For most people who know me, I hate Apple products. Yes they have clever marketing, but that’s all it is. It’s all about selling the product and making you feel like a douche if you don’t own the latest Apple gadget.

Yes, their software is as perfect as God and all his creations.

But I really really really hate it.

I like the flexibility of just installing a hard drive on my computer, and putting more RAM chips in instead of buying a new machine. I like being able to use my mp3 device as a spare hard disk on the go, being able to connect to any computer I want and copying files off it. I also like paying less for the technology I am getting which is usually ahead of the game than the current Apple product.

For example, last year I bought my iRiver E100 for less than $100. It is 8 gigabyte, has FM radio. It even has a mic and recording capability. Also being a USB 2.0 plug, I can plug it in anywhere without carting around it’s stupid cable. And the kicker? If 8 gig isn’t enough then I can put in a Micro SD to get even more space! It ‘just works’ (to quote Apple users) and I got it cheaply and I’ve never had a single problem.

I hate the fact though that because some artists release stuff only on iTunes, I am forced to miss out. I really DO NOT want to install the piece of bloatware to get songs that I can’t listen to on my mp3 player because I don’t have an iPod. And podcasts? Well honey, I’m not going to provide you with an RSS link so you just plug it in anywhere because well, you don’t have iTunes.

It just makes me incredibly angry. Just like Apple’s decision to be a dick about what language your iPhone app is compiled in I feel they are more evil and soul destroying than anything else. A lot of people cite the convenience of the Genius Bar (not that many of those Customer Service Representatives are actually genii) and ease of getting replacement during warranty – but shouldn’t they wonder about the fact that they had to replace it during warranty in the first place? What about hard durability and quality of product?

I just love how they keep releasing new generations of iPods and try to get people to buy them. If they had originally just taken their hundreds of dollars and invested in a product that had all those features in the first place, they wouldn’t feel the need to replace it. I originally had a Samsung p3 player (which died but I loved it to bits) but that was 3 years ago and had almost identical features to an iPod touch but without gameplaying capability. The technology has actually been around for a while, they just wait to release this new ‘feature’ so they can make you buy a new product which is actuality a duplicate of something you already own. Oh, and don’t forget paid a fortune for.

In conclusion, I haven’t found an Apple product that I have really considered worth buying. I’m not buying an Apple computer just so I can use OSX. I’m not buying an iPod that’s twice the price and still slightly behind in technology to an equivalent iRiver product. And I’m not buying an iPhone when my Android phone does the SAME THING and I don’t feel like I have to buy a new product every year to ‘keep up with the times’.

Don’t buy into the Apple temptation people. Even the logo has a bite taken out of the Apple. Look where it got Adam and Eve (sic).