You’ll be hearing this quote for a while since it’s part of a press release used in the Comes versus Microsoft case in Iowa. Later today you’ll find my commentary about this lawsuit on PCmag.com. Meanwhile, here is the press release linked here in its entirety.
the Allchin reference is this:
Mr. Allchin says, I’m not sure how the company lost sight of what matters to our customers, both business and home, the most, but in my view we lost our way. I think our teams lost sight of what bug-free means, what resilience means, what full scenarios mean, what security means, what performance means, how important current applications are, and really understanding what the most important problems our customers face are. I see lots of random features and some great vision, but that does not translate into great products. He goes on to say, I would buy a Mac today if I was not working at Microsoft.”
Sounds like ad copy for Apple if you ask me!
These pics cannot be helping
I bet he has one hidden somewhere that he uses with his iPod, Digital camera/camcorder, wireless music thingie, e-mail… has anyone checked if he has a .Mac account or an accout at the iTunes store?
I bet he does! AND SO WHAT! I buy Microsoft stuff too, I only use if if I’m forced to by others but I do buy it. (I even have a Sony something here in the pile too in my office)
Happy Holidayz!
Jeez, they _know_ they’re crap.
They even copy Apple icons:
http://daringfireball.net/2006/12/microsoft_workgroup_manager_icon
But putting joking aside, and even putting this admission about their general cluelessness and, most importantly, security failure aside, we’re left with something far more momentous.
The big story in the Groklaw piece that the quote has been excerpted from –
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20061209135113443
– is NOT the admission about the relative quality of Windows with respect to OS X at all.
No, the story, as Tony Lawrence points out is this one:
Damning, absolutely damning.
Forget Apple and its publicity needs – delicious though Allchin’s admission is: look at everything else mentioned in the Groklaw release, specifically the allegations about killing of BeOS, the anti-competitive EDGI program, and the spoilation of evidence:
Read the Groklaw report. You may need to hold your nose to do it, but it’s very revealing.
Oh, sorry, I forgot the link.
Here’s the Tony Lawrence commentary:
http://aplawrence.com/Opinion/punish_microsoft.html
My problem with Microsoft has nothing do with bugs, resilience, or security. My problem is that Microsoft has no concern about its users.
My first problem was with Product Activation. Essentially Microsoft requires us to ask permission before upgrading our hardware. And of course it was expanded to where you have to ask permission to download updates. Didn’t we pay for those updates when we paid outrageous prices for the OS?!
And speaking of high prices, Microsoft told us that Product Activation was required to stop piracy, but now that piracy is allegedly stopped, Microsoft raises its prices. So we’re getting screwed, have fewer options to upgrade and update, and we’re paying more for the privilege?!
Microsoft’s media software by default will include DRM in the CDs you rip. Sure you can turn it off, but why should I have to deal with it in the first place? Who’s Microsoft’s customer, the guy who buys a copy of the OS or the RIAA? Why should the RIAA’s preference be placed ahead of the user?!
And let’s talk about the Zune. It’s a thirty gig player but you cannot use it as a hard drive. And even worse, when you send songs to other Zune’s, it’ll actually add DRM to those songs. So Microsoft is so concerned about protecting the RIAA that even songs written by and recorded by your own band require DRM?! I have no problem with Microsoft protecting songs that already have DRM, but to assume that all audio files require DRM is simply wrong.
It all boils down to this: When Microsoft has a choice between helping its customers or screwing its customers, it’ll chose the screwing every time.
Allchin has some scary satan eyes.
He goes on to say, “I would buy a Mac today if I was not working at Microsoft.”
I guess he hasn’t really used a mac much then?
My best friend’s mother works at M&T Printing Group and they use Macs and so they also have one as a hoe computer. She and the majority of her coworkers are so fed up with Macs that they would switch in an instance to a PC if their customers didn’t use Macs.
Their home Mac often crashes and the CD-Rom failed in less than 3 years. Since it is a mac there is no easy way to replace it without paying huge fees for a professional to do it… My friend it bummed because that means no more games until they get a new Mac
Just thought i would add that although his Mother hasn’t had much experience with PC’s she would rather give them a go than continue to suffer with a Mac. Also, Apple is said to be secure etc. but the code kiddies haven’t had a reason to try to hack them when they are only ~1.8% of computers worldwide.
