Apple Introduces AirPods Max, the Magic of AirPods in a Stunning Over-ear Design

[ebivan]

You are right, they are not totally the same. The Thinkpad is much better. Its like comparing a convertible to a station waggon. The convertible looks better, is much more expensive and has no practical use exepct to please the aesthetic needs of the owner and to show of his social status, while the station waggon can transport more people, bigger things, has a better mileage and costs less. I am really much more of a station waggon type of guy.
Well for the haptic qualities, when pressing the keyboard buttons of the MBP vs my Thinkpad, the MBP feels like shit. As for the aluminium body vs what you call plastic on the Thinkpad, the lid of the Thinkpads is kind of a rubber. I personally like modern polymers much more than slick metal. It has much better grip and is not as vulberable to scratches as aluminium. I carry mt Thinkpad to work without a protective case in a backpack every day while my wife works from home and uses a protective case when she is on business trips. Guess what laptop has more scratches... Well, its the aluminium one.
Also the MPB gets really hot on the lap while the Thinkpad is much cooler (and more quiet) under heavy load.
I think the MBP is much more of a lifestyle produkt that looks good on first sight, while the Thinkpad is a workhorse that is made with functionality first and looks last.
But yeah, of course lots of people think metal is better than plastic, otherwise Apple would use plastic, because Apple uses whats best.
Also you just confirmed what I said in the first place, that Apple users are just immune to arguments and always assume that for example desktop experience is more smooth on apple, while thats just not the case. I run several different OSes on my hardware and while MacOS certainly looks really smooth, actual load times are not faster than on other OSes with comparable hardware. Apple just spends a lot of time and money for their design, the outer appearance of the hardware with all the nice finish on the aluminium as well as the smooth appeal of the OS, (yes, Windows looks shit in comparison, thats true) but when it comes to measurable things like load times or computing performance, other premium products will give you so much more value for your money.

My wife carrys 5 adapters/converters with her when she goes on business trips, one for HDMI, one for Ethernet, one for USB, one for Lightning, and one for SD Cards and the USBc charger. So great to have the nice clean optics of the rounded aluminium finish on the desk with a whole zoo of ugly converters around it... While my Thinkpad, which you may find ugly looks much cleaner with all the integrated connectors in the same situation.

 

[Flanker]

That's why I explicitly asked if you knew how much the workers get paid at Foxconn compared to Chinese-owned factories.

Somehow your questions flew right over my head. Foxconn's pay for assembly line workers are generally lower than Chinese electronics factories. In Shenzhen sites that is less than 3K rmb a month for the most basic job. 3-4k is the minimum for Chinese factories. Foxconn has the advantage of stability (unlikely to go bankrupt), and can earn more through overtime pay.

Did you see the people who said they are injecting everybody with chemicals to make them not feel pain or hunger and be more calm and docile? If that's not just like reading a page from Brave New World, then you haven't read the book.

I actually had to write an essay on it in high school. It was a horrifying read.

 

[Frick]

Artificially limited to a select few devices? $549? Not idiots, you say?!? Ok, please explain(in reasonable detail) why making such a purchase is intelligent on any level.
(not holding my breath on that one)

Buyers of AirPods.

As for this, it isn't out yet so there's no way to tell how good it is.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Buyers or AirPods.

Yes.

 

[Frick]

Yes.

I mean buyers of AirPods, the old ones.

 

[PowerPC]

You are right, they are not totally the same. The Thinkpad is much better. Its like comparing a convertible to a station waggon. The convertible looks better, is much more expensive and has no practical use exepct to please the aesthetic needs of the owner and to show of his social status, while the station waggon can transport more people, bigger things, has a better mileage and costs less. I am really much more of a station waggon type of guy.
Well for the haptic qualities, when pressing the keyboard buttons of the MBP vs my Thinkpad, the MBP feels like shit. As for the aluminium body vs what you call plastic on the Thinkpad, the lid of the Thinkpads is kind of a rubber. I personally like modern polymers much more than slick metal. It has much better grip and is not as vulberable to scratches as aluminium. I carry mt Thinkpad to work without a protective case in a backpack every day while my wife works from home and uses a protective case when she is on business trips. Guess what laptop has more scratches... Well, its the aluminium one.
Also the MPB gets really hot on the lap while the Thinkpad is much cooler (and more quiet) under heavy load.
I think the MBP is much more of a lifestyle produkt that looks good on first sight, while the Thinkpad is a workhorse that is made with functionality first and looks last.
But yeah, of course lots of people think metal is better than plastic, otherwise Apple would use plastic, because Apple uses whats best.
Also you just confirmed what I said in the first place, that Apple users are just immune to arguments and always assume that for example desktop experience is more smooth on apple, while thats just not the case. I run several different OSes on my hardware and while MacOS certainly looks really smooth, actual load times are not faster than on other OSes with comparable hardware. Apple just spends a lot of time and money for their design, the outer appearance of the hardware with all the nice finish on the aluminium as well as the smooth appeal of the OS, (yes, Windows looks shit in comparison, thats true) but when it comes to measurable things like load times or computing performance, other premium products will give you so much more value for your money.

