"Now we're seeing a dark side of the surging Apple empire"

I'm sorry, but this made me laugh after all the years of people bitching about Microsoft's "monopoly." Some people just can't sit back and enjoy the good things that life provides.

That's just poor programming/software development. As a computer programmer myself I can tell you that one of the rules of good programming/software development is to test for every possible condition.

Like Microsoft it looks like Apple isn't willing to do what it takes to produce a quality product.

It's always a money issue. Like most anything you get what you pay for. Good programmers/software writers aren't cheap but Apple and Microsoft are. So that's why you get faulty products.

All they care about is that you fork over the money to buy their product. They don't care what happens after that.

In Apple's defense on this, beta testers said the beta version of iOS 4 worked well on the older iPhone. Something unexpected happened in the final release. Apple says they're working on it. Meanwhile it is not difficult or risky to go back to the old OS. But you may have to set up the phone all over again if you do it.

Apple is experiencing some fairly serious quality control problems these days

No, not really. And the iPhone was not designed, built, or tested to be "tethered".

Does Apple always make perfect products? Of course not--nobody does. Apple probably works harder than any other technology company at trying to get the human-technology interface right. There's a reason why companies look to make "iPhone killers" instead of "Droid killers" or "Samsung killers". Almost all the time, Apple sets the bar for this kind of tech that the rest of the industry has to follow.

http://daringfireball.net/2010/07/lyons

Toyota? but with out the acceleration problems.

I'm getting an Android next.

My wife loves her iPhone, but having everything go thru iTunes and then have Steve Jobs decide if I can use FLASH or view porn (maybe not the same thing morally, but you get my idea) is disconcerting.

I guess I should be happy we don't see Apple boutiques with little clone-clothes yet.

have Steve Jobs decide if I can use FLASH or view porn

There are several technical reasons why Flash is not a good choice for mobile devices. Even Microsoft and Google agree, and are working to move away from it. So--buy that Android quick.

And, you can already view porn on your iPhone--just use the web browser. What you're *really* saying is "I can't buy an app that finds the porn on the web for me.

Seriously--*that's* what you're unhappy with?

For those unhappy that technology evolves (including things like Flash):

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2010/06/google_launches_9.html;jsessionid=PDTPS4C0OHVJLQE1GHPSKHWATMY32JVN

BTW, the iPhone 4 is not a 4G:
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1653278/ten-reasons-iphone-4g-bad-idea

But surely you're not going to wait for DELL's "Streak":
http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2010/07/26/daily46.html?ana=yfcpc

Or the other Mr Steve's tardy and still enviously imaginary offering:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/microsoft-ceo-tablets-are-job-one-for-company-2010-07-29?siteid=yhoof

Please remain in the cult of AAPL: my 401(k) needs you.

Apple has always had glitches: swelling batteries, smoking power supplies, and software bugs galore. Now that its products are more popular, they have more impact. Two things help, and make the comparison to Microsoft favorable to Apple: first, they seem to be smart about things, and when problems arise they go to work on them, even if they don't communicate with the public in just the ways that the media think they should; and second, there is a mass of users that visit blogs, especially those at http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa?categoryID=1, and share problems, complaints and fixes.

PC vs Cult.

Groan!

The biggest problems with both systems, imo, is PEBKAC. Battery problems exist for non-PC (think cameras,etc.) apps as well.

The problem lies in trying to follow Moore's Law to stringently. Moore's Law is about technology, not people.

Intel, at least, recognizes this with it's tick-tok approach. Both Apple and PC's benefit.

Stay tuned. Things most likely to get worse until we design people out of the loop.

But then....?

"Seriously--*that's* what you're unhappy with?"

Seriously unhappy with everything going thru iTunes. Technically the iPhone OS is pretty primitive (nu multi-tasking until now.) I'll give them credit they have design and the bells and whistles down and beat the Windows guys hands down for look-n-feel.

Without quoting Jobs, tell me why FLASH is so bad? For code compactness and YouTube it seems OK.

The control freak mentality at Apple cost them in the past and it will cost them again.

BTW, the iPhone 4 is not a 4G:

...And neither is almost any network in the world.

But surely you're not going to wait for DELL's "Streak"
...Which is not primarily a phone, or an iPhone competitor.

Or the other Mr Steve's tardy and still enviously imaginary offering

Nobody makes a "Microsoft tablet" killer. They want to make an "iPad killer"--including Steve Ballmer of Microsoft. Wonder why that is? Must be because of some magic "cult" of Apple followers.

Apple has always had glitches

...just like every other technology company, past or present.

