I am not a fanboy.
I own an iPhone, an iPad, and a Macbook. I read Daring Fireball, TUAW and Macrumors. I believe that Apple's hardware is superior to all others in the market. People like to call out how I'm always "tuned in" to Apple news.<p>But I am not a fanboy.<p>I don't think the Operating system is the best. It is fraught with inconsistencies underneath its friendly veneer. There is a reason why Windows is popular and it may have something to do with usability. I use OS X because it is simply the best Unix desktop out there.<p>The iTunes application is a beacon of monolithic programming. It reeks of legacy-oriented design, completely contradictory to Apple's touted design mantra. Yet it exists unaltered, version after version solely because of the revenue it generates. Design and Engineering be damned, we're making money here. I use it because they threatened and killed every other music player for the Mac. I have never bought an iTunes song.<p>I unlocked my iPhone within the first 2 hours of owning it. I paid for my hardware, not the AT&#38;T tithing. I am completely happy with my 50$ a month, fully functional smartphone.<p>I run a jailbroken phone despite the security risks. The app store is a breeding ground of corporate adware and get-rich-quick wannabes. The only thing it doesn't contain is what Mac developers were renowned for -- small, independent and creative paid software. Some innovations found in Cydia deserve more attention that they get today.<p>I bought an iPad because it was the cheapest and best way to acquire a manifestation of things Xerox invented 20+ years ago, and what Microsoft has been researching for 10+ years. And I am impressed with what I see.<p>Overall, you're still the best products money can buy for what I want to do.<p>I respect Apple because it has the best engineering in the world. It takes a spectrum of well understood technology, and creates the best possible device in that category. Every other part of Apple: its lawyers, its strategists, its leaders and its marketing do not matter.<p>I am aware that the new Apple, Inc. caters to exactly two kinds of people. The busy soccer mom with a 6 figure family income, and the rabid nerd who chants Objective-C while worshipping at his local Steve Jobs altar.<p>This is not a rant. It is simply a statement that Apple has more these 2 kinds of customers. The third kind is me -- the tinkerer, the hacker, the fan of good technology. The kind that rejects rules, limitations and playgrounds of corporate malfeasance.<p>I am the one who Thinks Different.