My wife carrys 5 adapters/converters with her when she goes on business trips, one for HDMI, one for Ethernet, one for USB, one for Lightning, and one for SD Cards and the USBc charger. So great to have the nice clean optics of the rounded aluminium finish on the desk with a whole zoo of ugly converters around it... While my Thinkpad, which you may find ugly looks much cleaner with all the integrated connectors in the same situation.

Ok, I'm not going to interfere in your marriage but it really seems like you are just trying to convince your wife here, not others.

"The convertible looks better, is much more expensive and has no practical use exepct to please the aesthetic needs of the owner and to show of his social status, while the station waggon can transport more people, bigger things, has a better mileage and costs less."

Many creatives and programmers like myself would highly disagree with that assessment. I can do way more work on a Mac or Linux than I can do on Windows. Windows is only good for a few games for me these days, that's it. Many people only use Macs at work because that's actually all their employer lets them use. And I'm not talking about some small startup that does nothing but paint scribbles all day. IBM recently switched completely to Macs after doing a study on what computers they should use. The study is actually pretty eye-opening if you are willing to go beyond your Mac hate.

IBM: ‘Mac users are happier and more productive’

IBM, which has embraced Apple hardware in a big way, says the employees who use Macs are more likely to stay at the company – and are more productive. The insights came at this weeks Jamf Nation User Conference.

www.computerworld.com

 

[Deleted member 24505]

I mean buyers of AirPods, the old ones.

Whats the battery life on them? I would try some if they worked on my note. but tbh they won't sound anywhere near as good as the wireless AKG phones i use, that have 20+ hr battery

 

[lexluthermiester]

I mean buyers of AirPods, the old ones.

Stay focused.

As for this, it isn't out yet so there's no way to tell how good it is.

For $550 they better be made of gold and sound like the singing of actual heavenly angels. Otherwise it's a very foolish purchase and a literal waste of money.

 

[ebivan]

Ok, I'm not going to interfere in your marriage but it really seems like you are just trying to convince your wife here, not others.

Many creatives and programmers like myself would highly disagree with that assessment. I can do way more work on a Mac or Linux than I can do on Windows. Windows is only good for a few games for me these days, that's it. Many people only use Macs at work because that's actually all their employer lets them use. And I'm not talking about some small startup that does nothing but paint scribbles all day. IBM recently switched completely to Macs after doing a study on what computers they should use. The study is actually pretty eye-opening if you are willing to go beyond your Mac hate.

IBM: ‘Mac users are happier and more productive’

IBM, which has embraced Apple hardware in a big way, says the employees who use Macs are more likely to stay at the company – and are more productive. The insights came at this weeks Jamf Nation User Conference.

www.computerworld.com

Well, you are as blind in your love of Macs as I am in my hate. Bust since you have not brought up any answers to my arguments on either my first or my second post I guess you have none.
BTW, my wife was sold on not getting a Mac for work anymore after the first two months with that machine. Now after three years she can pic a new laptop for work and will get probably get one from Dell.
The only good thing about that MBP is, that we can buy it off her employer now after the three years for 300 bucks and since Macs are very stable on that 2nd hand market, we'll make quite a handsome profit on selling that bloody thing off to some other blind Mac lover in January

 

[deu]

As a mate noted when we discussed the design:

As a mate noted when we discussed the design: (Plumbus from rick and morty)

 

[bug]

Artificially limited to a select few devices? $549? Not idiots, you say?!? Ok, please explain(in reasonable detail) why making such a purchase is intelligent on any level.
(not holding my breath on that one)

Because there's an Apple logo on it, du-uh.

 

[Frick]

Stay focused.

