Kara SwisherToday, we have to talk about Tim Cook. The Apple CEO is getting the crap knocked out of him for attending the Melania premiere at the White House on Saturday night — in a tux no less — as Alex Pretti was laying cold in the morgue in Minneapolis. It was about as tone deaf as it gets, especially coming after he also prostrated himself to Trump with that gold statue move. But that was merely obsequious in comparison to this, especially when he posed with well known Hollywood cretin Brett Rattner.
So how do you express your dissatisfaction and disappointment with Apple, which has the most emotional relationship with its customers of any tech giant. We trust Apple for its defense of privacy and its more clear ideals than others. There are a few ways short of totally dumping them, which I cannot imagine doing as a lifetime Apple user (also the alternative is Google’s Android and there is just as much hair on them if not more). You also need a mobile device for work and, obvi, modern life.
Thus, the conundrum. First let’s try a temporary economic protest — I was going to upgrade my iPhone soon and it’s very easy not to as the new version is not a leap from mine; same for the Watch, the mini iPad and my MacBook Air — all several years old. That is many thousands of dollars in revenue for just me. I will not be upgrading for at least another year or more. Also going is my Apple One subscription that includes Apple TV and storage and music.
Anything I pay for is going — it totals hundreds of dollars — at least temporarily — and I will switch to other smaller apps. It’s obviously a statement of customer ire and also financial and while it feels like drop, those can add up to, you got it, a mighty stream. It counts. Tomorrow: Amazon!
Colin Rowat@karaswisher alternatives include de-Googled Android phones (e.g. GrapheneOS) & Linux phones (e.g. Jolla).
Would be interested to hear users' experiences.
Voila. Have to break it to kids on Apple Music and Apple TV first but they are next. Never used Arcade, so they will deal.
Andy HarlessIf you have a 401(k) that you’re not actively managing, there’s a good chance that a non-trivial portion of it is invested in Apple stock. I recommend that everyone who can should take control of how their retirement accounts are invested and completely divest from US equities (the ownership of which makes you indirectly beholden to the Trump administration—and which IMO are overvalued anyhow relative to other investments, but that’s a different conversation).
The Midlife MysticHow about we just go back to land lines?
Chicago Transport Association
Cliff GerrishCook Musks Apple