The Wall Street Journal’s Walter S. Mossberg spoke with The News & Obsever’s Sue Stock for an article published today in advance of Mossberg’s visit to Research Triangle Park on Wednesday to speak at the InfoTech ’05 conference. A couple of Stock’s questions and Mossbeg’s answers touched on Apple Computer, Inc:
Q:Apple is getting ready to roll out a video iPod, reports say. Do you have one yet?
A:I’m not officially saying there is a video iPod. But if you’re asking if I’ve seen what they’re going to announce next week, the answer is no.
Q:Do you think iPods or Apple as a whole are overhyped?
A:There are two things about Apple. One is they’re a very smart marketing company. And the second is Apple is the object of a cult.
I call it computer theology. There is a church of Apple. I don’t know that they’re overhyped. They certainly generate a lot of buzz about whatever they do and they do have a loyal following that will sometimes exaggerate whatever it is they are doing. But if you look at it through clear eyes, Apple has made a string of really first-rate products over the past few years.
Most computer companies make most of their money selling things to large corporations, and they make a lot of compromises in some cases to please the IT departments in large corporations.
I will tell you I haven’t always been favorable to Apple. I wrote a column in the ’90s telling readers to steer clear of Apple. I’ll turn on them in a New York minute if I think they’re going south again.
Full article here.
Mossberg has always just told it like it is and it seems like he always will. That’s a very good thing and, unfortunately, somewhat of a rarity in the “mainstream mass media” today. While we don’t always agree with him (for example, we felt his Mighty Mouse review was rushed and comparisons to other mice and features were misapplied and pretty meaningless), we’d never question Mossberg’s integrity.
Related articles:
Mossberg: Apple iPod nano scratches easily, get a case to protect it – October 06, 2005
Mossberg: Switching from Windows to Mac – software not an expensive proposition – September 30, 2005
Mossberg: Apple iPod nano ‘beautiful, incredibly thin, and exceeds Apple’s performance specs’ – September 08, 2005
Mossberg: renting music ‘far more complicated and restrictive’ than owning music from Apple iTunes – August 19, 2005
Mossberg offers resources for Windows users interested in switching to Apple Mac – August 18, 2005
Mossberg pans Apple Mighty Mouse, says Microsoft’s latest mouse is better – August 04, 2005
MacAddict gave the Mighty Mouse 2 out of 5 (so-so) in their review. And MacAddict is as pro-Mac as they get. But they too call it like they see it
So maybe Walt was not so far off the mark.
Good ol’ Mossberg…Apple lovin guy. Yeah, so about the cult thing, I was walking home from 7-11 drinking a slurpee and these two computer geeks hit me on the head with a single-button mouse and threw me in the back of their apple u-haul…Now, it appears that I have been a faithful member of the ‘cult of apple’ for 12 years now. We all wear black turtle knecks and jeans and knock on doors to ‘spread the love of Jobs.’
Bring on that video ipod…bring it on.
Andrew Hamilton
Las Vegas Videographers
Hamilton International Productions
http://www.hiproductions.com
He doesn’t really seem to be saying anything.
Yeah, I tried the Mighty Mouse and didn’t like it either. I don’t own a Mac and a two iPods because I’m a “fanboy” either, I do because they’re the best of their breed available in the world right now. And yeah, if Apple ever goes south, I’ll look elsewhere too. This idea that some of the uninformed morons out there have that only fanboys ever praise anything from Apple is idiotic FUD. When Apple does something good I’ll buy it and praise it. But when they don’t, I won’t. The main thing has been that Apple has had far more hits than misses over the past 3 years since I switched from Windows, so I simply haven’t had all that much to complain about so far, but that still doesn’t make me a fanboy. It’s calling it like it is.
Its good that Mossberg keeps an eye on the “Cult”. What would that make him: “Grand Overlord Seer of the Great Cult of Apple”?
Seriously, people use the word cult so loosely today. I don’t think Mossberg has any clue what a real cult involves. Fanatics maybe, but cult members, far from it.
But getting back to technology. Where would the world of computing be today without Apple and without those that stuck with Apple during the “lean” years? Apple is a small company dedicated to making computing more enjoyable and less frustrating, that’s something that should be encouraged not turned against.
Going south? What’s he mean?
Many a time I wish Apple would extend their “market smartness” into promoting OS X *outside* the bounds of the choir hall.
As for Mossberg, very few like him and his ranks will always remain small as the rest are lured by $$ to remain shills.
Bsically, in some variation or other – “going south” means screwing up, going nuts, falling off the wagon, going backwards, depending on how you’re using the phrase.
err .. peculiar that Mossberg would offer such a circumstance for consideration. Maybe he was just trying to illustrate his own independence as a critic?
Hey, my eMac was assembled in Mexico, is it already too late? Have they gone south?
This reinforces the fact that Walt is totally objective. So his praise of Apple products takes on even more meaning. As for the Cult thing, I guess people can go overboard a bit about their hobbies and various machinery they use. Depending on your definition, a lot of professional sports teams have a “cult” following, but they aren’t often labeled as such. The same goes for various automobiles and motorcycles.
I think in the world of computing the “cult” label is often used with regards to Apple Fans so people who have chosen windows products can discount anything said that might imply they made the wrong choice.
“Hey, my eMac was assembled in Mexico, is it already too late? Have they gone south?”
that deserves a RIMSHOT!
=====================
from Wikipedia:
rimshot-
A rimshot is the sound produced by hitting the rim of a snare drum with a drum stick. This effect is commonly used in comedy to punctuate a joke, especially an obvious one. As a result, a particularly obvious laugh line is itself sometimes called a rimshot.
The effect is often accompanied by a cymbal crash, which may also be considered part of the rimshot sequence. If the drummer strikes both the head of the drum and the rim, this is also typically considered a rimshot.
