Mac, and is being ignored in exactly the same way as Microsoft isn’t. Let me be clear on this. For many years, Microsoft was in the same boat, being ignored and abusing a monopolistic position. It’s won’t last for Apple, but nobody can begrudge them having a go for as long as they can get away with it, that’s business! What the future holds for Microsoft and Apple regards legislation and monopolies commissions is anybody’s guess at this stage.
I don’t personally believe that the status quo, regards the market share occupied by Apple and Microsoft, will change in the next decade or so. It would have to take something disasterous on Microsoft’s part, like Apple writing an OS for PCs, to change that. Even then we’re all creatures of habit and generally resistant to change.
Do I own any products by Apple. Let me come right out now and say no. I don’t own any kind of MP3 player, I bought an HTC phone because you can’t (yet) create Excel files on the iPhone (though I’m open to the possibility of buying one) and, much as I love the look and power of iMacs, I think they’re simply too expensive and enjoy building my own computers anyway. Windows is good “for me”.
As for the rest of you, I’m personally very surprised by how many of you run both PCs and Macs (would confuse the hell out of me). Keep it up, and keep the conversation flowing.
