[citation][nom]FJohnston[/nom]Hmmm...so many haters. I think the wallets have spoken. People like, love and admire Apple products. They cast their vote by buying Apple products over other competitors. It's really quite simple. Give people a great experience and a great product and they will come running. Carriers, infrastructure, complete control, etc DO NOT MATTER if consumers are happy with what they buy. I view most of the comments as sour grapes and whining. There is NOTHING that stops Microsoft, Dell, Sony and all the others from making better products and winning in the same Steve Jobs and Apple have done. I'm not just a fan boy. I'm just a frustrated consumer looking for great products no matter whose label is on it.[/citation]
Most of these whiners are kiddies that can't get a date, can't afford anything Apple, and have done nothing in their lives so look at respected people with envy.
Don't get me wrong, outside of some cool vintage Apple stuff (Apple IIe/IIgs, Lisa, etc...), I would never buy Apple, and never did until long after it was obsolete and thus collectible.
But, the market has spoken. Even reviewers recognize the iPhones are good to excellent, and iPad 2 as excellent, and they don't want to. Virtually every article that reports on quality, reports Apple's Macs on the top of the list. Virtually every poll shows Apple customers as happy.
When you're a miserable toad, you resent happy people. You resent things they have that you can't swing. You resent success, because it makes your own failures so much more painful by contrast. Apple represents success. The company is wildly successful, and the people that can afford their stuff and mostly successful. For the losers, this makes them feel bad about themselves, and they hate it because of it.
Don't let it bother you, these guys will keep posting as long as their utility company doesn't shut off their electricity, but they have no effect. The impotent ravings of the disenfranchised aren't convincing to anyone, except others of the same, who need no convincing.