Best and Worst of Tech in 2011

[Movieman]

The only crying that's been going on lately is this non-stop complaining about Apple. While I agree that Apple has gone a little overboard on the patent applications, I'm really surprised that everyone here continually blames apple for protecting their patents. Seriously... how hard is it to verify your product is not infringing on another companies patent?

It's funny how many of the same people who praised AMD for suing Intel a couple years ago are the ones complaining about Apple.

.. oh yea. I forgot that smaller companies can't do wrong in their eyes.

Hello Andrew and Happy New Year.
I can't speak for others but I always saw Apple as a company that at least in the PC end vastly overcharged their customers for what was not the top end products.
Basically their profit margins were and are huge compared to anyone else.
Also never cared for Mr. Job's on a personal level but I will give the man his due as one of the best promotional people seen since P.T.Barnum.
Last I think your analogy with Intel and AMD is a bit flawed as the root of AMD's suit was that it was being unfairly and illegally frozen out of the market by Intel.
That went on for SO long that even with the 1.25 billion paid to AMD they were now so far behind in terms of technology that they couldn't and I expect will never catch up.

[phantomferrari]

i would give the best company award to amazon. they are pretty fast with their delivery even if you dont do the 2 day shipping option. their prices are very good, and even though i returned 2 cases after having them for less than 2 days (they didnt quite work for the idea i had in my head) they gave me a full refund for both. also, while the kindle fire isnt the fastest tablet on the planet it has a very nice lay out and a pretty good screen. i bought it for my mothers birthday and despite her not being the most tech literate person she had no problems using it. i was actually suprised how little i had to help her with it

[Generic user #2]

^agreed.

Amazon is very consistently high in all measures of a company - not the best, but still very appreciable.


ps, anyone that says Apply doesn't consistently offer the best customer service has never used their Apple Store service or is a dirty liar. its really that simple. honestly, name me another company that would give me a replacement phone after i admitted to breaking my own lock button(besides logitech - because they don't make phones and the fact that they have equally great service over the phone).

[Gautam]

The only crying that's been going on lately is this non-stop complaining about Apple. While I agree that Apple has gone a little overboard on the patent applications, I'm really surprised that everyone here continually blames apple for protecting their patents. Seriously... how hard is it to verify your product is not infringing on another companies patent?

If the tables were turned, and Android hit the market before the iPhone did, and it was Google trying to protect their IP, you can bet that Apple would still be considered the big bad in this community.

[JohnZS]

And while we are having an Apple to Apples comparison, lets have a look at this linkage here as I am sure you will agree, a lot of data and analysis and food for thought for you Apple iSheep and Apple Haters.

Personally I think Apple (as we knew it) died in 2005/2006, they stopped being an innovative company and instead turned into a marketing and ideas repackaging company.
To be fair they are extremely good at repackaging over people's ideas in a way to make them more accessible to the masses, however their arrogance, over exuberant prices and holier than thou nearly cultist image annoys me.
John

[Zloyd]

What the hell bulldozer isnt there in the fail list !!! This list is fail.

[Craftyman.]

Gonna have to agree with Russian on this one. Personally, I hate apple. I hate them hard. Haven't used an Apple product since math blaster on elementary school iMacs. But like it or not they are far and away the most influential on the "average joe".

Everyone's talking about the new iWhatever, people take handles in games with i's in front of their name, for god's sake people are selling their kidneys (literally) for the newest iPad. They're in movies and TV and my god i can't take it anymore! Top it off with Steve Jobs' passing and their ugly rotten legal team core is covered nicely by their soothing metallic white (seriously how did they pull that off?) and shiny touch screen displays. Secretly I hope their success takes a turn for the worst but for now they're high in the public i.

[zanzabar]

off the bash apple bandwagon


why did the snapdragon win the cpu, in 2011 the snapdragon all but died and only came in things that had to have qualcom radio compatibility. the real winner was the TI omap as its the quickest clock for clock and was clocked the highest for the largest part of the year and it has the power VR gpu that won the gpu. the snapdragon was all about 2010 but then it was one of the worst dual core platforms since it was both slow and closed source (like the tegra2 but with no gpu power)

[iboomalot]

I would put samsung above apple for 2011 the Galaxy line with new OLED screens and overall better phone improvements than the apple iphone 4s

The new 5.3" note looks like a monster.

[Sparky]

The only crying that's been going on lately is this non-stop complaining about Apple. While I agree that Apple has gone a little overboard on the patent applications, I'm really surprised that everyone here continually blames apple for protecting their patents. Seriously... how hard is it to verify your product is not infringing on another companies patent?

It's funny how many of the same people who praised AMD for suing Intel a couple years ago are the ones complaining about Apple.

.. oh yea. I forgot that smaller companies can't do wrong in their eyes.

Apple and AMD have very little in common.

[iboomalot]

on the apple patent BS

lets see , using phone and opening an app at the same time??? I think the Palm / Treo 180g did that

Next Apple will patent air or using your finger to dial a phone # on a touch screen

[Zloyd]

Next Apple will patent air or using your finger to dial a phone # on a touch screen

That comment isnt far off they tried to patent running your finger across it :P

[stangracin3]

My main problem with apple was steve jobs not being in jail for buying a liver.
now the problem is they sell over priced crapthey steal from other companies aka the iphone.

[alpha0ne]

My main problem with apple was steve jobs not being in jail for buying a liver.

You dont go to jail when your rich, well not very often anyway

Although I dont 'hate' apple the way some ppl do I would never ever buy any of their overpriced crap, it needs more than great design (and even some of those designed are questionable) before I buy and until recently that was the ONLY thing apple had going for them

Mr Jobs also made me decide never to buy their crap due to his holier than thou attitude, and that was the least of his faults