Are you getting sick of Apple Corporation yet?

MikeFairbanks wrote in post #13745304
I'm on the fence for a while.

Something needs to give before I continue spending my money on Apple products.

Until today I was a happy customer, but this Itextbooks fiasco was the last straw, and if they don't fix it quickly I'm out.

I was on the verge of getting a new Ipad2 and Apple TV, but now how am I supposed to trust them if they are going to just keep screwing their customers?

Whatever. I'm done with this issue for a while, but my purchase plans are on hold.

Anyone know if other tablets can mirror to a TV wirelessly? I really want to teach using a tablet, but Apple isn't getting my money......yet.

Mike - I haven't followed this textbook thing. Could you summarize what they did to make it a "fiasco"? thanks...

The Itextbook fiasco is that Apple just announced they are getting into textbooks.

That was exciting.

They said to download Ibooks2 and then you can browse the textbooks. Well, I tried and tried, but nowhere on their website (well, at least in plain view) did it say that the Iphone wasn't compatible yet. So everytime I tried to download Ibooks2 it would just tell me it was already installed. I tried to find textbooks and had no luck. It was frustrating. I should have grabbed the Ipad right away, but I'm a stubborn fool and kept trying the same thing over and over with my phone.

So, eventually I realized that the Ipad could download it and then I could browse textbook selections.

But I didn't download Ibooks2 because of the ratings.

And the ratings are pretty bad.

First, Apple is combining the ratings from Ibooks with Ibooks2. I find this to be quite dishonest, because Ibooks2 is getting tons of bad ratings. In the last three days, since the release of 2, there are 312 one-star ratings, and users are furious. They are losing books, having pdf files converted that they didn't want converted, are having their devices lock up, and having crash after crash.

In other words: Apple released crap and that isn't what Apple is known for. They did the same thing with Siri. They released it in beta form. Apple should never, ever release a beta. Apple says "it just works."

Oh yeah? Well, not lately.

My wife has the Iphone 4s (I have the 4). At least half of the texts she sends me make no sense at all, and that's because she uses Siri to send them. And when I'm with her and she's texting a friend it takes several tries for Siri to send and receive (and review) texts correctly. I ask my wife, "Why don't you just send a text with your fingers?"

It sure would be a lot faster than Siri.


Long story short: Apple is putting profits way ahead of customers, and if this crap continues they'll lose both.

Obviously they have to make profits (shareholders) their priority, but at what expense? Should they really be out for short-term gain (selling units) over long-term gains? I don't think so.


Thinks that don't work right are not cool. Putting out programs that consistently don't function properly (or force changes) is not cool.

When I got my Iphone4 I was forced to carry the App Newstand. It can't be deleted. Then, when I browsed magazines, they all said "free."

Once you download the magazine, it turns out not to be the magazine at all, but an app that reads the magazine. It turns out that the print price is pretty much the same as the E-price.

I understand that if I want to read Cosmopolitan's sex tips that I have to pay the subscription fee (although I actually read Surfer Magazine...my wife reads Cosmo....but it's in the same restroom, so...).

Anyway, I know magazines cost money, but it says "free" and then it's not free. Just the ability to read the magazine is free. I think it's a classic bait and switch, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Go ahead and browse the itunes store's selection of magazines. You'll consistently find that all the magazines are rated one or two stars out of five, and it's not because of the magazine quality. It's because people don't like being tricked.

Obviously you can fault the customer as being dumb enough not to know better, but it's not just a few people who have felt like they're getting screwed over this past year by Apple.

Iphone 4 customers can't use Siri (they should be glad, but still it's rude on Apple's part).

Ibooks2 is crashing systems, deleting books, converting files, and locking up screens.

Ipad2 can mirror, but not Ipad1. So what will Ipad3 feature that you can't do with Ipad2?

You may say, "but hey, new devices can do things old ones can't do."