Chill man. Tigger implied people who bought AirPods were idiots, I said AirPods were good and people who bought them weren't idiots, and that is were you came in. My comments weren't about these new ones, apart from the very true statement that they are not out yet so I can't know how good/bad they are.

Whats the battery life on them? I would try some if they worked on my note. but tbh they won't sound anywhere near as good as the wireless AKG phones i use, that have 20+ hr battery

OTOH they are tiny. You can't really compare small in ear wireless plugs weighing ~5 grams with big over ear headsets, at least not on battery life, which according to reviews is about 5 hours on the AirPod Pro. I have some Huawei Freebuds 3i with a 3H battery, which is not enough IMO. But again, they weigh a few grams and I can wear them under a wool winter hat.

 

[GreiverBlade]

stunning?

that would not be my word of choice ... also the name ... genius ... so much "woaaaahhhh", pricing wise hum .... the usual "baffling" come to my mind, as with all Apple product

but hey! one more overear headset on the market

 

[silentbogo]

Even though I dislike Apple, I'm gonna stir-up this subjective mess of a thread with some "alternative" views:
1) mediocre circumaural ANC headphones cost upwards of $200. Excellent ANC headphones cost upwards of $300.
2) Dual CPU with powerful DSP costs money. Even if you don't use it or don't need it - it's there.
3) Additional features(proximity sensor and other trinkets) also cost money. Same thing - even if you don't need it you still pay for it.
4) Being compatible only with Apple devices is nothing new. That's why it's called "Apple Ecosystem". Android smartphone owners aren't the target auditory.
5) If some of you refer to Airpods being compatible w/ other devices, you should note that you automatically lose half the features and you switch to run-of-the-mill A2DP for audio transmission. That's why airpods objectively sound better on iPhone(and have better battery life as well).
6) Having those abovementioned processors and upgradeable firmware gives you prospects of improving existing features or adding new ones throughout the lifespan of the product (for example, better power management, faster device switching, and spatial audio for airpods). No one offers that kind of flexibility yet.
With all of the above that "Apple Tax" people like to mention doesn't look that unreasonable.
I'm not gonna join the debate of whether it's too expensive or not, but I do honestly believe that many people will buy those even at $549, some to accompany their $1000 iPhone Pro Super Max Ultra-Ultimate, most out of habit (apple headphones for apple phone, staying in the "ecosystem" for the sake of convenience and regardless of cost), and some if they actually see all those features compelling.

 

[milewski1015]

I don't love or hate Apple. Dislike them more than I like them though. I've only used iPhones, and used a mid-2012 MBP for 5 or so years until it died (wouldn't charge - replaced battery, replaced charger, didn't want to send it away for a $200+ logic board repair/replacement when I was saving to build a PC). As was mentioned, their build quality is usually second-to-none. And if you're not opposed to their walled-garden ecosystem, it's a pretty unrivaled experience. But they also charge an arm and a leg while employing anti-consumer practices - this is a nice compilation of examples:

Let's not forget about the $5,000 Pro Display XDR that charged an extra $999 for the stand. You might think, "Oh, I'll just VESA mount it instead of buying this super overpriced stand". Sike, you need a $199 VESA mount adapter to do that. What about the $699 wheels to replace the Mac Pro feet? The whole thing where they started slowing down iPhones to preserve battery life without telling the user (which IIRC they're still being sued over)? The 2020 Macbook Air that gets insanely hot because the only fan inside is nowhere close to the CPU?

Given the success of the Airpods, I can imagine these will be pretty good. If you can afford to throw $549 at a pair of headphones, go for it. But as a consumer, I prioritize bang for buck, and I can't imagine these offer much in the way of that.

 

[medi01]

Apple article:

nothing special - check
orgasmic tone - check
orgasmic tone starts in title - check

yeah, indeed an Apple article. One wonders if it is for free or not.
It should not be.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Let's not forget about the $5,000 Pro Display XDR that charged an extra $999 for the stand.

Exactly. It was a hunk of aluminium that cost $30 to make. Now I'm willing to be fair, if these headphones are high quality, which they likely are, then a premium price is not out of the question. $250 or $300 is perfectly reasonable if they are of excellent quality. But there is no fraking way $549 is reasonable price for any set of headphones in 2020.

