Dear Apple,

I think it’s time to reconsider your corporate culture. Yes, you’ve enjoyed a huge success over the past few years, but it seems that, somewhere along, you’ve lost your way. Gone are the days that you were a company that fostered innovation (remember the Apple II?). You’ve been replaced by a company that zealously locks down all of it’s content going after anybody that even considers a threat so hard that it’s even been blamed for suicides.

Then came 2010.

We already knew that your corporate culture was leaning towards douchyness. While it’s admirable (sincerely admirable) that a corporate CEO would take the time to answer personal emails, but Steve, did you have to answer them so damned arrogantly?

But, this was the year where you, Apple, seem to have become the poster child for corporate douchebaggery. What, you ask? Well, it’s the year that you sent in the hounds to raid  Gizmodo Editor Jason Chen’s house over a prototype iPhone.  (Even after Gizmodo had handed the prototype back to you.)

And it’s also the year of “AntennaGate,” or “How to Bungle a PR Response by a Corporation.” Yes, Apple, you managed to bungle this issue way out of proportion. Sure, all phones, particularly overtly complex phones, are bound to be hit by bugs and hiccups, but you painted yourself into a corner, Apple. By first dismissing the antenna problem, they claiming it was a “software issue,” you skirted around the issue and placed the blame on everybody else, particularly the users, except yourself. But then, Consumer Reports dropped a tactical nuke by not recommending the iPhone 4, the same phone they had just claimed was the best smartphone ever.

Ouch.

(But hey, Jobs says it’s just that we’re holding the phone wrong.)

What will you do now, Apple?  Admit you were wrong and issue a recall that could cost you $1.5 billion? Send everybody nice little bumpers to cover the metal edges? Or just cover your hears and scream “I KNOW NOTHING! NOOOTHING!” in a bad German accent?

But that’s not all. Even Wall Street is pouring salt on the wound. Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconagh said,

“Perhaps the bigger, longer-term concern for Apple investors is the emerging pattern of hubris that the company has displayed, which has increasingly pitted competitors (and regulators) against the company, and risks alienating customers over time,” Sacconaghi wrote. “Examples of its behavior have included its limited disclosure practices (Steve Jobs’ health; plans for deploying its cash balance), its attack on Adobe’s Flash, its investigation into its lost iPhone prototype (which culminated in a reporter’s home being searched while he was away and computers being removed), its restrictions on app development, and its ostensibly dismissive characterizations of the iPhone’s antenna issues (i.e., phone needs to be held a different way; a software issue that affects the number of bars displayed). The worry is that collectively, these issues may, over time, begin to impact consumers’ perceptions of Apple, undermining its enormous prevailing commercial success.”

And that’s the problem, dear Apple. You’ve thought of yourself as invincible, the top dog. You’ve dared think of yourselves as a company that can do no wrong.  And now, when you were faced with an issue with one of your products, you were at a loss on what to do. (Almost like Toyota, if you ask me.) If you had responded in a swifter, more agile manner, the reception problem would have not even been a blip on most consumers’ radar. But since, in your mind, you cannot EVER fail, you tried to shift the blame away from yourself and shoveled dirt for your own hole.

(Next time, consult with Microsoft. They’re experts on damage control after launching crappy products…Vista anybody?)

What to do now? Well, for one, you’ve got to realize that you’re not infallible. You’re gonna make mistakes and you’re gonna produce flops (remember the Lisa? And the Pippin? I bet Jobs still has nightmares about that.) You’ve got to place your feet on the ground and realize that you, as a corporation, are mortal. In order to be more competitive in a market that each day is more and more open, you should start rethinking your philosophy of closed as a business model. Sure, iTunes is huge now and the iPhone is selling off the charts, but nothing lasts forever and companies that don’t change their business models in tune with the time, die a slow, agonizing death.

(For more info, ask the RIAA.)

You’ve got to realize that, right now, there is no good way out of Antennagate. But you need to bite the bullet and accept to yourself and to your consumers, that you were wrong. And that you will do something to make it better.

And, while you’re at it, try to bring back all that charm that made the old Apple cool. The underdog approach to business, the creativity, the genuine love for technology, beyond dollar sings.

We want that Apple back.

Sincerely,

GeekFeed.

PS: For the sake of transparency. No, I’m not an “Apple hater.” I do enjoy some Apple products, even though I am fully entrenched in the PC camp. I fully understand that both companies, Microsoft and Apple, have their faults and flubs. Although I’ve been very vocal in the past about Apple, the one thing I am annoyed by the whole “Apple Fanboy Culture,” which is, sadly, due to the aforementioned Apple hubris.