That's true, but if Apple ropes us into using Ibooks2 using the Ipad2 (because we will supposedly save a ton of money), then what's stopping them from (one year later) releasing Ibooks3 that only works on Ipad3, and all textbook authors are no longer able to write for any but the latest system?

Then students with Ipad2s will be forced to upgrade each and every time a new model is released.


Apple claims that college students will save hundreds or thousands of dollars because 200 dollar textbooks will now be 15 bucks.

But as folks on the Mac Rumors forum suggest, publishers will sell you Biology 101 for 15 bucks, then you'll get one chapter. You'll be hooked into buying chapter after chapter, or issue after issue when you find out the newer issue won't work on your device.


Summary: Apple is not trustworthy anymore, and I'm ticked about it because I've been a devoted Apple user for since 1992. That's TWENTY years.


I've always trusted Macs, and now that all this crap is happening I can't help but wonder if it's over.

Steve Jobs is dead, and I can't at this point see how the other executives are going to be able to fill his shoes by producing honest, quality hardware and software that "just works."

Another thing (sorry):

I teach fourth grade in an upper middle-class area. I realize that I'm not making as big of a difference in the lives of kids as I could if I taught in more challenging area, but I'm still very passionate about teaching. I teach four sections of science per day and one section of math.

I love technology.

We just started allowing kids to bring in their devices, and many systems across the nation are doing the same. Apple has a great opportunity, and it looks like they are taking the ball and running with it. I respect and admire that, but in their rush to get the ball they are making a lot of fumbles.

I am willing to invest MY own money (like I always do....like all teachers do) to better support the kids I teach. Teaching with the Ipad and the overhead projector will retain student interest a lot more than simply putting textbo.oks on the desks. Kids don't like textbooks that much, but interactive graphics, etc. are their flavor. These kids can do it. There are a ton of possibilities.

Last week I spent five days in an inflatable dome called Star Lab. It's a portable planetarium, and the kids love it. But to use Skyview on the Ipad, wirelessly connected to the projector is much more accurate than me taking the kids in a giant tent, waiting fifteen minutes for their eyes to adjust, and then me clumsily trying to point out hard-to-see constellations.

I used my Iphone to orient the projector properly and get it going just right, but it was a pain. I'd rather point my Ipad or Iphone at any part of the sky, and the kids see a huge projection on the screen in the classroom, with constellations properly labeled, along with planets, etc. I can do math problems this way (using a stylus), give presentations, pull up textbooks, photos, video clips, and so much more. And instead of grabbing an eraser and wiping out the notes on the dry-erase board, I can save all my notes in my device and wirelessly upload them to my website for students to see that night (or if they are absent).

All that technology is here and now. But should I invest the money? Will I get burned? Will Apple, a year from now, disable my ability to use my expensive equipment, apps, and textbooks simply so they can release more products that I have to buy?

Schools cannot handle yearly changes that cost them a lot of money. We think in five-year increments. We have to. And for teachers it is more so.


In other words: I want Apple to do this right and not focus on profits just yet with the Itextbooks.

If they really want teachers and school systems to invest in, and have faith in Apple products and software, then Apple needs to make sure they don't screw us over for short-term gain.

We can't afford it. I can't afford it. My kids can't afford it. I make 58k a year and support a family of four. I spend more than a thousand dollars a year of my own money on all kinds of materials...whatever it takes to teach effectively (even though it all gets measured for one week on a multiple-choice test---that's another issue).

The education of children is more important than profits. But if Apple does the right thing, then both can be achieved.

Right now I don't trust Apple to do the right thing. I fear that they will put profits before children, and that's not okay.

With gamers I don't feel bad. Milk them for lots of money. It's gaming. There are many areas in which it's perfectly fine to soak it to the customer. Desserts is one. The Cheesecake Factory charges seven bucks for a slice. What a ripoff right? Wrong. It's just a dessert.

But education is not.

Millions stand in line for their products, regardless of cost, control, and etc, because their products and capabilities are way ahead. sigh.
I like their stuff too, but sometimes it is frustrating.