 

[PowerPC]

Well, you are as blind in your love of Macs as I am in my hate. Bust since you have not brought up any answers to my arguments on either my first or my second post I guess you have none.
BTW, my wife was sold on not getting a Mac for work anymore after the first two months with that machine. Now after three years she can pic a new laptop for work and will get probably get one from Dell.
The only good thing about that MBP is, that we can buy it off her employer now after the three years for 300 bucks and since Macs are very stable on that 2nd hand market, we'll make quite a handsome profit on selling that bloody thing off to some other blind Mac lover in January

Well, I gave you an actual study on why Macs are objectively better for a company that bought 200.000 MacOS devices for all of their employees. That was my answer to you but I guess you are not interested in facts, just opinions.

My favorite part from that study is this, quote:

"Today, IBM has just seven people supporting 200,000 macOS devices in contrast to the 20 needed to support the same number of Windows devices, IBM said at JNUC. This means it costs IBM 186% more to support Windows than it does Macs."

PS: I just hope your wife doesn't hate you after forcing her to buy an overpriced Dell with that awesome fake carbon fiber plastic wrap. And have fun being her tech support guy for longer than necessary because you don't value your time.

Somehow your questions flew right over my head. Foxconn's pay for assembly line workers are generally lower than Chinese electronics factories. In Shenzhen sites that is less than 3K rmb a month for the most basic job. 3-4k is the minimum for Chinese factories. Foxconn has the advantage of stability (unlikely to go bankrupt), and can earn more through overtime pay.

It really raises the question of how every factory in China can afford to pay the same as a Taiwanese company. That probably explains why they are hurrying up to implement actual slavery. They must be in dire need to get the money from somewhere. Something seems very off with China now, if they have to resort to that... Maybe they're on the brink of collapse like the Soviet Union was under Gorbachev? Yea, now is the best time to not support that piece of shit government with our money. And I'll still gladly buy from Foxconn, even if I'll have to live with Apple prices. I'm crossing my fingers.

I actually had to write an essay on it in high school. It was a horrifying read.

How were you allowed to write an essay on the camps? I assume you are no longer in China?

 

[Flanker]

It really raises the question of how every factory in China can afford to pay the same as a Taiwanese company. That probably explains why they are hurrying up to implement actual slavery. They must be in dire need to get the money from somewhere. Something seems very off with China now, if they have to resort to that... Maybe they're on the brink of collapse like the Soviet Union was under Gorbachev? Yea, now is the best time to not support that piece of shit government with our money. And I'll still gladly buy from Foxconn, even if I'll have to live with Apple prices. I'm crossing my fingers.

Chinese companies paying competitive wages means they are implementing slavery and about to collapse?

How were you allowed to write an essay on the camps? I assume you are no longer in China?

What camps are you talking about? I am Taiwanese and grew up in New Zealand. I work for a Chinese company right now because it pays better than previous Taiwanese companies I worked for and the management are much more respectful to their staff.

 

[PowerPC]

Even though I dislike Apple, I'm gonna stir-up this subjective mess of a thread with some "alternative" views:
1) mediocre circumaural ANC headphones cost upwards of $200. Excellent ANC headphones cost upwards of $300.
2) Dual CPU with powerful DSP costs money. Even if you don't use it or don't need it - it's there.
3) Additional features(proximity sensor and other trinkets) also cost money. Same thing - even if you don't need it you still pay for it.
4) Being compatible only with Apple devices is nothing new. That's why it's called "Apple Ecosystem". Android smartphone owners aren't the target auditory.
5) If some of you refer to Airpods being compatible w/ other devices, you should note that you automatically lose half the features and you switch to run-of-the-mill A2DP for audio transmission. That's why airpods objectively sound better on iPhone(and have better battery life as well).
6) Having those abovementioned processors and upgradeable firmware gives you prospects of improving existing features or adding new ones throughout the lifespan of the product (for example, better power management, faster device switching, and spatial audio for airpods). No one offers that kind of flexibility yet.
With all of the above that "Apple Tax" people like to mention doesn't look that unreasonable.
I'm not gonna join the debate of whether it's too expensive or not, but I do honestly believe that many people will buy those even at $549, some to accompany their $1000 iPhone Pro Super Max Ultra-Ultimate, most out of habit (apple headphones for apple phone, staying in the "ecosystem" for the sake of convenience and regardless of cost), and some if they actually see all those features compelling.

Amen! If you actually want all those things, you have to pay for each one. And nobody else actually offers all of that, no matter the price!

