If you were to sum up my current relationship with Apple, it would be, in true Facebook style, it’s complicated. Things are not what they used to be several years ago, and the technology world has changed dramatically.
I used to be the biggest Apple fan, and as somebody who has used its products for well over a decade, I have a lot more history with them than most. The first Mac I used was the Powerbook 170 followed by the iMac G3, while the first product I actually owned was the original iPod back in 2001. My family has never owned a Windows machine, nor had I until this year, I’ve been using Apple products all my life.
I’m telling you this to emphasize how difficult and complicated what I’m feeling now is.
I’d guess that my moving away from Apple probably started from about the time of Steve Jobs passing/release of iPhone 4S, coincidence or not, that’s up for you to decide.
So why? Why am I moving away and predict a future for me (eventually) without Apple devices unless something drastic happens. Before I do though, I’d like to clarify certain things.
From a build quality and design perspective, there is absolutely no doubt that Apple is still miles ahead of the pack. That will probably never change.
Secondly, Macs are still awesome. Apple still supports quite a few older Macs going back to 2007, and they are undoubtedly the best computers you can buy. So while I’m moving away from Apple in some ways, other things will stay exactly the same.
So why switch now?
The world is catching up. Only several days ago did Google unveil its impressive lineup of devices, including the Nexus 4, the Nexus 7 and the Nexus 10.
Here’s the way I analyse this: you either want the hardware or the software. I’ve been going with the software for a long time, but now I want to see what it’s like with top notch hardware.
The Nexus 4 has NFC, induction charging, an advanced panorama mode. Arguably better hardware than the iPhone 5, but here’s the best bit: it’s only $299 unlocked, less than half the price of the iPhone 5 unlocked.
The Nexus 10: higher resolution than Retina, 10 inch screen, and $399. $100 less than the 4th gen iPad. Better hardware for less money.
I’m using Google’s products purely as an example, but I can also think of others: the Lumia 920, the Galaxy SIII and a few more.
The second main reason is that I’m not entirely sure which direction Apple is heading in. Some poor decisions over the past year, including hiring John Browett as well as Maps and Siri have left me wondering.
I’m not going to criticize Tim Cook. He’s doing exactly what Steve Jobs wanted him to do. Be his own man and not think ‘what would Steve have done?’. However Apple will forever live in the shadow of Steve Jobs, that’s pretty much inevitable. He is irreplaceable.
Having said that, Apple today needs that crazy mind. That’s exactly what they’re lacking. It doesn’t matter at what position in the company, just somebody who can say this is the next big thing. That’s very rare, but there will be a few out there.
Finally, there comes a time when the difference in hardware is so great you can’t ignore it. A time when the OS doesn’t matter as much because of the latter. And that time is now.
It will be hard to let of the iPad and the iPhone, mainly because of the apps and the OS, but I’m eager to use the better hardware. I might switch back who knows. And I might not even switch right away. But I will eventually and soon, if anything just to get a taste of the other side.