Now that its products are more popular

The iPod has been hugely popular for about a decade. I'm not sure what "now" means to you, but customer satisfaction with it has been unprecedented for technology.

Two things help, and make the comparison to Microsoft favorable to Apple

Only pundits stuck somewhere around 1999 (and, strangely, Steve Ballmer) compare Apple to Microsoft anymore. They're not the same kind of company, and haven't been for a decade or more. There are quite a few observers (even the Wall Street Journal and NYT) that see that these two companies aren't really competing with each other directly.

there is a mass of users that visit blogs, especially those at http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa?categoryID=1, and share problems, complaints and fixes.

True enough, I think. I think it's bizarre how Apple gets lambasted for striving to make technology that works really well for humans. It's as if people don't actually understand what "striving" means. They want to demonize attempts at excellence, turning it all into some weird "good vs. evil" cartoon view of the world that they learned as teenagers.

In Apple's defense on this, beta testers said the beta version of iOS 4 worked well on the older iPhone. Something unexpected happened in the final release. Apple says they're working on it. Meanwhile it is not difficult or risky to go back to the old OS. But you may have to set up the phone all over again if you do it.

Posted by Allan L. | July 30, 2010 6:52 AM

I always enjoy reading posts like this after having to listen to the endless anti MS tirades from the apple cult in the late 90s-early 2000s. I got so much crap from apple users when I expressed skepticism over OSX after using OS9 and G3 machines. Apple computers were crap just as PCs if they weren't built with decent specs. A cheap Win98 box ran just as badly as a "super computer" Apple G3/G4 with not enough ram/cpu speed aka their "cheap" model.

Note, I'm no MS fanatic but many many apple fans want it both ways. The products become part of their hip lifestyle. Sadly, many companies to sell more products seek to emulate that mindset.

Seriously unhappy with everything going thru iTunes.

Why is that unsatisfactory?

Technically the iPhone OS is pretty primitive (nu multi-tasking until now.)

Few smartphones have had multitasking until recently. It's a new technology. Also, there's a strong correlation to battery life. Why is multitasking a critical feature for you?

I'll give them credit they have design and the bells and whistles down and beat the Windows guys hands down for look-n-feel.

There's a heck of a lot more going on with technology making than "bells and whistles" and "look and feel". Those are the superficial, first-glance results of years of hard work to make something easy. Making something easy to use is very, very hard. It's why most technology products are "good enough"--people settle for buggy, expensive, problem-laden software all the time, becuase they think that "good enough" is all there is.

Without quoting Jobs, tell me why FLASH is so bad? For code compactness and YouTube it seems OK.

"compactness" is one of the main things Flash *doesn't* have. Also, YouTube is testing HTML5 in preliminary testing to move away from Flash. Flash was what was available at the time, so YouTube used it. Flash is notorious for causing problems and crashes. Flash was never intended (or designed) for mobile devices; it crashes them, eats up battery life,

Oh, and if you use Wikipedia--it's abandoning Flash, too. Google's headed there. Even Adobe's headed there, for those paying attention. Again, I say--better buy that Flash-supporting Droid soon, while their marketing campaign of "we're not the iPhone" is still going.

But again--why is Flash a critical feature for you?

The products become part of their hip lifestyle.

The #1 purchaser of Apple personal computers (Macs) are families. So much for another mythological "cult".

Sadly, many companies to sell more products seek to emulate that mindset.

ALL companies selling consumer products seek to characterize the consumer as "better" if they buy the product. That's what marketing is.

"But again--why is Flash a critical feature for you?"

Because a lot of content is enabled for FLASH.

"Why is multitasking a critical feature for you?"

Because of the lag in stopping/starting apps. I have Windows Mobile now and having to open up a XLS does take a while if I don't leave it open.

"Why is that unsatisfactory?"

I guess nothing if you don't like open-sourced software. Ultimately, I think iTunes will be looked at for revenue generation more than providing content.

I guess nothing if you don't like open-sourced software.

I *do* like it, but (1) "open source" does not mean "free", and (2)"open source" is not really what's being done on mobile devices. It's not collaboratively-made/improved software. The Droid, for example, slings the term "open source" around to mean "anybody can sell crap to our phone users".

I can go to Walmart to buy any crap I want, too, but it doesn't mean I think that Walmart's variety of crap makes it superior to other stores.

Ultimately, I think iTunes will be looked at for revenue generation more than providing content.

I think you're at least partly right about that.

"The products become part of their hip lifestyle."

I think the Apple haters that infest this blog are like (or simply are) the bike haters, confusing their disdain for some insufferable people with the toys that give those insufferable people a woodie.

