Bad Apple: Five Classic Apple Marketing Tactics That Lock You In

PC World ^ | Nov 3, 2009 6:15 pm | Dan Tynan

[Swordmaker]

When you buy an Apple device, you're often locked in to buying other Apple products that are compatible with it. Here are five examples, and some advice on what to do. Oh, wait--there's nothing you can do.

Once you enter the Big Tent of Apple, it's exceedingly hard to find the exit.

Over its 33-year history, Apple has consistently elected to limit consumer choice, creating a situation known as "lock in." As soon as you start buying stuff from Apple, you'll find it difficult to move to products made by someone else without losing everything you've already paid for.

Of course, many people don't want to leave Apple's tent. After all, it's filled with iPhones and MacBooks and other cool stuff. And Apple is hardly the only business that tries to lock in customers--wireless carriers (including Apple partner AT&T) are probably the worst offenders. Nor is Apple the only vendor to use one product as leverage to push others onto consumers (let's declare Microsoft the champion there).

But no other technology company exercises the same amount of control over what its customers can and can't do with the things they bought. Part of this approach is due to Apple's deep belief that a closed digital ecosystem with limited options benefits both Apple and its customers. Part of it is due to an all-consuming desire for control on the part of the ringmaster, otherwise known as Steve Jobs.

The bottom line: Apple makes great products, but its marketing practices limit your choices and cost you more money. Here are five classic examples of how the company has done it.

[La Lydia]

I love my Big Tent of Apple. It is large, comfortable, sleek, well furnished, my toys are colorful and fun — and it has never collapsed on me.

[ctdonath2]

Flip side is that “closed digital ecosystem” is a very comfortable place where you can do what needs doing with little fuss. No need to spend prolonged periods trying to decide between a gazillion products that do the same thing just a little differently and with endlessly varying compatibility issues.

Can you do everything within the Apple ecosystem? No.
Do you really WANT to do everything? _really_?

[Swordmaker]

"Bad Apple: Five Classic Apple Marketing Tactics That Lock You In"

It's FUD... PING!

Thanks to Defiant for the heads up...

Mac Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[SkyDancer]

Whenever I go into a store selling software there’s a huge section for PC’s and a very small area for MAC stuff ... and when something good comes out there’s a sign that says something like “coming to Apple soon” ...

[Swordmaker]

Most of these are classic complaints against Apple... it’s a rehash of all of those with the express purpose of instilling Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt in potential Mac buyers.

[Blueflag]

I’d file this article under “REALLY WEAK ARGUMENTS”

point 1: the Apple stuff really works

point 2: everybody waits on Gates.

point 3: People don’t b!tch about Apple and th Apple OS; but almost everyone complains about the MS experience.

point 4: the guy who wrote this article has apparently never owned and maintained a premium brand car.

[mmichaels1970]

Consumers could either shell out the cash for a new iPod or pay Apple as much as $100 (plus shipping) to put a new battery in their existing device. In June 2005

Ruh roh. My mom bought an iPod for my daughter. I didn't know that I couldn't change the battery in it. So we just throw iPods away when the battery goes?

[The_Victor]

Nor is Apple the only vendor to use one product as leverage to push others onto consumers (let's declare Microsoft the champion there).

Of course, when Micro$oft does it, it's illegal.

[SlowBoat407]

So we just throw iPods away when the battery goes?

I've kept Mrs. Slowboat's iPod Mini going for several years by changing the battery.

[Phantom Lord]

No, you don't throw it away. You can take it to Mac stores and other locations and they can replace the battery. Its a sealed device so you can't just open it and put a new battery in. I honestly don't know how often the batteries die or their avg. lifespan.

I and my wife are on iPod number 5, with the oldest being 4 years old. And it is still going strong with zero problems.

But, and its a but that I have heard complaints about. You can purchase a device that will allow you to open the iPod and replace the battery yourself. Success stories using this device range all over the map, with the biggest complaint I have seen is it will mar the finish on the iPod. Of course, the % of people who do not have their iPod covered with some sort of protective case is probably exceptionally small.

