It has started bothering ME for a while now. Not because I don't want people to get what they want...

One of my bosses has an iPhone, simply because he can use it out-of-the-box (he's a non-techie), because he likes the interface of the phone app and all in all to him it's one of the more comfortable phones to use for business.

Perfectly legitimate reasons, so no problem with that. Actually, I once got myself an iPhone, too, because back then it was the only phone I could afford with a real internet browser. The interface never grew on me, but that's just preferences.

Yet what REALLY irks me - and actually makes me shiver in fear - is the by far larger part of the Apple followers.

(And don't take that personally - from the fact that you're actually literate enough to formulate your answers without every other word being "cool", "freakin'" and "looser" makes me believe that you're not one of those... :P :P :P )

A loose acquaintance of my mother once tried to brag with her oh-so wonderful iPod, that featured this revolutionary new technology called playlists (aha...?) and some other things unseen so far like "displaying the freaking name of the song!!!". And when I showed her my portable media player with unlimited on-the-go playlists, on-screen lyrics, video playback, optional TV antenna and FM functionality, her reply was: "Yes, but it's not made by Apple!"

Religious fanatism has always been highly dangerous, and that's exactly what blindly following every word of Steve Gods... sorry, Jobs... has turned into. I swear, the next preacher that tries to convince me that "this is exactly what you have been looking for this past 30 years - believe me, give it a try" will make the acquaintance of my old iPhone. Rectally.

Clearly these researches did not include a lot of the more intellectual tasks? At least I would like to know how people are supposed to write a scientific essay without multitasking. Write a sentence, save, close the text application, open the browser, find a piece of information, close the browser, open the text application, load the file, find their last sentence, add the new piece of information (provided by then they didn't already forget it)?

I know at least I am definitely more productive with my IDE in the foreground, an API collection just one click away, a browser behind that so I can instantly look up solutions to any problems I might encounter and a music player in background to fight off the screaming silence that would else kill my concentration.

True, multitasking can be a pain when kids are supposed to do their homework but their minds are more occupied with the constant influx of ICQ/Facebook/Twitter/whatever-they-are-all-calld messages, the cool series running on TV, their phone ringing in between those times when they are not writing text messages and their desktop buddy chasing their mouse pointer... :P

But people who are more responsible WILL concentrate on one thing and will only make the computer do the multitasking.

I hope it does supports multitasking with the eMail app and the internet browser? Because it's a real pain keeping myself from laughing out loud whenever I hear something like "I'll send it to you once I'm on my PC. I've already started writing a mail and don't want to loose that just so I can open your stupid website!".

(If they are finally implementing multi-tasking... why not FULLY?)

1) Then why is Apple trying to sell their products as such?

2) Like I said before, both UI and design are a matter of preference. I dare say I'm tech savvy (okay, I breath electro smog and my alphabet soup is made of "1" and "0" noodles ), but I never got used to the iPhone interface. Memories of that on-screen keyboard still make me wail in pain and I got myself a bag as soon as possible in order to get rid of that curved back.

I wouldn't even say that they managed to design something that most people like. I think they are just really, REALLY good at PR and turning everything into a hype.

(Not say that just because I don't like it they are not top notch at designing - I just really don't think that's the reason for their sales.)

3) Again, I don't (and I dare say very few of the other "haters") have a problem with those who prefer UI and design of Apple's products.

What's dangerous is those who would eagerly spend a fortune on a stone, if only it had a rotten apple painted on it's back, on one hand - because once those stones make the better part of the market share, producing computers and selling them at normal prices will no longer be attractive and EVERYBODY will be forced to deal with the painted rock.

And on the other hand those who love Apple for taking away their rights because "If I cannot decide, I cannot decide on the wrong thing, right?" are a rather disturbing sign of a rapidly declining society.

The current trend of "Please take me by the hand, I'm afraid of the free will monster" will eventually take us back into the Dark Ages, and by then us independent-minded people will either be forced to feign obedience or be burned as witches again.
(Allegorically... :P)