Well, I guess now we know what Apple may be without Steve.

Same path as Adobe, Lotus, Borland, and every other software company which got big?

What a shame.

Another example: Just now (one minute ago) I went to the Apple store (apple.com). I clicked through to see if I qualify for an educator's discount.

I put in the zip code, clicked on the school, and learned that I do qualify. Then I click again and get to a page that says "Ipad2, starting at $499."


Wow, a 0% discount.


I guess my rants were misguided.


EDIT: I just clicked on their "refurbished Ipads" that come with a full one-year warranty.

Guess what they start at............... drum roll please...............

$499.

DetlevCM wrote in post #13747219
Standard for music? What? There are plenty of other products available - with better support than apple. (With respect to formats & usability - not necessarily with respect to applications, but then it is a music/video player)

The ipod/itouch/iphone players are the only devices that many 3rd party manufacturers build support for. I have yet to see a car stereo, home receiver or portable boom box that can play and control any of the other mp3 devices.

mdd770 wrote in post #13748829
Millions stand in line for their products, regardless of cost, control, and etc, because their products and capabilities are way ahead. sigh.
I like their stuff too, but sometimes it is frustrating.

Except for their iphone 4s release. I think apple played catch-up with that release and they're still not quite up to par with the then current crop of android phones.

MikeFairbanks wrote in post #13748872
Another example: Just now (one minute ago) I went to the Apple store (apple.com). I clicked through to see if I qualify for an educator's discount.

I put in the zip code, clicked on the school, and learned that I do qualify. Then I click again and get to a page that says "Ipad2, starting at $499."


Wow, a 0% discount.


I guess my rants were misguided.


EDIT: I just clicked on their "refurbished Ipads" that come with a full one-year warranty.

Guess what they start at............... drum roll please...............

$499.

Wow, that's ridiculous. My sister and brother-in-law are both teachers and have slowly been migrating to to non-apple products.

I have never owned a single Apple product and I really like the non-Apple gizmos I have

I love my apple products, and will probably never go back, and I cannot find products that work as well FOR ME they just work without nearly as many worries. However sometimes there are things that annoy me as well... and I was really hoping that they would give an education discount on the iPad with this new announcement, as a "starving college student" that would have been a big help.

As for your second point in your OP you should be able to copy the things that you want from your wife's account paste them in your account and then authorize your computer and iPhone to use her account (and yours at the same time) I have used apps and songs from other family members this way a lot, and have apps/music from multiple accounts running on my iPhone at all times.

Also you do not have to buy music from the iTunes store, apps yes, but not music, I usually buy my music from Amazon because the prices are better and the songs jump right into iTunes on their own as soon as they are downloaded with no problems at all.

DBNissan wrote in post #13749030
The ipod/itouch/iphone players are the only devices that many 3rd party manufacturers build support for. I have yet to see a car stereo, home receiver or portable boom box that can play and control any of the other mp3 devices.

My sansa mp3 works with my Kenwood car stereo's usb input.

I enjoy all of my Apple products.

I wouldn't say I'm sick of Apple, but I think I'm bored with them. It's been a few years since they released anything really exciting, I feel. The iPad was the last time they released anything I thought was interesting.

Just in regards to the music bought from itunes. the DRM has actually been removed and you can now copy and paste tracks from the destination folder to other folders to be used on other devices.

YamahaRob wrote in post #13751246
My sansa mp3 works with my Kenwood car stereo's usb input.

My Kenwood plays mp3s from a flash drive. However, it will not fast forward/rewind a few seconds in the song. It will play, fast forward/rewind, next/previous track and videos/movies from my ipod because Kenwood has built it with full ipod support. The newer car stereos even have app support like Pandora and Rdio. There are some new car stereos coming out this year that will have android smart phone/app support other than bluetooth a2dp compatibility.

I've been through my 4th IPhone 4 through the same AppleCare Plan that came with the phone.

change is hard.