[hiredhand]

It's a hit piece on Apple. The bottom line is what the consumers think about the products after it's all said and done. Ask any Apple owner/user of their overall experience and then contrast this against a similarly tasked MS Windows user.

The Apple users practically unanimously love the platform. But the MS Windows users will all voice various levels of displeasure, to downright disgust.

But with OSX, Apple pulled the best dig against Microsoft that they could have. Under the covers, it's BSD UNIX. :-) Grab a shell and the login script will prominently display the BSD license, as required by the terms of the license. :-)

Not many people realize that BSD UNIX is going on 30 years old...perhaps a little older than that! How cool is that?! :-)

[notfornothing]

So we just throw iPods away when the battery goes?

You can recharge the battery through your computer's USB port or a plug-in charger. I've heard that the built-in batteries wear out eventually, but I've had mine for more than three years now and it still holds its charge almost as well as it did out of the box.

[Bob]

Back in the mid-80s (not sure which year), I had an idea for a simple hardware addon board for personal computers. I was faced with a choice whether to develop it for the IBM PC or for Apple's products.

I soon discovered that the specs for the PC's ISA bus as well as the source code listing for its BIOS ROM had already been published and were publicly available. I also discovered that, to make a legal Apple-compatible board, I would need to negotiate a license agreement with Apple's corporate headquarters.

By the end of one weekend, I had a hand-built prototype board installed in my PC and had the initial software running. Had I chosen to go the Apple route, I couldn't have even gotten the legal paperwork started by that point.

[Phantom Lord]

but I've had mine for more than three years now and it still holds its charge almost as well as it did out of the box.

My 160 gig classic is 2 years old and gets multiple hours of daily play and the battery is going just as strong as day 1.

[word_warrior_bob]

Microsoft’s crappy OS forced me under the Apple tent, I’m happy there.

For all the PC tinkerers who build their own computers and know how to take care of them, good for you. I don’t care to know how to tend to my computer, or how to fix my car or put a new roof on my house.

[relictele]

Yes but you missed the opportunity to encase it in white or ivory plastic.

[canuck_conservative]

Best comment following the article:

StalePancake:

“I can only congratulate Apple. How a company can charge 36.6% gross margin for the same hardware every other provider sells at razor thin margins is a testament to Apple’s ability to cloud the judgment of 5.37% of the market.

I don’t hate Apple. I envy their boldness to rob you in broad daylight and smile at you while doing it. But even better, I’m amazed that those being robbed are happy about the matter and can’t wait to be robbed some more.

What’s not to love about that?”

[Mr. Jeeves]

I can only congratulate Apple. How a company can charge 36.6% gross margin for the same hardware every other provider sells at razor thin margins is a testament to Apple’s ability to cloud the judgment of 5.37% of the market.

That 36.6% percent has nothing to do with clouded judgment - it is a "reliability/ease-of-use/good design premium" that people are only too happy to pay.

Apple owes Bill Gates a lot for creating such a hungry market. :)

[Dr. Sivana]

Back in the mid-80s (not sure which year), I had an idea for a simple hardware addon board for personal computers. I was faced with a choice whether to develop it for the IBM PC or for Apple's products.

Don't forget that the Mac SE, IIsi and Mac II line all had different (and incompoatible slots). Of course, IBM was just starting to drop ISA from its machines (in favor of the ill-fated MCA) at the same time.

It is good that we have both types of systems. Also, Apple was very quick to jump on industry standards (slightly modified SCSI, USB, Firewire, Bluetooth) and could make them really stick. Apple, with the iMac, did more to kick-start USB development than all of those Intel motherboards that didn't have an OS for it.

[Vermont Lt]

I am happy with Apple.

They provide me with what I need to get my job done. (I am a photographer.)
They upgrade their products and include things I can actually use.
When i bring in a new piece of equipment, it just works.
I plug in a printer or piece of equipment in my network and it works, without having to delve into the guts of the PC.

