Big Red Bashing

Dear ETS!,

While everyone's busy bitching that Bill et. al. are ready to rule the world, the real evil software giant has been overlooked: Apple. As Microsoft's main competitor for years, Apple has consistently acted like a monopolist: charging high prices, hoarding technology, and pissing on its users. I'm not the first person to point this out. In a recent issue of Reason, Virginia Postrel examined the many ways in which Apple has acted like the old Ma Bell.

While Microsoft competed, cut prices, and made their software widely available, Apple charged a premium. Even today, a new Powerbook costs 30-50% more than a comparable WinTell laptop. Mac prices have come down lately, but only on desktop machines and only after Apple belatedly started licensing its operating system. Indeed, I am writing this on a APS Technologies Mac clone, snapped up for a good price. Unfortunately, APS is no longer allowed to sell Macs. Apple killed the clone program last year and bought Power Computing, the company that did such a good job selling Macs it almost put Apple Hardware out of business. So once again, you can buy any Macintosh so long as it's made by Apple.

Soon you'll only be able to buy Macs from one reseller: CompUSA. Imagine Microsoft planning to take over the market by selling its stuff only through Egghead!

And Apple's ad campaigns exemplify the worst aspects of commercial culture--the ones left-wing creative types (surely one of Apple's demographic strongholds) are usually appalled by. Don't talk about features. Don't talk about competence. Just try and create a warm fuzzy feeling in the consumer. We're special. We use Apple. We took that hammer and smashed the gray suits of corporate conformity. We're Thinking Different (TM). Give me a fucking break! (TM) If you've got a better product, why not sell it on its merits?

It gives me no pleasure to dump my Macs for The Evil Empire. But I don't blame Microsoft for being better than Apple. Nor do I think The Man needs to step in and kick Gates' ass (as much fun as it would be to see this). My main problem has been Apple acting like an all-powerful government whose citizens can't defect. I may not trust the robber baron of Redmond, but I'll take Windows 95 over CIA 98 any day.

Matt Asher, Seattle