First a disclaimer. Contrary to popular belief, I am not an Apple hater. In fact, I really like some of their designs. I own a bunch of Apple gadgets and love them to death. On the other hand, I think iTunes is horribly designed and, although I understand the appeal of Mac OS, I feel much more comfortable running a Microsoft OS. So call me “Apple neutral.” Or maybe an “Apple skeptic.”

(Although, if there is something I hate, I hate with a passion is iDouchery.)

I was anxiously awaiting Steve Jobs’ keynote yesterday, as much as any other techie geek in the world, regardless of status as Apple fans. I wanted to see what the promised “iSlate” or “iTablet” would bring. The iPod changed the music business forever, and the iPhone was, arguably, the device that brought the smartphone to the masses. So, we were expecting big things from Jobs this time as well. The result? Undeniably underwhelming. Sure, there is potential, but like every bleeding edge device, I suspect this gadget will basically appeal to the Apple fans. The iPad will probably languish in relative mainstream obscurity, like Apple TV, something some diehard fans will fawn over but the rest of us will “meh” over. At least, in this its first, of probably many, incarnations.

It is undeniable that tablet PC have a future in the market. But, with the iPad (iPad??? Seriously??? [Insert Feminine Hygiene Product Joke Here]), Apple has come below expectations of what a game changing tablet needs to be. First, let’s look at where the iPad comes short:

1. High price

There is no way around it. The damned thing is too expensive. The basic model, the ones that lacks 3G wireless capability and has only 16 gigs of storage, will run you $499. I can get a netbook that runs circles around the iPad for hundreds less. Sure, it won’t be as “sexy,” but your wallet will thank you.

2. No built-in camera

Ok, let me get this straight. The freaking iPod Nano has a video camera, but you couldn’t cram in one into a max-sized iTouch? Built-in cameras have become a staple of almost all gadgets, from Game Boys to cellphones. Consumers expect them. Apple, please, put them in the iPad 2.0

3. No USB ports and no memory card reader

This severely limits the iPads’ functionality. Basically, the only way you can input data, such as photo and music files, is by WiFi. This assumes that the user has a home network set up that runs flawlessly, something that many consumers don’t. One of the beauties of the iPod, and one of the features that has made them ubiquitous, is that any user, no matter how computer illiterate they are, could just plug in their device into their computer and download music from iTunes in a jiffy. Apple should seriously consider adding an USB port or two to the second incarnation of the iPad. It will add a lot of value for the consumer to be able to plug in their gadgets, like their camera, and be able to automatically sync them with their tablet.

4. No multi-tasking

I can understand the lack of multi-tasking on the iPhone, it preserves battery life, but the iPad the same battery life as a netbook. Why limit its functionality this way?

5. No Adobe Flash support

Which means, all your Internet browsing will be crippled. No wasting hours playing silly Flash games, no watching Hulu. Once again, a netbook can do all of this, so why pay more for an iPad?

6. It’s Apple locked-in

Which means you can only use applications that you download through Apple. This makes sense for Apple, they get a nice cut of all app sales, but it cripples the platform as a whole. For a new concept like a tablet to work well in the mainstream, it needs to be flexible. Locking in the platform kills all flexibility. You can’t even run any kind of media you’d like. It only accesses iTunes videos and music.

7. Lacks HDMI port, comes with a 4:3 aspect ratio, not 16:9 widescreen

8. No built-in stylus support

Can you imagine how awesome a tool the iPad would be if an artist could draw directly into it? Or if it would recognize your handwriting and turn your notes into a text document? Now, that would be a great tool to have.

So, even though you have a stack of iTunes media you bought through Apple, you can’t stream it into your TV in its full HD glory. Peachy.

Still, the iPad is not without it’s merits. It’s sexy, will probably come with a huge marketing blitz and has potential to revolutionize the way we use our computers. If Apple manages to fix these omissions in the iPad 2.0, it will have a product to be reckoned with, an essential gadget for the forward looking geek. A game changing product that becomes a paradigm shift in the market, much like the second-generation iPod was.

But, as it stands at launch, what Apple has presented is a product with the same functionality of an iTouch or iPhone but with none of the portability. It’s basically a really expensive gadget to browse media, that’s either already in your computer or that you bought directly from Apple, and browse a crippled Internet. There is a market for that, no doubt, but don’t expect it to be the mega hit the iPhone is.