I'll add some of my other points here that also impact the price. "Even if you don't use it or don't need it - it's there."
7) The design. Good designers are expensive and Apple pays them, a lot.
8) The materials. Those headphones look mostly made from actual metals. Aluminum is costlier than plastic. Smelting and molding it is far more expensive. But still, it's widely seen as the better choice for the environment as it's far more recyclable! Also, you can send your old Apple products to an Apple store and they will recycle it responsibly for free.
9) Build quality and easily the highest production standards in the industry!
10) One of the best and most accommodating warranties in the industry. I often heard that Apple replaced people the whole MacBook 3, 4, or 5 times because of a faulty keyboard (the dust problem with their old scissor switches). Even if they make mistakes, they actually take responsibility for them!
11) They don't work with (or hire) Chinese state-owned companies (at least none that I know of) as Google does. They are attempting to move out of China into India. They know it's a massive liability to work with China because they're customers actually care!

7-10 actually cost money, even if you don't care about these things. I've included 11 in this list because of the moral cost.

Chinese companies paying competitive wages means they are implementing slavery and about to collapse?

Let me be clear. Nobody can sustain paying competitive wages, if they don't have the income. Where do you think China is getting the money? What is China's net worth (= income - expenses)? I doubt it's very high. They may even actually be on the brink of collapse. I say "may" because who knows? It's not like China would ever admit this or share the actual numbers with other countries. They want to be seen as powerful, so any signs of collapse (like dropping unsustainable wages) would be detrimental to that. Catastrophic even for their "successful" image. But in the shadows, they are resorting to slavery now to uphold this image with money they earn from said slavery. If you're actually powerful, you don't need to rely on actual slavery to earn enough money to uphold the image of high wages for their workers (at least some of them). Do Chinese people even care about this, if they're getting the money? They're acting very complicit if you ask me. To avoid a revolution, the government is playing its people like a fiddle. At least they know what its People only care about: Money! Remember that video with VW, BMW, and Nike paying China for their slave labor? It's not hard to add up what China is making from them and how they are able to uphold their image of high salaries elsewhere. Here is another small list of companies that are paying China to do this. If you are working for a Chinese company, you're directly profiting from this. I don't know how much of your monthly salary comes from this, but it's definitely enough.

What camps are you talking about?

Uyghurs for sale

www.aspi.org.au

"Since 2017, more than a million Uyghurs and members of other Turkic Muslim minorities have disappeared into a vast network of ‘re-education camps’ in the far west region of Xinjiang, [10] in what some experts call a systematic, government-led program of cultural genocide. [11] Inside the camps, detainees are subjected to political indoctrination, forced to renounce their religion and culture and, in some instances, reportedly subjected to torture. [12] In the name of combating ‘religious extremism’, [13] Chinese authorities have been actively remoulding the Muslim population in the image of China’s Han ethnic majority.

The ‘re-education’ campaign appears to be entering a new phase, as government officials now claim that all ‘trainees’ have ‘graduated’. [14] There is mounting evidence that many Uyghurs are now being forced to work in factories within Xinjiang. [15] This report reveals that Chinese factories outside Xinjiang are also sourcing Uyghur workers under a revived, exploitative government-led labour transfer scheme. [16] Some factories appear to be using Uyghur workers sent directly from ‘re-education camps’."

I am Taiwanese and grew up in New Zealand. I work for a Chinese company right now because it pays better than previous Taiwanese companies I worked for and the management are much more respectful to their staff.

I think your Taiwanese management was actually just the more honest one. People often confuse honesty with disrespect. They also often confuse better pay and 'acting respectful' with actual respect.

This is just the next Chapter of the corrupt Chinese government to make money after intellectual theft stopped working or being enough. This means they must be in trouble though. Best time to stop supporting this madness by not buying anything from state-owned Chinese companies. There are enough alternatives, even in China. Foxconn for one.

 

[Flanker]

Let me be clear. Nobody can sustain paying competitive wages, if they don't have the income. Where do you think China is getting the money? What is China's net worth (= income - expenses)? I doubt it's very high.

So you don't actually know any figures huh

Your Taiwanese management was actually just the more honest one. People often confuse honesty with disrespect. They also often confuse better pay and 'acting respectful' with actual respect.

Nope, they were ass holes. Doing everything to waste your time outside your working hours. I can also tell the difference between paying me more and not treating me like crap, thank you very much.