I'm as unhip as they come, and was an expert Windows user. When I had had enough all-nighters fighting to try to get support for my many computers, I went and bought an iMac. In the 3.5 years since, I have probably logged no more than 2 hours total on computer maintenance tasks ... and that includes an update to the OS and addition of a Macbook and a Time Capsule (automatic wireless backup device -- for both machines -- and router) and the addition of voice dictation.

That's why I helped my 71 year old retired MD neighbor -- and she's about as unhip as me -- select an iMac ... because now she isn't frantic all day about viruses and doesn't pay a huge performance (and money) penalty for her AV software. She was Skyping with her daughter in DC within 45 minutes of opening the box and has had no issues -- none -- in a year of daily use. As her "tech support" dept, I drift over there every now and then to download software updates in return for pie. Life is good. I would never do that for a windows user, because of the time required.

Neither of us is hip or cool, and outside of these recurrent threads, I never have to discuss my computer with anyone, because my computer has become like a light for me ... it just works whenever I want it to and sits there quietly otherwise. The extra money I've paid for the three apple devices I own is more than made up for in the value of my time-not-wasted with MS.

Only pundits stuck somewhere around 1999 (and, strangely, Steve Ballmer) compare Apple to Microsoft anymore.

That's a pretty wild statement. They still compete very directly where personal computer operating systems are concerned.

I just jailbroke my iPhone 3G, running iOS 4.01. Took all of 10 minutes using the guide provided here:

http://jailbreakmatrix.com/

The trickiest part was finding the software download. Hint: Google the name of the file and you'll find alternative download sites.

Here's a pictorial guide to installing the software:

http://jailbreakmatrix.com/jailbreak-iphone3g-4.0-multitasking

Please note:, they merely modify the existing Apple software.

Now I have multitasking so I can have Pandora running while I'm checking mail, texting, etc. Kind of annoying to lose Pandora while its playing through the speakers in the car just for the passenger to answer a text or look up a map. It also fixed the problem you described above as I also had the same problem with thumbnail display.

"I can go to Walmart to buy any crap I want, too"

Or you could shop at Nordstroms only where they only let you buy Nordstroms' branded stuff a la iTunes.

At least if you go to Walmart, you can also go other places.

Now I have multitasking so I can have Pandora running while I'm checking mail, texting, etc.

Or, you could've just installed Apple's latest software update, iOS4, and did it simply. I've been doing the same thing for a month, no "jailbreaking" required.

It also fixed the problem you described above as I also had the same problem with thumbnail display.

So does shutting down and rebooting your phone.

What'd odd here is that you couldn't have the picture problem unless you upgrade to iOS4, but you claimed you needed to "jailbreak" your phone to get an iOS4 feature.

I have an iPhone 4, and it's worked almost flawlessly for me, much better than my old 3G. Being an appaholic, the main problem I've found is that apps that ran fine under the old operating system often have problems with 4.0 (or 4.0.1 now, I believe) if they haven't been upgraded.

This might help explain why even the iPhone's native apps are a bit glitchy running 4.0 on a 3G, as the 3G is underpowered for what 4.0 offers.

If you're pondering an upgrade to an iPhone 4, I can testify that the 4 is almost like a whole new phone to me. It's that much faster, cooler, and more capable.

The improved GPS positioning is terrific. I use several GPS apps (primarily Navigon for driving and AccuTerra Unlimited for hiking) and they lock onto satellites even indoors almost instantly. Much better than my dedicated Garmin does, even. I get a much stronger wi-fi signal with the iPhone 4 also.

Because a lot of content is enabled for FLASH.

A lot of content enabled for Flash isn't going to run well on your mobile phone's CPU, whether it's an iPhone or not, and I say that as the guy who wrote the first Macromedia Press book on Flash more than a dozen years ago and someone who was seriously hoping to use the iPhone export capabilities of Flash CS5 before Apple put the kibosh on it.

Not surprisingly, mobile devices don't have the graphics processing power of a desktop or even a laptop computer. And just as many designers built sites that clogged people's internet tubes and loaded slowly in years past, there are people (many of them the same people) who built Flash movies that can run fine on desktop CPUs but chug along or even fail on mobile devices or even older desktops.

There are actually some rational reasons behind why Apple stomped on the Flash export tool for the iPhone that go beyond the public "Steve Jobs hates Flash" theme. A primary one was that the Flash export process circumvented Apple's Xcode development system, meaning that new capabilities in the iOS (like mutitasking and Game Center social networking) couldn't be added to Flash-developed content until Adobe released an update to Flash. Flash-developed iPhone projects would have lagged behind other apps unless Adobe could be counted on to continually update their exporter in tandem with Xcode development system (which has been updated itself probably six times in the past couple of months).