Pete's Apple Rant

[jeffbear]

Disney is a major shareholder in BAMtech the company behind the MLB streaming service. BAMtech is the one working on the ESPN streaming service that is coming later this year.

Yeah. The MLB service works as well as any in sports. If not the best, then darned close. The real issue with ESPN has nothing to do with programming and everything to do with their old carriage fee model that has changed in recent years. For decades ESPN got included in basic cable packages with a stupid high carriage fee which meant they they got paid whether anybody watched or not. So they had next to no ratings pressure, unlike virtually everyone else in the cable game. Now that consumers are more free to design their own "basic" packages, so many people have dropped them that their subscription numbers have been dropping like a rock. I mean, it was going to happen eventually. The question is whether or not ESPN can figure out how to do business in their new economic environment and thus far the answer looks like ... no, not really. I think it's only a matter of time before Disney forces their leadership group out and starts nearly from scratch.

 

[wilkeliza]

Yeah. The MLB service works as well as any in sports. If not the best, then darned close. The real issue with ESPN has nothing to do with programming and everything to do with their old carriage fee model that has changed in recent years. For decades ESPN got included in basic cable packages with a stupid high carriage fee which meant they they got paid whether anybody watched or not. So they had next to no ratings pressure, unlike virtually everyone else in the cable game. Now that consumers are more free to design their own "basic" packages, so many people have dropped them that their subscription numbers have been dropping like a rock. I mean, it was going to happen eventually. The question is whether or not ESPN can figure out how to do business in their new economic environment and thus far the answer looks like ... no, not really. I think it's only a matter of time before Disney forces their leadership group out and starts nearly from scratch.

The only think that bothers me about At Bat is that you can't stream if it is offered as an in market game. Made it worthless for day games where I was trying to watch at work where I couldn't watch the channel at home or watching the game before dinner or whatever or at a friend's house that didn't have cable. We got around it here and there but harder on your phone or a company monitored computer haha. Thankfully this season our local provider is now allowed to stream live games as long as you are a subscriber even in network.

 

[FigmentKrazee]

Haven't listened to the podcast yet, but as most say, to each his own.

I moved from Microsoft\Windows\other products to all Apple 15+ years ago. I'll never look back. I'm a systems engineer by trade and work with Windows and other technologies every day. When I come home, I want stability. No virus issues, and a company that makes quality and stable products that work very well together. To me, the only company doing that now is Apple. (Were even moving toward more Apple products and compatibility in the workplace over the next few years).

I totally agree with you. I'm a network engineer and deal with mostly Microsoft operating systems all day, which is exactly why I only have Apple products at home.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

I've never relly got what made Apple so great the only apple product I've ever had has been various versions of the iPod classic. Which they have now retired but yet offer nothing that can replace it without having to spending a lot of money and have extra apps to do what one device did on it's own.

 

[Hunterr]

I've never relly got what made Apple so great the only apple product I've ever had has been various versions of the iPod classic. Which they have now retired but yet offer nothing that can replace it without having to spending a lot of money and have extra apps to do what one device did on it's own.

I love my iphone. I LOOOOVE it. I tried android. It's not that android is bad, it's just not as slick and polished as iOS is, to me.
I like the user interface, is all. And same goes for their computer software. Mac OS over Windows any day. This is what keeps people coming back to apple. The user experience.

But in regards to the ipod, they just weren't moving enough units to justify keeping making them. The iPod Touch is around he same price range if you want something to replace the Classic, and can do loads more stuff.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

I love my iphone. I LOOOOVE it. I tried android. It's not that android is bad, it's just not as slick and polished as iOS is, to me.
I like the user interface, is all. And same goes for their computer software. Mac OS over Windows any day. This is what keeps people coming back to apple. The user experience.

But in regards to the ipod, they just weren't moving enough units to justify keeping making them. The iPod Touch is around he same price range if you want something to replace the Classic, and can do loads more stuff.

The touch isn't a good replacement for the iPod classic because it has less memory and has extra apps I don't really want as I have most of them on my android phone. Plus I don't really want to put or can't put all my music into Apple's cloud. Plus I don't want to have podcasts seprete from my music folders with a seprete app for no reason at all. The iPod touch is just a cheap iPhone without the phone part. I just find that Apple has gotten overpriced for no real reason and keeps removing features from there computers and other stuff. Just because one person loves apple products doesn't mean we all have to love them. I prefer PC and Android.

 

[Hunterr]

You download your podcasts separately and play them via your music app? It doesn't have to be so complicated, though. Even androids have great podcasts apps. The feed is right there, and you can download them for offline use or stream on your phone.

Just because one person loves apple products doesn't mean we all have to love them. I prefer PC and Android.

Awesome!

 

[jeffbear]

Just because one person loves apple products doesn't mean we all have to love them. I prefer PC and Android.

Absolutely ... and the opposite as well. I fail to see why there's so much general bickering over this topic. It's not like anybody (outside of a business environment) is forcing you to use one or the other. Go ... choose what you want from the Windows/IOS/Linux/Whatever operating system universe and enjoy. And let others do the same.

Personally, my strong feelings on the matter stem from being held hostage by Windows only business applications that forced me to either use a PC or install Windows on an Apple device as a shadow drive. And pardon my French, but screw that.