So, I’ll pass. For now. I’ll keep watching and waiting for the iPad 2.0.

Oh, and I am fully prepared to eat my words if the future proves me wrong.

PC World recently published the results of the NPD Group’s “2009 Household Penetration Study,” which has some interesting data on Mac owners.

According to PC World, the study found that:

• 12 percent of U.S. computer-owning households now own a Mac, up from 9 percent in 2008.
• Nearly 85 percent of Mac households also own a Windows-based PC.
• Two-thirds of Apple households own three or more computers.
• Only 39 percent Windows PC households how three or more computers.
• Mac owners are also more mobile, with 72 percent owning a notebook, compared with 60 percent of Windows PC households.
• The average Mac household owns twice as many consumer electronics devices as the average computer-owning household: 48 to 24.
• 36 percent of Mac owners report household incomes greater than $100,000, only 21 percent of total households make the same claim

These are very interesting finds. First, it’s not a huge surprise that Mac users generally have greater incomes and have more gadgets. Mac hardware tends to be more expensive than Windows-running hardware. To get a Mac, you need more cash. You can easily get a full featured, Windows-based rig for less than $300, you’ll barely get an iPhone for that.

What I find remarkable is that 85% of Mac users also have a Windows-based system. You might want to ask all thise iFans in your life why is it that Mac users feel the need to have Windows available while Windows users can easily live their lives ignoring everything Apple, except maybe iCrap (and that infernal contraption known as iTunes)?

I think the short answer is that Microsoft has become so ridiculously ubiquitous that you need to work with its OS every once in a while, since not everything runs on a Mac. Even if you are a Microsoft hater, you have to admit you’ll probably be forced to use Windows for some applications every once in a while.

And this is what sets Microsoft apart from Apple. While Apple just needs to program an OS that works well with a certain amount of hardware configurations (that are produced and controlled mostly by Apple itself), Microsoft has to design an OS that works with a massive amount of different hardware configurations from every manufacturer out there. It’s a huge task. It’s both a boon and an Achilles’ heel for Windows, it’s able to be everywhere but to do so, it’s forced to be bloated and prone to security holes, since its so massive, it’s basically impossible to check all its code for flaws.

So, there is your trade-off as a consumer. Run a Mac, which costs a lot more, but might be more stable, or run a Windows system, which is much more flexible but can be a lot more unstable as well. Or, learn some skillz and run Linux instead.

What you stick on the back of your ride says a lot about who is the one behind the wheel. Let’s look at some stickers Geeks put in their car’s bumpers and what they say about themselves, shall we?

What is says about you:

“Look at me, I am an iWhore! I will try to preach the Gospel According To Saint Jobs at any possible opportunity! Your Windows machine? It sucks! Even if it cost hundreds less than my Mac! I don’t care if I have to send my rig to Apple for any silly repair, instead of doing it myself! I love sleek design and shiny finishes! My friends detest me and I can’t play any of the cool new games!”

or

“I just got myself an iPhone!”

What is says about you:

“Yeah, I was an iWhore before it was cool to be an iWhore. Before the Dark Times…before the Intel switch.” (Thanks to izqrdo for this one!)

“If you don’t know what this is, I laugh at your technological inferiority. If you know what this is, we can have a beer. If you have one of this on your own car, we are brothers.”

“Look at me! I was coding limericks on BASIC when you were a spermatozoa in your dad’s unmentionables! Bow down to my superiority, little grasshopper! Bow down NAW!”

“I will put any kind of crappy sticker on my car.”

“I am fraking cool and I am fraking funny and witty…also, I like to say frak. Frak, frak, frak. Motherfraker. I fraked your dog…I mean, your daggit. Frak.”

“I want a beany…and I think handlebar mustaches are sexy. And I’ve recently discovered yet another use of ballistics gel…*wink, wink, nudge, nudge*

“I need to get laid.”

“I REALLY need to get laid.”

“I gave up on getting laid.”

“Who needs to get laid when there is XP to be had!”

MacRumors just posted an interesting tidbit of information. First, the iPhone is going to be sold in Wal-Mart late this month and second, and most importantly, they are set to debut a 4GB model of the smartphone for only $99.

Sounds too good to be true, right?

Well, thus far it’s just a rumor, so don’t hold your breath. But it sounds just like Wal-Mart to offer a dirt-cheap version of an existing product, doesn’t it? Although at 4GB, this iPhone seems somewhat limited, it might be the perfect price to really push the iPhone into everybody’s hands.