The fact that i am not always opening the container and putzing around with the guts is good. I am always tempted to do more than I have training for. And thus, I screw some things up.

Did I mention, it works?

if Government worked like this, I would be lining up for government provided health care. Apple type socialism wouldnt be horrible. (I am kidding.)

[RobRoy]

I have an extremely wealthy acquaintence that switched from iTunes to Limewire, not becuase of the cost, but because of convenience. They had a problem getting some of their iTunes songs to play on their Apple TV systems in their homes and Yachts due to obscure “protection” issues. With limewire stuff you use it as you see fit, kinda like records and tapes were.

[Astronaut]

Apple users are suckers. They pay more for for the same commodity hardware that Dell, HP and others charge far less for. Apple is a company run by hardcore liberals. They are secretive, controlling, and monopolistic. Steve Jobs wants to control what you do with your computer. Microsoft’s products are far better - more secure and more customizable.

[Dr. Sivana]

If you wanted to move the songs you bought at a buck apiece to a cheaper player from a competing manufacturer, you had two options: an onerous process in which you burned your songs to a CD and then reripped them as MP3s, or quasilegal software that essentially did the same thing using your hard drive instead of a disc.

Audible, who has close to a working monopoly on downloadable audiobooks, has the same problem. And it is a LOT more pain to burn a 20 disc audiobook and then convert to MP3 than it is a few songs. (audible is available on PC/Mac and iPhone)

[USMCWife6869]

I’ll say it. I love my iPhone, I don’t care that I have to use iTunes to get my songs and my apps (My Miller Lite one is my fave right now LOL) and I have great luck with AT&T.

[Anastas]

I agree, The reason you don’t want to leave is because everything works well together and it doesn’t crash. If that’s a trap, I’m fine living in it.

[kevkrom]

Ruh roh. My mom bought an iPod for my daughter. I didn't know that I couldn't change the battery in it. So we just throw iPods away when the battery goes?

I have a 3rd generation iPod that's about 5-6 years old. It's still going strong. The only battery problem I notice is that while my freshly-charged iPod lasts for quite a while, if I leave it unused for a couple of days, it has practically no charge left at all. Mrs. kevkrom's 4th-gen iPod doesn't have that problem.

[RinaseaofDs]

Ran into the same buzzsaw in college. That French guy that was in charge of engineering nearly killed that company.

Apple wanted $10K for an SDK. I couldn’t believe it. I said, “You realize I’m an EE student in college. I have loads of time, but no money, and I can get the PC stuff for free, right?”

There attitude was, “Go play on your PC.” So I did. Made no sense then and less sense now.

[Anastas]

“Apple users are suckers. They pay more for for the same commodity hardware that Dell, HP and others charge far less for. Apple is a company run by hardcore liberals. They are secretive, controlling, and monopolistic. Steve Jobs wants to control what you do with your computer. Microsoft’s products are far better - more secure and more customizable.”

My wife had a Dell a gateway and now has a sony. That whole time, I had a the same mac. If you want to compare computers, make sure you compare apples to apples. (no pun intended) My screen was better quality because you can see it at every angle, the parts don’t give out, and the OS is rock solid. Everything works well because Apple controls what comes into the tent. My wife has problems with many 3rd party products. We aren’t suckers, we just like quality. Why do you think GM and Chrysler are failing right now? Because their products suck. Should we keep buying it because it’s cheaper? Your argument doesn’t make sense.

Yes, they are libs, but they make a darned good product.

[Mr. Jeeves]

All the FUD cliches in one single post...well done! Hope your check from M$ Marketing arrives on time. :)

[Revolting cat!]

I eat a Fuji Apple every day.

