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John Dvorak Is an Apple Basher

John Christie - 2002.06.26

My Turn is Low End Mac's column for reader-submitted articles. It's your turn to share your thoughts on all things Mac (or iPhone, iPod, etc.) and write for the Mac web. Email your submission to Dan Knight .

John Dvorak recently posted an article entitled E-Mac, I-Mac, No Mac. I initially wanted to ignore it, but now it seems to be getting all this ridiculous buzz. I hope the summary of it makes clear to the intelligent reader why it is ridiculous.

Dvorak proposes that Apple drop the Macintosh and go on to invent something new. His main reason is that Apple isn't going to come out with something new in terms of computer evolution any time soon. He credits Apple with genius for the original Macintosh and genius for coming out with Mac OS X a scant year ago. However, since nothing new is coming soon, as far as he can tell, the Macintosh should be discontinued.

Dvorak claims that he is not an Apple basher.

With an argument like that, what else could he be? Let's call a spade a spade here. Suppose Dvorak is absolutely correct in everything he says - does it support his assertion that a profitable product with a loyal user base should be canceled? There is no suggestion that the Macintosh is damaging the industry in any way; it isn't particularly harmful to the environment, children, or pets.

Yet Dvorak feels it needs to be discontinued.

The only cost he suggests is that there has been a tremendous waste of R&D resources in the world. If that is your problem, dump on the people who are the biggest wasters. Ask Microsoft why they haven't come out with a clearly better solution with an R&D budget that dwarfs Apple's.

Who told John Dvorak that it is Apple's job to invent everything new in the computer industry or pack up and go home?

According to Dvorak's logic, all PCs should be discontinued. There aren't any real significant plans for improvement soon, not any more so than for Macintosh. Dell isn't in danger of inventing some new way of interacting with technology (or anything else, for that matter).

The box manufacturers are limited by Microsoft. The next version of Windows will have about half of the features currently promised (if history proves any measure) and will be less of an advance than the next Mac OS X on Macintosh.

Nothing new is happening, so it should all be scrapped.

No, John Dvorak, you are a blind Apple basher with nothing better to do than write silly columns. Give us all a break and admit it. You didn't come out and lambaste any of the PC manufacturers for jumping on the bandwagon when Apple started making cute computers, you only criticized Apple. You don't criticize the rest of the industry for failing to really innovate, only Apple (which is arguably the most innovative of all, especially per dollar).

There's no other way to interpret what you say other than as an Apple basher.

The only request I have is that while you are admitting to it, how about finally telling us why. There's lots of speculation, but the real answer can only come from you.

Share your perspective on the Mac by emailing with "My Turn" as your subject.

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