That article conveniently leaves out many other related and possibly “contradicting” facts; I have a hard time saying they are contradicting, because as I said, I can’t tell what he is trying to say. My conclusion: as far as I can tell, it is pure “fantasy”.

Mark: The linked article is a translation from Russian, so it’s a little rough.

The point of this post isn’t that Apple is “conspiring” against us, the poor and the ignorant. The point is, Apple’s growing, from being a media darling, to a controversial company.

It seems as if Apple has changed its focus away from its original strength, namely the Mac hardware, and the Mac OS. I wanted to point that out.

Well gee, what gave you a clue? Possibly that name change from Apple Computer Inc to Apple Inc back in January?

So far in 2007 - a year where they said upfront that the first 30 years were just the beginning - Apple has entered two new markets, did a moderate revamp of the iPod line, and two days ago released a new OS. Oh yeah, and the long-awaited AppleWorks replacement cam out in August.

Last Monday Apple reported Mac sales of nearly 2.2 million in the previous quarter - a record by 400,000 units. While their focus has changed, clearly it doesn’t equate to ignoring their computer line.

For you to link to a Russian conspiracy-believer post who actually hints that Apple actively supported having their iPhones hacked for the sole purpose of screwing the buyers of their products is a disservice to your readers.

Scatterism? Well, at least you’ve lived up to that.

The quality of their recent products was what tipped me off. But maybe I’m being too sentimental about it.

Changing focus doesn’t necessarily mean ignoring other product lines. But it wouldn’t be a first for Apple to concentrate on a product, just to lose the market with another. The Mac product line hasn’t been getting much love, even though it’s been selling pretty well. Maybe that’s also due to the name change.

Now setting a sales record doesn’t mean much. Think about it. If your product doesn’t live up to the hype, then you’ll only end up with more dissatisfied customers. The last thing you want is to piss off 2.2 million customers. Keep in mind that 2.2 million aren’t all converts, though I’m sure part of those 400,000 are.

“…Apple actively supported having their iPhones hacked for the sole purpose of screwing the buyers of their products”

The article does hint at Apple supporting hacked iPhones, but it suggests Apple’s doing it mainly to achieve their 10 million units goal, even if, along the way, it hurts its partners and mobile carriers.

What I don’t understand is why articles, such as the one I linked to, are usually ruled as a possibility. Apple did punish many blogs for simply publishing leaked stories. And I bet Apple, just like any other business, is willing to take drastic steps to secure market share. The only difference is that Apple knows how to keep a secret.

http://tmUL1ky.spaces.live.com/