Let’s look at the alternative… MS WIndows? Mossberg needs to give MS credit for their inability to even copy properly… however if Macs are a church, then MS users’ believe in pure VooPoo (spelt correctly)
Pity Mossberg doesn’t mention the illogical MS cult
Going south is an Americanism meaning the further south you go the worse things get.
Us Canadians can see their point.
The mac faithful can be critical about Apple offerings and they vote with their pockets. For example with the G5 towers – they have lost their appeal because of the slow performance increase over the past five years. Luckily Apple have provided an out with the innovations in the iMac. My G4 sawtooth tower will be replaced with an iMac or a laptop when the time is right.
Rob, there’s a point after a fewer-than-you-think more years experiencing the consistency and beauty in using a Mac that you may not become a “fanboy,” but you may give in and don the title “enthusiast”- especially compared with what Windows will likely continue to offer.
You like Apple for the same reason all of us do: their products (not always, but the vast majority of the time) are the best out there.
Three years is a good start.
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Cult….huh, maybe Mac users just appreciate a computer that works. Maybe Mac users are smart enough to look at all the computing options available before deciding which platform to use. Having been well educated in both Windows and Mac OS’s, the more I learned the easier the decision was. Go Steve, Go!!!!!
“Us Canadians can see their point”
LOL!!! ROFLMA!!!
“Us Canadians can see their point.”
Uh, shouldn’t that be “we Canadians”?
Anyhow, i agree that simply choosing the best technology, year after year, does not make one a cultist. On the other hand, since the masses choose crappy technology, i can see where enlightened technology choices might seem like a cult to their primitive minds.
Apple as a chruch? Ha, that’s a good one. There are no greater, rabid fanatics than Windows Winnies. Sure ’nuff!
Also, I’ve been buying and holding Apple stock since the mid 80’s and I’ll continue to do so despite what Mossy and friends say.
Going south is an Americanism meaning the further south you go the worse things get.
Us Canadians can see their point.
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Yeah, I’m sure North Koreans can see their point too… hrmmm
I like my Mighty Mouse. It is not perfect yet, but when I am not using it I miss it.
MDN word: medical
I think this is somewhat needless self-promotion of his ‘integrity’. It’s unnecessary because as a journalist he should report the news, so it might make one a little suspicious. Since the gist of it is that he states he will be honest, it’s really not saying anything.
Why buy Apple products? I like them. In my opinion Apple offers an integrated solution that gains market share (yes, it has been doing that) not because it controls the market, but because it is a better choice. The problem with dumping Apple is that there is no alternative for a lot of people.
Let’s be honest for a while. Sure most of us can use windows just as well as the next guy and probably a bit better than most. We may even have to offer support for it. I am not going to let my parents, grandparents, dependent friends, support group participants, etc, inform me they are going to purchase a PC running windows without objecting on the basis of ‘I’m NOT going to help you out and you’re going to need it.’ In the Mac OS X world that doesn’t happen. The problems are nothing compared to the hell that is windows.
When I say ‘no alternative’ I mean that since the early 80’s (when we had a LOT of different OS and manufacturers) the system has broken down to about 4 commercial operating systems (SGI, SUN, Microsoft, Apple) and a thousand distros of a similar product (linux or bsd). If you want something the average person can use (even the median person) then you can scratch anything free right off the list and take linux w/ professional support along with it. Why not download solaris or buy anything other than Microsoft or Apple? Little to no consumer available software in your local insert_store_name and the majority of pro-apps only run on Windows or Mac OS X.
Unless there is an erosion of Microsoft dominance to a serious degree, there will not be a new entry into the market due to all the capital constraints. Nobody is going to back a company w/ a new OS that says ‘we’re going to take on microsoft’. So there is no alternative and there won’t be for a long time.
As to peripherals (including ipods). I really can’t complain. There are some products that need refinement, but most things are superior to other brands. I’m glad Apple didn’t release a wireless mighty mouse when they first released it. There’s time to get the bugs out on a slightly different take of the modern mouse.
Cult…it’s the Microsoft addicts that always start. They’re going south on each other instead of considering what their machines are doing.
I thought the Mighty Mouse was pretty lame, too. And now there are reports that the “nipple” is causing repetive strains for folks. So clearly, there are some people who don’t like it for a variety of reasons. For me, the side buttons are in an awkward place and the positive clicking action is lacking for the mouse buttons.
MDN should stop pandering to Mossberg. He’s frankly not going to pay attention to this “news” site. And MDN shouldn’t care, either!
Even though Mossberg is a highly regarded expert in consumer technology… and rightly so… what qualifications does he have for stock analysis?? Or, for that matter, determining what is and what is not a cult or church??
I generally respect Mossberg’s opinions, but I truly am shocked by his use of the cult label. If I am a cult member because Apple makes superior products and I choose to buy them, then so is Mossberg. He likes and prefers to use Apple products himself. His professional, objective status would have been enhanced by ditching the word ‘cult’ and using instead such terms as ‘Mac enthusiasts’ or even ‘extremely loyal customer base’.
On the other hand, many Apple enthusiasts have literally invited the label. See:
[url=”http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4464735.stm”>The Cult of Mac Blog </a>which is in the process of changing its domain name to cultofmac.com
Book:<a href:”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/1886411832/ref=dp_proddesc_0/102-4762419-6525722?_encoding=UTF8&n=283155″>The Cult of Mac</a> by the author of the blog previously mentioned.
<a ]BBC articles like this one[/url] don’t help.
Both the title and the cover ofThe Second Coming of Steve Jobs suggest religious overtones even to the casual book browser.
So what do we expect? No one’s going to notice the verbiage?