[La Lydia]

“... point 4: the guy who wrote this article has apparently never owned and maintained a premium brand car....” You get what you pay for. Since I got rid of my last PC (a very spiffy Sony VAIO laptop), with all of its problems, screwed up drivers, blue screens, endless security issues, etc. and got my Mac, I have been a happy, hassle-free camper. I don’t think there is that much difference in what I paid for my Mac and what I would have paid for another VAIO and the yearly Norton anti-virus security fee/mental anguish expenses and trips to Geekland. My Mac is worth every last dollar I paid for it. There is a saying here in my country among capitalists: what the market will bear. I am adult. I can afford to get what I want. I don’t want to have to mess with it to have it function. No innocent animals are harmed in the process. I don’t have any problem at all with people who want to use PCs, I wish them well, and I certainly wouldn’t waste my time insulting them.

[La Lydia]

I have had zilch problems with iTunes, and I am borderline low-tech. Works fine on the boat. But I will check out Limewire.

[Mr. Blonde]

Limewire is P2P software. You are opening yourself up to lawsuit if you use it.

[ctdonath2]

point 4: the guy who wrote this article has apparently never owned and maintained a premium brand car.

For the longest time I wondered what the point was, really, for shelling out big bucks for a BMW, Mercedes, etc.; precision German engineering sounds nifty, but ... why bother?

Then I drove the Autobahn. In a low-end luxury car (Opel).
I understood instantly: _it_just_works_.
When traffic has an average cruising speed of 100MPH, and 140MPH is not unreasonable, you want a car that works _flawlessly_. Every response need be crisp and prompt. Every movement need be smooth and agile. Shaking, sluggishness, and slop are absolutely unacceptable at those speeds and conditions - situations which drivers thereon consider normal.

Likewise Mac v. PC. Yeah, the PC will work, but it's just got that slop, shimmy & rattle going on; drivers don't always work right and often break something unrelated, compatibility is not confident, yeah things are cheaper but then, well, they're cheaper. Yeah, the Mac ain't perfect, but that maligned "lock-in" pays off with much smoother, solid, crisp response.

[La Lydia]

Well. That certainly puts it in a different light. No thank you. And since my iTunes work just fine, no need to figure out something else.

[ctdonath2]

She’ll have moved on to another audio player (probably next gen-iPod or iPhone) long before the battery needs replacing. ...and Apple recognizes this behavior in their users, and works with it by removing all the extra space/weight required to support swappable batteries.

[ctdonath2]

On occasion, benevolent dictatorships work.

[pyx]

I love my Big Tent of Apple. It is large, comfortable, sleek, well furnished, my toys are colorful and fun — and it has never collapsed on me.

I have three questions for you regarding the iPhone made by Apple.

1.) How do you run more than one application at the same time on an Apple iPhone ?

2.) Why do you believe the TECHNICAL MERITS of the Apple iPhone are surperior to say, the Motorola Droid ? An honest comparison of the Apple iPhone using the Samsung S5PC100 ARM Cortex-A8 processor VERSUS the Motorola Droid using the TI OMAP 3430 Arm Cortex A8 @ 550 mHz processor would seem to indicate the TI OMAP 3430 Arm Cortex A8 is clearly superior. If you disagree, please state why.

3.) Please tell me what facts you have to support the OPERATING SYSTEM being used by Apple iPhone as being superior to (we'll use the same example), the OPERATING SYSTEM of the Motorola Droid ?

I'm not trying to start a fight with anyone, the above are just straight forward questions that must be addressed for others to be drawn into the Apple Big Tent.

[Terpfen]

Why do you believe the TECHNICAL MERITS of the Apple iPhone are surperior to say, the Motorola Droid ? An honest comparison of the Apple iPhone using the Samsung S5PC100 ARM Cortex-A8 processor VERSUS the Motorola Droid using the TI OMAP 3430 Arm Cortex A8 @ 550 mHz processor would seem to indicate the TI OMAP 3430 Arm Cortex A8 is clearly superior. If you disagree, please state why.

Spoken like a true engineer, who believes that product quality is directly correlated to a larger bullet point list.

[Defiant]

That is an excellent comment you found.

I feel the same way about Apple. God love 'em, they have found a way to make money. There's nothing wrong with that. Whether I decide to pay more for their products is my choice.

