What we cover: David Pogue stops by to talk his brand new book “Apple: The First 50 Years” — perfect timing as the company hits that milestone iOS 26.4 and 26.5 get the security treatment, plus some cool RCS encryption additions and Maps improvements Apple kills off the Mac Pro with zero successor in sight — what’s that all about? Vision Pro is actually getting pretty solid for gaming and streaming now Epic Games scores another win against Apple in the 9th Circuit
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode with the conversation with David Pogue and after David left the show, the further discussion among the group about Apple history. As the show progressed it seemed to follow a pattern I have noticed over the past few weeks of almost exclusively negative comments about everything Apple. I have watched the show for many years and have enjoyed and benefited from the show covering both positive and negative aspects of Apple projects, software, company perspective, etc. It may be me (and maybe my state of mind these days) but it seems the show is presenting all or mostly only negative comments. I have heard Jason jump in at times to present the opposite perspective but not very often. Has anyone else noticed this? If not, I will assume it is just me!
I am still on the David Pogue part, but there has been a lot to criticise Apple for over the last couple of years, such as the Epic case, as noted during the David Pogue segment. Instead of Apple seeing that they have done wrong and have been found guilty, they refuse to leave the sinkung ship.
It is the same with the regulations in Europe, instead of complying, they fight the regulations and when they are forced to comply, they still don’t fulfil their duties and complain in a loud voice, when they are brought up before the beak again. And this is happening all over the world, yet, they can’t agree that the world is right and they are wrong.
For all the good that Apple does with its products, they are also their own worst enemcy, especially when it comes to public perception. They still, probably, have the best reputation among the Big Tech companies, but being the skunk that smells the least still means you are a skunk and isn’t something to be proud of.
I have also noticed that trend. Although I have watched most of the episodes since Alex’s departure, they no longer provide the same level of enjoyment. They have ceased to be a “must-watch” show for me.
When I bought David’s book back last summer on Amazon I actually expected it to be a big coffee table book like Jason described. I didn’t anticipate it being a dense book full of words. I’m not the biggest reader. I’ve been trying to read it though, because it’s an incredibly beautiful book & I appreciate the full colour pictures.
I ordered the book and the Audible version (I have a couple of credits at the moment) this morning, before I went to work. The book is due to be delivered Wednesday next week. I am looking forward to it.
The last Pogue book I had was the Missing Manual for OS X Tiger or Leopard, I think.
I couldn’t agree with this more. No one has ever disputed that Apple makes great products. They do - hands down. Their hardware designs are excellent (if sometimes limited unnecessarily). But the company behaves as if it is above the laws . They had the arrogance to believe they could lie to a federal judge and get away with it - something not really seen since the Microsoft trial days when MS spliced together a horribly misleading video of Windows 95’s integrations. And after that demonstration, Apple still insists that you trust them while making themselves so opaque that you have no way to verify whether that trust is justified short of legal discovery.
They treat developers who have the temerity to want more options than Apple provides with disdain. They act as if only they have the taste and ability to design secure systems.
And if none of that was enough - the company is so petty that after 20+ years, they still have not invited @Leo back to their events. Whether he minds or not is irrelevant. It offends me because it is so unnecessarily childish and petulant.
With all of that said - I really enjoy the current panel of MacBreak. All of them are clearly fans of Apple, but they don’t have the self-centered perspective of some previous hosts - and they definitely don’t excuse bad actions or behavior. The candor in that regard is very refreshing and a main reason why I continue to listen.
I certainly agree with the criticism of Apple and count on the panel to highlight and dive into these issues. It just seems (to me anyway) the discussion is not as balanced as it was in the past. I tend to tune out shows when they continually berate a point, whether positive or negative. Point and counterpoint always makes for a lively and fun show to watch!
This is one of the things about Windows Weekly that I like. Paul likes Windows, but he is constantly pointing out the flaws and idiosyncrasies of the OS, as well as the quirks and shortcomings of Microsoft. I want critical analysis out of my tech podcasts, and I enjoy it immensely here because it tells me people are not just accepting at face value what Apple (or any company) says.
If people are referring to Alex Lindsay when they mean balanced, it’s important to remember that Alex’s sole issue with Apple lying to a judge was that they got caught. I find that point of view reprehensible, especially when so many technology companies seem to act as if they share that point of view - to the detriment of society.
I have no problem with dissenting or multiple viewpoints that differ from my own, but I do draw a line at advocating for unethical behavior.
I wouldn’t say it’s negative, just not positive. I think it reflects an unfortunate reality. It’s unfortunate, but Apple is no different than any other company on the trend to extract more and more value from its customers and business partners. Enshittification is real.
After finishing the episode yesterday, I agree with this. What I heard was a recognition of the real issues facing Apple today without whitewashing or justifying bad behavior.
And I also found it refreshing to hear the panelists actually recommending Windows, without snark or derision, as a viable alternative for situations where Apple cannot or will not provide a solution. Dare I hope for an Infinity War-like cross over where Paul and Andy meet in an episode?
I received David Pouge’s book this afternoon. I had already used an Audible credit to get the audio version. David makes a great story out of the history of Apple.
But the physical book (UK edition) is really disappointing. The paper is low quality, grainy paper, not something I would expect at the price. The quality of the photos is also incredibly grainy, not helped, I think by the quality of the paper and the print resolution. Really disappointing.
@Leo i heard on today’s MBW pre show Lisa said everyone wants shorter shows…. I definitely don’t. I like longer shows. I’ll probably comment the same thing when the episode drops.
I’ve been really tired of all the Apple @ 50 content. I’ve been skipping tons of podcasts because I’m like… overloaded
David Pogue stops by to talk his brand new book “Apple: The First 50 Years” — perfect timing as the company hits that milestone
iOS 26.4 and 26.5 get the security treatment, plus some cool RCS encryption additions and Maps improvements
Apple kills off the Mac Pro with zero successor in sight — what’s that all about?
Vision Pro is actually getting pretty solid for gaming and streaming now
Epic Games scores another win against Apple in the 9th Circuit