NYT: Ideal of Apple Perfection Doesn't Fit the Facts
NYT: Ideal of Apple Perfection Doesn't Fit the Facts
by , 1:50 PM EDT, August 27th, 2008
Lately, Apple has been very successful, stealing market share from the PC business. Along the way, however, Apple's image of infallibility has been tarnished by some recent stumbles. Even so, Apple isn't immune to problems and suggesting that Apple has suddenly developed shoddy practices doesn't fit the facts, according to the New York Times on Wednesday.
John Markoff wrote that there is a flaw in the reasoning that Apple isn't measuring up to its image of technical perfection. Namely, it neglects history and the travails of Apple in the past.
The author recounted the problems Apple had with the Apple III, System 6, [and exception handling in Mac OS 7], and Newton handwriting recognition.
Then there was the debacle with Copland, a good OS that none of the developers wanted to write for. That led to Steve Jobs returning to Apple with a UNIX OS in hand to save the company he founded.
"Apple is many things — but it isn't any more likely to create technically perfect products [more] than its competitors," concluded Mr. Markoff.
Observer Comments
What a shocker, nobody's perfect. Apple takes risks, risk means some things don't always work out as expected or hoped.
Apple's missteps are well known and have been discussed ad nauseum. I suspect this guy was simply getting paid for filler, something to put between the ads. Not work the click.
In Argumentation and Logic, a class I took years ago, they taught us that this was called a Straw Man Argument. The idea is to set up a good looking, but ultimately fallacious premise and then try to impress the audience by beating it up. Politicians use it a lot. Advertising uses it a lot. Journalists should not.
The idea that Apple has an "image of infallibility" is silly to anyone who owned a PB5300, or original Newton, or Puck Mouse, or...
Apple is a company that bets on the future of a very volatile industry. Usually it works, sometimes it doesn't.
I think the interesting thing here is a mainstream publication writing an article that is a defense of Apple missteps. Ten or even five years ago, this would have been a piece on "the last nail in Apple's coffin."
The reputation and 'feeling' that Apple has gained is astonishing. And I love the new world where even the NYT has the audacity to 'Think Different.'
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