Matt, I just visited M&T Printing Group (http://www.mtprint.com/), and what a disgusting, severely Microsoft-centric designed website! Yuck!! It so shows that those involved at this print shop are angry, stewing anti-Macophites. No wonder they are having problems with computers that kids can even manage — THEY DON’T WANT MACS TO SUCCEED AT THEIR COMPANY! Tell them to get out of the pre-press services business and go into accounting where they belong…….
8…the site looks fine to me, and probably 98.2% of other computer users, too. 😉
Ballmer makes too much money to not wear french cuffs.
yup, looked allright to me.
Matt, your post comes off as very unbelievable. All hardware and operating systems have problems. Some just have more problems than others. Now, lets address your issues:
1. You’re opinion on Macs is based on your “best friend’s mother”… who admittedly has little experience. That said, the rest of your rant is meaningless.
2. “Their home Mac often crashes”.
Really, how old is this Mac, which version of the operating system are they using, etc.??? If you tell me any version of OS X (which would represent the past 5 years or so), there isn’t a person in this forum going to believe you. OS X is rock solid and everyone knows it.
3. “the CD-Rom failed in less than 3 years. Since it is a mac there is no easy way to replace it without paying huge fees for a professional to do it…”
Wrong. Where do you get your information from? Have you tried a place like http://www.macsales.com ? Macs and PCs pretty much both use commodity parts these days. What about external options that are completely plug and play?
4. “his Mother hasn’t had much experience with PC’s she would rather give them a go than continue to suffer with a Mac. ”
Yeah, if your friend’s mother is having trouble figuring out how to use a Mac (which I highly doubt), what makes you think she’d do better with a PC? Based on what?
5. “Also, Apple is said to be secure etc. but the code kiddies haven’t had a reason to try to hack them when they are only ~1.8% of computers worldwide.”
Really, is that you rationalize Apple’s security record compared to Microsoft’s security record? Unfortunately, you don’t seem to have a handle on the basics of security. If you knew anything about the effect of ActiveX controls from web browsers or how damaging Microsoft’s administrative accounts can be, then you’d change your tune. What about alerts before something does access a sensitive area? These are just the very basic reasons why Microsoft has been plagued with malware and Macs have not. The old security through obscurity just doesn’t hold true these days, especially with Apple bragging about it for as long as they have. Clearly attempts to spread malware on the Mac have been made, they just haven’t been successful yet. No OS is fully secure. But, there’s a difference between a pin hole and a tunnel that accommodates several lanes of traffic.
Steve
I’d buy one too, if I could afford it. I used to have one but sold it after 4 years when it came time to upgrade. I was low on dough at the time and so I was able to build my PC for $800 (didn’t need a monitor) CAD, the closest equivalent Mac that didn’t have a total shite graphics card would be double that in price because they don’t offer an attractive box, like the mini, that has a real graphics card in it. If they did, then I’d never have to buy anything else.
1. She knows how to use a Mac since it is her job
2. She is fed up with Macs at her job because of many annoying factors and wishes they could switch to Windows PC’s
3. The computer hangs and crashes mostly after playing games (when the cd drive worked)
4. She is not a A+ tecnician, she is a printer [or whatever her title is] and does not have the knowhow to open up the case and on a tight budget
5. since i am a windows user i dont know the os but i think it is osx or os9.2?
6. This is the internet and everyone has the ability to read posts etc and take it or leave it. i am not going to bother to argue that my best friend’s mother exists and had this rant with me but i know it is true i am not trying to force any beliefs on you… 🙂
7.i am pretty sure that security through obscurity still applies. I was watching “Call for help with leo laporte” and the girl on that show with the mac admited to never never ever turning on the built in firewall. ever. i would say that there is an example of security through obscurity.
8. their computer is an iMac from 2002 i think the one that is all enclosed in a box kinda like this one LINK
My experience with Macs comes from G4, G5, and Intel machines running OS X, doing what Macs are supposed to be good at: Adobe stuff.
The only thing Macs have going for them is the reality distortion field. I have never experienced as many general performance problems and quirky behaviors on as the ones that kept me from getting stuff done on a Mac.
My biggest problem regarding Windows is this:
I have a valid Windows; I know this because I can run Windows Updates and download the IE7 and Windows Defender install files. So how come I have to validate again during the install of the aforementioned items? Isn’t that kind of overly redundant?
Ballmer is creepy.
macs are fine machines but if you need service or even help using them good luck outside of the sf and a few university towns. and yes even macs need servicing and mac users need help sometimes.
