[Porsche-O-Phile]

Quote de jcommin

I try not to feed into the Apple monster. No I-phone (I have a BB), no I-pad (nexus 7) and no iTunes (not for a very long time).

Google is a bigger monster than Apple imho. The reality is you're just picking one borg over another. Oddly enough, of the big 3, MS is probably the least annoying these days, with Apple second and Google in an increasingly scary first place.

Agree. Microsoft seems to be turning into what Apple used to be and Apple is becoming more like what Microsoft used to be. That said, I do love the industrial design of Apple stuff (Microsoft totally stunk here for years but is getting better) and the seamless integration (again, Windows / Micosoft were dreadful here until recently, probably because they realized this was part of the reason Apple was eating their lunch).

Google scares the crap out of me frankly. I deliberately don't use any of their sites or products (other than Google Earth, which I love, and Sketchup, since I need to stay proficient in my field). I deliberately block Google analytics and other sites of theirs with Little Snitch. They (IMHO) epitomize "Big Data" and everything about it that I find offensive. Yea, I made some good money off their stock on the way up a few years ago and I can admire their geek culture, but they have just gotten way, way, way too big and too interested in all of our personal lives in an unsettling, NSA-esque sort of way.

I know Apple profiles like crazy too but I (for whatever reason) am more inclined to trust them than either Google or Microsoft. Maybe I'm just looking backwards but I can't bring myself to consider Microsoft products, probably because they used to be so heavy-handed and monopolistic. Then again, I wouldn't ever consider buying a GM product too, even though they're not the same company as from the 70s and 80s and (like Microsoft) make some darned cool stuff now. I guess I just can't shake those memories of sucky, rust-bucket, rattle-trap, planned-obsolescence GM vehicles and far too many hours of my life wasted under them trying to keep them from disintegrating underneath me.

I have to say the Surface tempted me for a few seconds. Like I said, Microsoft stuff has come a long way. I can't and might not ever get over their past sins. Apple hasn't (yet) done things to sour me on the brand.