Apple's greatest controversies and biggest foul-ups
by Zack Whittaker | May 26, 2011 4:56am PDT | Image 1 of 10
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1. Apple's anti-porn cabal
Apple, for the last year or so, has seemingly been on a company mission to rid any iProduct and iStore it has of pornography, leading to questions of whether Apple is censoring developments.
As 'sexting' is still a problem for many teenagers, Apple even applied for a patent which would prevent iOS users from sending sexually explicit text messages to and from their phones.
iOS devices, particularly the iPhone, have been criticised for their auto-correct feature, which in turn have developed into a meme of its own.
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For more on company controversies, check out Zack Whittaker's iGeneration column or for more on Apple, visit the ZDNet Apple Core column.
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Not being able to install Flash is by far the biggest one. Although I'm just a small, simple web developer, this issue takes care of hours and hours of needless, senseless extra work to make websites that are already there, compatible for all situations. Steve J. originally said this was because of security, but I just don't believe him. It's simply money.... I do believe in the future of HTML5, but to push it this way is idiocy and there's no alternative for the possibilities of Flash in many situations, not now and not in the near future. And isn't it striking that most HTML5 code snippets to show video on a website use (you guess it) ..... Quicktime?
@jvhulst@...
Welcome to 2011 Flash is soo 2001..
Welcome to 2011 Flash is soo 2001..
@Hasam1991
Spoken by a true Apple muppet
Spoken by a true Apple muppet
It's not about security, it's about control.
iPhone is an ultimate closed system and Apple wants to control everything you run on it. Controvercy? Yes. Foul-up? No. It is a clever thing for them to do.
Pain for the web developers? You bet!
iPhone is an ultimate closed system and Apple wants to control everything you run on it. Controvercy? Yes. Foul-up? No. It is a clever thing for them to do.
Pain for the web developers? You bet!
@Scrabbler It's nothing about control or being clever. Flash is so CPU/GPU hungry and out moded that it was simply not possible to get it to work smoothly. I've seen the results and it works on lightweight stuff but not most of it. Adobe have done nothing to help and as Apple quite rightly say, 'they take too long to develop upgrades to keep up with current hardware'. Even the Flash player on other smart phones isn't really up to the job is it? Plus, Flash was designed for the mouse and desktop. It is still implemented that way. YOU try getting ALL or even MOST of the flash pages to work on a Touchscreen laptop. it doesn't work because it wasn't designed to and STILL hasn't been upgraded by Adobe to do so (the player I mean, not the creator which does now have output for touch devices).
In terms of security and control, what Apple have done is a good thing by having all software go through it's own vetting as we have seen by the lack of control on Android and how that has been abused by many malware developers recently.
Pi
In terms of security and control, what Apple have done is a good thing by having all software go through it's own vetting as we have seen by the lack of control on Android and how that has been abused by many malware developers recently.
Pi
@davebarnes Turn off AdBlock Plus then.
@zwhittaker
He was being facetious. Your list is so full af inaccuracies, improperly drawn conclusions, libel, and flat out lies, it would be amazing that it was even allowed to be published, except this is ZDNet, and your previous articles have made clear that their editorial standards are all but nonexistent.
1) "Apple, in a nutshell, collected location data which was stored unencrypted on iOS devices"
Bull. Apple simply did not collect the consolidated.db file.
2) Foxconn is contractually obligated to uphold certain minimal worker wage and environmental standards that are well above industry standards. What other manufacturers require this? Does Dell? HP? Anybody?
3) I have GV installed on my 3GS. From the App Store. Approved by Apple. Lie much?
And the list goes on.
He was being facetious. Your list is so full af inaccuracies, improperly drawn conclusions, libel, and flat out lies, it would be amazing that it was even allowed to be published, except this is ZDNet, and your previous articles have made clear that their editorial standards are all but nonexistent.
1) "Apple, in a nutshell, collected location data which was stored unencrypted on iOS devices"
Bull. Apple simply did not collect the consolidated.db file.
2) Foxconn is contractually obligated to uphold certain minimal worker wage and environmental standards that are well above industry standards. What other manufacturers require this? Does Dell? HP? Anybody?
3) I have GV installed on my 3GS. From the App Store. Approved by Apple. Lie much?
And the list goes on.
@DeusXMachina I appreciate your comment. I've amended slide 9 and 2.
@zwhittaker
First, I appreciate your response, but you did not correctly update the Foxconn slide, and those things I listed where not the only errors. You clearly wrote this article from your own, biased, incorrect information (i.e. your memory) rather than bothering to fully research the topic. If you had you might have found out that Apple, unlike most other contractees, requires minimum worker standards and pay much higher than industry average, and that as a result, the jobs on the Apple lines are prime, sought-after positions. Perhaps you might want to consider that the stress of keeping and the threat of losing these enviable positions in Foxconn is what leads some more unstable employees to resort to drastic measures. The only cure would then be for Apple to require WORSE living conditions and wages.
But this is not your only factual error. Do you need me to point them out, slide by slide?
First, I appreciate your response, but you did not correctly update the Foxconn slide, and those things I listed where not the only errors. You clearly wrote this article from your own, biased, incorrect information (i.e. your memory) rather than bothering to fully research the topic. If you had you might have found out that Apple, unlike most other contractees, requires minimum worker standards and pay much higher than industry average, and that as a result, the jobs on the Apple lines are prime, sought-after positions. Perhaps you might want to consider that the stress of keeping and the threat of losing these enviable positions in Foxconn is what leads some more unstable employees to resort to drastic measures. The only cure would then be for Apple to require WORSE living conditions and wages.