Uyghurs for sale

www.aspi.org.au

That's not relevant to me writing an essay in a class in high school

 

[milewski1015]

Well, I gave you an actual study on why Macs are objectively better for a company that bought 200.000 MacOS devices for all of their employees. That was my answer to you but I guess you are not interested in facts, just opinions.

My favorite part from that study is this, quote:

"Today, IBM has just seven people supporting 200,000 macOS devices in contrast to the 20 needed to support the same number of Windows devices, IBM said at JNUC. This means it costs IBM 186% more to support Windows than it does Macs."

Claims from an IBM employee at a conference for Apple IT admins =/= a study.

"There are 22% more macOS users who exceeded expectations in performance reviews, compared to Windows users."
Correlation does not imply causation. What's to say that the Mac users weren't already higher performing and just happen to prefer Macs to PC?

"High-value sales deals tend to be 16% larger for macOS users, compared to Windows users."
Correlation does not imply causation. Again, we have no way of knowing that it's the Macs that are leading to these higher-value sales.

"macOS users are 17% less likely to leave IBM, compared to those who use Windows."
Correlation does not imply causation. Are you sensing a pattern here? You can't conclude that Macs are the reason that people are less likely to leave IBM.

"MacOS users are happier with the third-party software availability within IBM — just 5% of macOS users ask for additional software, compared to 11% of Windows users."
And...wait for it...correlation does not imply causation. With Windows making up a significantly larger percentage of the worldwide OS usage (https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/desktop/worldwide), it can be assumed that developers are more likely to develop programs compatible with Windows. Larger target audience means greater downloads/sales. Less third party software options to choose from could certainly yield less requests for 3rd party software on the Mac side of things.

 

[ebivan]

Well, I gave you an actual study on why Macs are objectively better for a company that bought 200.000 MacOS devices for all of their employees. That was my answer to you but I guess you are not interested in facts, just opinions.

My favorite part from that study is this, quote:

"Today, IBM has just seven people supporting 200,000 macOS devices in contrast to the 20 needed to support the same number of Windows devices, IBM said at JNUC. This means it costs IBM 186% more to support Windows than it does Macs."

PS: I just hope your wife doesn't hate you after forcing her to buy an overpriced Dell with that awesome fake carbon fiber plastic wrap. And have fun being her tech support guy for longer than necessary because you don't value your time.

Well, I don't really care what IBM thinks. IBM may just have gotten a sweet deal from Apple like "You (IBM) endorse our products, we (Apple) will give you a shitload of Macbooks for next to nothing (or for the price of comparable, regular priced hardware at least)". We don't know. Btw, Apple has been doing exactly that with filmmakers for product placement in their movie and TV productions for decades (just google "apple product placement").

Anyways I explained to you, what my personal experiences were and gave you a list of examples, why I believe Apple products are a bunch of overpriced and overhyped crap that is not really better or worse than other premium stuff but much more expensive and you failed to pick up any of my arguments.

Also, I don't force my wife to do anything. She decides what hardware she gets from a list of possible hardware that her employer supplies and then buys for her. Furthermore I don't know how you come to believe that my wife needs any kind of tech support from me. She is a professional consultant in automotive software development and works for a German car company. She certainly doesn't need support from me. I hope that was not some kind of "woman don't know anything about tech" remark!

 

[Deleted member 24505]

China on the brink of collapse omg so funny I spat coffee on my tablet.

 

[Flanker]

Well, I don't really care what IBM thinks. IBM may just have gotten a sweet deal from Apple like "You (IBM) endorse our products, we (Apple) will give you a shitload of Macbooks for next to nothing (or for the price of comparable, regular priced hardware at least)". We don't know. Btw, Apple has been doing exactly that with filmmakers for product placement in their movie and TV productions for decades (just google "apple product placement").

Anyways I explained to you, what my personal experiences were and gave you a list of examples, why I believe Apple products are a bunch of overpriced and overhyped crap that is not really better or worse than other premium stuff but much more expensive and you failed to pick up any of my arguments.

Also, I don't force my wife to do anything. She decides what hardware she gets from a list of possible hardware that her employer supplies and then buys for her. Furthermore I don't know how you come to believe that my wife needs any kind of tech support from me. She is a professional consultant in automotive software development and works for a German car company. She certainly doesn't need support from me. I hope that was not some kind of "woman don't know anything about tech" remark!

Apparently Apple products are so good, they allow their users to understand a stranger better than her husband