 

[CMDTA]

Steam OS for life!!! Oh wait...I think they already killed it...

 

[Sean91]

One key point that is being overlooked in this discussion is: if this is what Pete's rants have become it is a sad day. His face never turned purple and he never held his hand up to silence any one. Either the medications are working, or this just isn't that big of a deal.

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one that noticed this, I remember the original Alcohol in the MK rant and I'm pretty sure it shorted my motherboard. This one just felt a little... flaccid, not really a major rant.

 

[MissAnonD]

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one that noticed this, I remember the original Alcohol in the MK rant and I'm pretty sure it shorted my motherboard. This one just felt a little... flaccid, not really a major rant.

This has got me intrigued...do you remember what year/month his rant was? I'd like to have a listen to compare (does that make me a bad person? haha)

 

[disboardlover]

The funniest (and most sad) thing I recently saw at our local public library. They have rows of shiny new iMacs, you know the ones that taper to a thin aluminum edge (read in a Jony Ive English accent). These replace rows of what were just a few short years ago brand new Dell PCs, but which were regularly breaking down. However, attached to the shiny iMacs are a cheap keyboard and mouse since the aluminum ones might be too expensive, and each and every one was running Windows 7 since they had to connect to the library backend which probably runs on Windows Server. I know that Macs can natively run Windows through Bootcamp (emulation not necessary), but I don't get the idea of using iMacs; if they wanted Macs, they could have bought Mac mini models I think.

Anyways, I say use whatever you like and want, MacOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, Chrome, etc..

 

[Westcoastwild]

I agree, not real Pete Rant. Disappointing.

I always think I'll miss stuff that Apple gets rid of. But no disk drive turned out to be a nonissue. No Microsoft office turned out to be a nonissue after they improved Pages. No thumbdrive port is mostly a nonissue because of iCloud. Really, most collaborative projects happen on google drive now- like the whole emailing back and forth doesn't occur much anymore. No 17 inch laptop annoyed me a bit, but I've found generally that 15 in is as much as I need. I LIKE the desk tops but it's not practical and I'd still end up buying a laptop. So I don't buy a desk top.

People always say apple doesn't allow you to customize your computer. Yeah, but in reality, what they mean is they don't have an excuse to tinker with it. It doesn't get bugs. It doesn't break often. You can always take it to the Apple Store. You can always add an external drive. I get *wanting* to tinker but I don't. I want to sit down, turn on my computer, and get to work. When something goes wrong I want to google my computer issue and find a solution. Which I do with apple. Apple had become the industry standard. Cases are made for its devices, blogs are dedicated to it.

It is SO SO easy to trouble shoot an apple. I trouble shoot for a friend that has windows. She wanted to go cheap. Now I'm not saying all PCs are bad but if you go cheap, they're going to be difficult. If you want the best of the best, you'll be spending almost as much as you would on Apple and you won't have the added benefit of Apple's idiot proof interface.

(I still haven't figured out what people actually get out of having an Apple Watch though.)

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

When something goes wrong I want to google my computer issue and find a solution. Which I do with apple. Apple had become the industry standard. Cases are made for its devices, blogs are dedicated to it.

I do the same with my PC if something goes wrong with it. I find that the "cases" for apple products tend to be more decorative then functional with most things like the iphone for example. Cases for androids wrap around it so that if you drop it the screen doesn't even touch the ground, 've seen more plle with cracked iPhone screens then with a cracked android screen. As I said before It comes down to whatever you like for some Apple has everything they like and for others Android and PC have everything they like.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I do the same with my PC if something goes wrong with it. I find that the "cases" for apple products tend to be more decorative then functional with most things like the iphone for example. Cases for androids wrap around it so that if you drop it the screen doesn't even touch the ground, 've seen more plle with cracked iPhone screens then with a cracked android screen. As I said before It comes down to whatever you like for some Apple has everything they like and for others Android and PC have everything they like.

The only case that I can trust any phone with is an otterbox or life proof lol. But you do bring up a good point- one thing I dislike about iPhones is their relative fragility.

I have troubleshooted a friend's PC the same way. Not saying you can't do it. It just in my experience involves more digging. People who are really into Apple have posted about the same issue hundr de of times before I encounter it.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

The only case that I can trust any phone with is an otterbox or life proof lol. But you do bring up a good point- one thing I dislike about iPhones is their relative fragility.

I have troubleshooted a friend's PC the same way. Not saying you can't do it. It just in my experience involves more digging. People who are really into Apple have posted about the same issue hundr de of times before I encounter it.

The last time my PC laptop died I looked at getting a mac but found for the same price I got a lot less than what I would have spent getting another PC. I've always used Windows and never really had any major problems with it, everytime I have tryed to use a Mac I just get confused about it and don't know where everything is, plus I miss being able to left click on something, a single button on a mouse is pretty useless.

 

[CMDTA]

The last time my PC laptop died I looked at getting a mac but found for the same price I got a lot less than what I would have spent getting another PC. I've always used Windows and never really had any major problems with it, everytime I have tryed to use a Mac I just get confused about it and don't know where everything is, plus I miss being able to left click on something, a single button on a mouse is pretty useless.

One thing I did find when I was running on OSX - the developer community was active and gave all sorts of cool tools out for free. It's hard to find that with Windows.