In my day job, I was always a PC guy going back to 1990 or so. I still am, although virtually everything I do could be done on a Mac.
From a mobile side, I’ve been Treo, Pocket PC, Blackberry, Windows Phone, Android, and iOS. I most recently switched back to iOS 3 years ago because my car only supported CarPlay, and not Android Auto.
The reality is that all of my siblings, my wife, my kids, my mother are all on iOS and that single ecosystem makes my life easier.
My 90+ year old mom is rocking her iPad. The only problem being that I know almost nothing about iOS… “It’s like a Mac, except when it’s not”. I was lost a few times when Mom asked for help
We got an iPad that we didn’t need, just so we could do Distanced IT Support with my mom.
BTW, I’ve noticed that my wife (Windows background), who said buying it was silly, now takes “her” iPad all around the house and is always on it.
But can you use off the shelf USB cables with it? I don’t have any Apple anything, but it’s my understanding that the phones that worked with the mini USB could detect a non-Apple charger. I heard a lot of stories about them working for a week and then being unusable.
Wouldn’t surprise me if they did that with USB-C or even Qi.
If they want to use a proprietary charging cable, whatever, that’s their business, but it seems like an asshole move to make it the same shape as a USB. It’s almost like they want to teach people a lesson about what happens when you stray from the brand. How many people threw how much money in the garbage buying generic USB chargers that they couldn’t use.
I’m pretty sure I’ve never owned an Apple product in my life. I could never justify the cost to myself/ Lately, I’ve been considering (not seriously) an IPhone because there are some apps in the Apple store that are not on Google Play and the cost of iPhones is coming down a bit. But I suspect I’ll be a non-Apple person for a while.
Okay, this brings up something I’ve been wondering: my family started out using Apple products, and thus so have I. Similar to OP, I’ve been using them since they were called Macintoshes, and stayed with it through inertia and ease of file porting. Am I part of a “cult”? Is there a compelling reason to switch given these circumstances?
And am I alone in thinking that technically minded people vastly overestimate the percentage of the general buying public who wants to be able to tinker with their electronics freely?
Totally agree @Hampshire
My boyfriend is a “Mac guy”. He’s got an ancient Apple TV box and won’t spend $25 to get a Roku or Firestick because “I’m a Mac Guy” but can’t afford an updated Apple TV. He needs a new laptop but won’t go get a $600 Lenovo or anything, because “I’m a Mac guy” but can’t afford a new MacBook. It’s annoying.
I dig the iPhone cuz it’s a great device. It does indeed “just work.” But I prefer Windows for my computers. I like the Roku device for entertainment. I like my Echo for IOT.
Apple really did revolutionize things with the iPods and iPhones and iPads. Doesn’t mean they are the be-all-end-all of technology. It’s ok to diversify and get the tools that are the best at what they do for your price point. Being too brand loyal can really be to your detriment.
The iPad Air works with any USB C cable. The included AC adapter puts out 15W which older USB chargers can’t handle. In my bedroom I use a Monoprice USB C cable and charger with no issues. Qi works perfectly with my phone.
No, Apple products use standard USB. I’m typing this on a cheap Macbook ($250!) with a generic USB-C power adaptor. That I’ve used for years, and my phone and external hard drive and PC-formatted thumb drives all connect fine.
None of what you’re saying is at all true.
And instead of researching it, you’re assuming you’re right, then making value judgements based on your assumptions (“an asshole move” is a little harsh, especially since it isn’t true… yes, the connector is the same shape as a USB … because it IS a basic USB connector).
Sorry, that sounded too pissy… and here I’d just followed your advice:
Just fixed the fan over our stove because I had a screwdriver set in the junk drawer!
Except that’s not what’s happening. My daughter, my sister and both my parents all have iphones and all ran into trouble using non iPhone certified cables after an update a few years back. Doing research (at least at the time) showed that Apple was blocking, or at least making it very difficult to use non Apple cables to charge iPhones. I recall having to buy my daughter a new charger (because she lost one) and most of the listings and either bad reviews because they wouldn’t work with iPhones or lots of questions asking if they would work with iPhones.
But, again, I don’t have an iPhone so while my knowledge of this problem is second hand, it’s not like I just made it up.
ETA: When I did buy my daughter a generic cable, just as she said it would, after about a week she’d get a message on the screen saying the cable wasn’t Apple certified and I had to get her a new one that was Apple certified.
I looked it up, and the “my cheap cable didn’t work” stories I found were all from the early years of the lightning connector. That would have pissed me off, too.
Haven’t had any trouble in the last decade or so…
I just revived a long-dormant laptop, and it reminded me how much I loathe Windows.
I love the way Apple products work… until you do that laaast one update that breaks your phone/ iPad. (I never could afford a Mac computer, but used one at work.) I switched to Android products. I love the way they work, too.
Just an observation, but isn’t it funny how Apple products are starting to share features with Windows products and Windows is/ has been picking up from Apple? When will they be essentially the same?
Because obsolete Apple products are a joy to work with?
Never purchased an Apple product either partly because of cost, partly because of annoying Apple restrictions and partly because of greater hardware choices on Windows and Android.
For phones I have been happy with the Galaxy Note series by Samsung for almost a decade. I have a Samsung tablet too which is pretty good.
For my laptop I have an HP Envy laptop which I rather like. One laptop feature that I will not do without in the future is a touchscreen. I don’t use it all the time, but it just works for certain things like moving icons around and zooming in and out.
One of the big differences between the two is that Apple has a much more unified ecosystem with iOS. I’ve had Android devices that are 2 years old and have no upgrade path from the vendor, whereas Apple typically offers 5 years of upgrades. Release of a new version of iOS typically sees an uptake of 80% within 60 days. Android developers have to deal with hundreds (thousands?) of unique devices running many different versions.
We started using Macs back in the 90s at work, and I began using at home. Never looked back.
I had a laptop with Windows 95 but I didn’t have it long.
I use a mac and an iphone for work on a daily basis. My personal computer is a PC (ha!), my phone is a higher end android phone, and I have an android tablet. I have yet to see any compelling reason to pick Apple products over other (usually cheaper) alternatives, UNLESS there is an apple-only application that you just can’t live without. If my iphone app developer tools worked on PC I’d use that and never look back.
I’d never have anything other than an iPhone, but that’s it for Apple. I have an iPad that I haven’t used for 4 years, and I’d never even bother with a MAC.
This has been the reason I never got a Mac or Macbook pro. I always thought Apple was a bit of a reformed hippie and Millennial cult.
That said, I have been an iPhone user and I’ve been quite pleased.