I used to work for a company that provided servicing for MACs. I am an MCSE and was hired so they could service their customers Wintel boxes as well. What I noticed about the MACs was how well they always seemed to work. WiFi connections always happened, the batteries on the laptops lasted for ages. The laptops were way better looking than my IBM and a lot lighter. As for cost, if you write down the spec and try to find a similarly spec’d PC for a better price, you won’t. And even if you come close it’ll look like crap compared.
The MACs also come with iLife software for free, and the GUI is lightyears ahead of Windows (Vista looks like a cheap knock off).
Last, but not least, OSX is unix so the command line is way better than Windows crappy DOS box.
Hey, Fester Adams is at Nasdaq throwing his tongue out!!
“1. She knows how to use a Mac since it is her job”
Really, but she supposedly can’t make hers work? Overall, Macs are very stable, so either she’s completely incompetent or your story is false.
“2. She is fed up with Macs at her job because of many annoying factors and wishes they could switch to Windows PC’s”
Is there any reason why you can’t be specific here? Which “annoying factors” are you referring to? It’s hard to address such vague comments. Specifically, what makes you think there won’t be other “annoying factors” when switching to a PC?
“3. The computer hangs and crashes mostly after playing games (when the cd drive worked)”
So, you’re saying she plays games at work? 😉 If her CD drive is not working, then her stability problems must be solved, right? Really, what you speak of is clearly not a common issue that any other Mac user experiences. While I’m willing to believe she had a CD drive failure. Why not? Again, these are commodity parts that have the same failure rate on PCs and Macs, so this is not a platform issue.
4. She is not a A+ tecnician,
No kidding. (If she even exists). What you have to demonstrate is how this non technical person would fair better in the PC world. The bottom line is if you’re having trouble how to figure out making a Mac work, you’ll only have a more difficult time on the PC side. Macs are widely recognized as being stable, more secure and easier to use than PCs.
“5. since i am a windows user i dont know the os but i think it is osx or os9.2?”
Well, that’s just it. You’re not qualified to speak of issues you know nothing about. You don’t even know the details. You apparently have no real experience with Macs yourself, yet you’re here to make broad generalizations about the Mac platform?? Macs aren’t perfect and there are legitimate reasons to use both PCs and Macs. But, you need to stop preaching about things you don’t understand.
“6. This is the internet and everyone has the ability to read posts etc and take it or leave it.”
Agreed. Feel free to post whatever you want. Just don’t be surprised when people call you on your BS and expose it for what it is. 🙂
At a printer, she’s probably running Quark 4.5 and/or Pagemaker on OS9. In my experience, running those two (ten year old) apps on that OS is like running garbage software on Win 95a…it crashes all the time.
If she’s running OSX, then a bad CD drive can definitely cause OSX to crash, just like a hardware failure will crash 2k/XP. Otherwise OSX and XP crash very rarely. (And IDE CD drive will work…she can get a DVD burner as a replacement for $50)
And FWIW, Adobe apps run like crap on the latest Macs with Rosetta. Crashes, bugs, corruption, you name it.
I’ve had both, and there’s no reason to buy a PC now that Macs have Intel. They are way better machines. I’ve been too cheap in the past, but now I’m regretting it as XP is flaky and the Gateway laptop is inadequate. It’s only 1.5 years old. Once Mac offers an entry-level laptop, I’m making the leap.
OSX sales maxed out earlier this year… They are a little down third and fourth quarter. ‘Switchers’ make up less than 1/2 of one percent of all computer buyers.
Hate to break it to you OS X fans, but this fight is over. Right now there is as much OS X market penetration as you are ever gonna see. In other words, OS X is a little more successful than Linux. And that is apparently where all the switchers came from.
And in bad news for apple, they expected to sell 20 million ipods this quarter, and it looks like they will barely break 16 million. That, on top of the implosion happening at iTunes, and this looks to be a bleak christmas for apple.
Also, they have missed a generation of enhanced phone services, and it looks like their product will be late to a saturated market.
As its last hurra, Apple had a good run, but it is over now.
#27, Maybe if you keep posting that every six months or so, it will eventually come true. Apple has been doomed for the past eight years, didn’t ya know?
Steve,
I was going to post a well reasoned reply. However I see that apple stocks fell 3% upon me making my comments on this web site. Since I am apparently a powerful industry insider now, I will reserve additional comment for the time being, and allow the markets to adjust to my newfound power and influence.
Heh, anyone got some stock they want me to pump?