[rwfromkansas]

I like Apple, but I do detest their tight control on things.

It also looks like they finally have found a way to ban jailbreaking of the phone as well.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/173629/new_iphone_3gs_may_be_jailbreakproof.html

With that being the case, I am much more likely to get a Verizon Droid next summer instead of an iPhone like I have been wanting so long. Android is much more open than the iPhone and can do more. The reviews so far are very positive. While the iPhone is cool for its fun games etc. on it, I can get that with an iPod touch. The only part missing would be the phone part or the always-on data, which again....I could get with the Droid on a network that actually works when I go back home in Kansas.

AT&T doesn’t work in Kansas virtually ANYWHERE, only KC and to some degree Wichita.

[pyx]

Spoken like a true engineer, who believes that product quality is directly correlated to a larger bullet point list.

hrmmm... Is it really that obvious ? LOL

[Mad-Margaret]

They call it a tent; I call it a fortress. And I feel very secure with my Mac and other Apple products. No viruses, no trojans, no worms here.

And I’m still going strong with my iBook G4. I absolutely love my iPhone 3GS (but hate AT&T). Mobile Me brings it all together quite nicely.

[rwfromkansas]

I do wish you could get imovie to work on Windows. It’s a great program.

Macs are great, it’s just the darn closed system that can get annoying.

[La Lydia]

I don’t even understand your questions, sorry. I have an iPhone, it works fine with no problems. I have never tried to get it to do something it wouldn’t do. I also have a BB Storm2, from work, which is also very nice and sleek, reliable and easy to use, but usually I just pull out my iPhone. My only complaint, and this is about my previous work BB, is that I used to get a lot of text messages inviting me to raves and gatherings and other social events I didn’t appreciate, because I am not 16 years old. Actually, it was pretty funny. I have no desire to drag anyone into my tent, but I don’t appreciate people telling me I am wrong because I enjoy it. Everyone should choose what makes them comfortable, and go for it.

[Leonard210]

“Most of these are classic complaints against Apple...”

I read it differently. The classic complaints had to do with hardware add-ons that were not compatible or software packages that would only run on a PC. This is a whole new argument that I’ve never heard before.

What they are saying, essentially, is that Apple hardware products are powered by Apple software products. And I’m supposed to be concerned by that? Me thinks someone was trolling for hits.

[Mr. Blonde]

Why is the Droid’s processor better? Isn’t the iPhone processor running faster? I’m not sure of the relative merits of the two chips themselves. Haven’t most of the videos of the Droid shown some lag?

The iPhone OS certainly seems easier to look at and know how to use right out of the box. That is more important to some people than others.

I’m a fan of both OSes personally. But there has been no where near as sexy hardware to go along with Android like the iPhone has.

[dmz]

Apple is a company run by hardcore liberals.

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And Bill Gates political persuasion is ... conservative?

News to me.

When I put my 3rd party ear buds in my 120G iPod classic, I am not listening to politics. I am listening to music. OMG, I just realized, some of that music is being played by hard core liberals.

Steve Jobs doesn’t give a rats patoot what you do with your computer, he just wants to make sure all the money you put into it enters his coffers, and is added to his market share. I think that makes him a capitalist.

I find it hard to believe, here we are some 25, pushing 30 years, of personal computing, and the same tired rhetoric is being used ... only updated.

In 1984, it was ‘friends don’t let friends do DOS’, or ‘the use of the mouse is a sign of terminal computer illiteracy’.

I don’t know about you all, but I use productivity applications to get the job done, not the platform on which that productivity app runs on.

And maybe because I have been in technology education since Ronald Reagan was in his first term as prez (WordPerfect, anyone), the incredibly minor differences in the Mac’s OS and Windows (again talking from an end user stance) are hardly worth discussion.

Both sides need to get over themselves.

[jonno]

Don’t like iTunes?

Try Sharepod - a great freeware tool:
http://www.getsharepod.com/download/