[Photo Credit: http://geekpedia.com, the Apple logo is a trademark of Apple, Inc. ]
As I have tried to illustrate through the reviews on this blog, I have a passion for open source software. I love the ethos, I love the quality, and I love the community. That being said, I’m not one of those people that think it’s open or die- I understand why people choose to make their software commercial, and I can’t say that I disagree with that decision. I think that there are a few different “lines” in the computer world, and it’s important to find the balance between them all and walk it. When you cross a line, it’s hard to go back.
I love Apple’s hardware more than a person should love anything with a circuit board. The feeling I get when I rip open one of those boxes is sadly akin to the feeling you get when you meet someone you really click with- it’s just perfect harmony.
The thing is, Apple knows where the line is and jumps across it like Frogger moving across the interstate. It isn’t really far off to say that Apple is like a dictator. In fact, it’s been said that Apple is like Mussolini’s Italy: sure, he did a lot of terrible things, but the trains ran on time.
I am by no means a fanboy. More than anything, I have bitterness towards Apple and the attitude the company has in general. That being said, there is no other hardware manufacturer in the world like Apple. When you think of quality, you think of Apple. Period. Sure, you pay a premium, but you know that there’s a huge difference between your run-of-the-mill PC and a Mac.
But I’m not just talking about Macs. I’ve never actually owned a Mac, but I have owned many Apple products. My favorite? The Apple Wired Keyboard with Numeric Keypad. I love this keyboard so much I am considering petitioning for the right to electrosexual marriage. It’s everything that the spirit of Apple embodies. First and foremost, t’s a superb design: thin and clean, one that makes all other keyboards look fat and bloated. Not to mention that “patented” feel of an Apple keyboard. The feedback is perfect. You see, this is what Apple does. This is why Apple is where they are.
That’s why I’m writing this post: we can out-Apple Apple. The people in the open-source community need to work on our hardware. I am lucky enough to see on a nearly daily basis the amazing work of the Ubuntu community, banding together to fix bugs, add improvements, and make the user experience the best possible. I want to see that kind of drive in the hardware world. I want people to strive to make things absolutely perfect. I want people to go out and buy a one-of-a-kind piece of hardware that they can truly appreciate, with open-source software driving it and making the entire experience like a perfect harmony between man and machine. Much to their benefit, and often to our dismay, that harmony is what Apple delivers consistently. Kudos to them.
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