But this is not your only factual error. Do you need me to point them out, slide by slide?
@bannedfromzdnet
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This felt like a bunch of whining. All overblown.
@dhs121963
Cubes are awesome! I have 2 at home!
Cubes are awesome! I have 2 at home!
I enjoy how every article concerning some issue with Apple, every single Apple user/fanboy/macboy/whatever you wanna call yourselves; jump on it and complain about how inaccurate it is...
Who cares...I like reading different vantage points of different companies...Its not YOUR company..you dont own a majority stake, so stop taking it all to heart lol
Besides, the more you comment on these articles that you rant so much on, the more they'll write for an argument...
Who cares...I like reading different vantage points of different companies...Its not YOUR company..you dont own a majority stake, so stop taking it all to heart lol
Besides, the more you comment on these articles that you rant so much on, the more they'll write for an argument...
@iPwnz
"I enjoy how every article concerning some issue with Apple, every single Apple user/fanboy/macboy/whatever you wanna call yourselves; jump on it and complain about how inaccurate it is...
Who cares..."
Really?!? You want to go with that? Who cares if the reporting is factually inaccurate, and has no probative value?
Really?!?
That says more re: the value of your opinion than I could ever say.
"I enjoy how every article concerning some issue with Apple, every single Apple user/fanboy/macboy/whatever you wanna call yourselves; jump on it and complain about how inaccurate it is...
Who cares..."
Really?!? You want to go with that? Who cares if the reporting is factually inaccurate, and has no probative value?
Really?!?
That says more re: the value of your opinion than I could ever say.
I really didn't mind the first idea of building a porn free world, wish the dirty souls that began this abuse if marriage never existed.
Today, it appears one of those dirty souls is working for Apple as I keep reading about more and more pornographic apps making their way into the AppStore, here on Zdnet
Sheesh, how dirty minded can these b|tches get 
Today, it appears one of those dirty souls is working for Apple as I keep reading about more and more pornographic apps making their way into the AppStore, here on Zdnet
Sheesh, how dirty minded can these b|tches get
@MrElectrifyer
I'll assume you are joking.
I'll assume you are joking.
..is this infatuation with porn? And this idiotic idea that you are somehow prevented from having porn on your iOS device?
1: iOS devices have a browser.
2: iOS devices play movies.
Fap away!
1: iOS devices have a browser.
2: iOS devices play movies.
Fap away!
Look. It's this simple. Flash on mobile in 2006 was a miserable, useless festering pile of crap. Full Stop. Continuing to invent retroactive reasons why Apple should have allowed the battery raping, CPU melting piece of **** that was mobile Flash on the iPhone in the hopes that someday, somehow, Adobe would fix Flash is simply the most egregious stupidity.
Flash is a plugin. It no more defines or deserves support and respect than RealPlayer did.
Flash is a plugin. It no more defines or deserves support and respect than RealPlayer did.
@His_Shadow
Flash's use was far more prominent than RealPlayer. Terrible argument.
Flash's use was far more prominent than RealPlayer. Terrible argument.
Are you people really this stupid? The iPhone was stolen from a bar and sold to another party without authorization. Chen's actions are inexcusable. The mealy mouthed twattery that excuses Chen's actions because it concerned an Apple product is pathetic.
@His_Shadow Not only did he purchase stolen goods, he took the item apart, then called Apple trying to blackmail them in exchange for an exclusive.
This is the best you could come up with? So Apple appear to be corporate jaywalkers in comparison to some of the patently criminal activity and downright monopoli$tic actions of others (I shan't throw names around - I don't seek to be insulted by fans of ANY brand).
About to purchase an ipad when apple clerk tells me to get extended service plan cuz I can't change battery myself. Tells me all I need to know about gestapo apple.
@DeusXMachina
Sure it did.
Sure it did.
Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. That whole "locationgate" story was just a failed smear campaign to make something as routine as location services seem more malicious than they really are. I'm surprised no one has talked about the fact Apple put 2nd generation iPod touch hardware into the 8gig 3rd generation iPod touches. In my opinion, that's way worse than half of the stories listed here.
Your list certainly contains many controversies, but foul ups? I re-read your list with an eye for whether any of these items actually hurt Apple.
1. Apple's anti-porn cabal: Really? A lot of people see this as a plus.
2. Anti-trust and anti-competitive behavior: I would suggest that the world?s largest tech company is always going to be scrutinized in this area, sometimes deservedly so, sometimes not. If you want to call this a foul-up, I?ll agree for argument?s sake, but it?s really just a part of the territory.
3. Argument between Adobe and Apple over Flash on iOS: Interesting. It certainly has been controversial. But I would argue that Apple is winning this fight, hands down, and that Apple has inadvertently forced their competitors to champion an archaic and dying standard. Controversial? Yes. Foul-up? I doubt history will agree.
4.Foxxcon suicides and accusations of labour abuse: Agreed. Aside from the human cost, a PR nightmare.
5. Gizmodo and the 'stolen' iPhone 4: Another interesting choice. In the long run, I think Apple will be vindicated when all the primary antagonists are convicted of some form of crime. But even if that occurs, it may not lift the negative impressions left by the imbroglio.
6. Mac Defender and 'do not assist' Apple employees: Ten years of virus free computing and you consider this a foul-up?
7. 'Gay cure' iPhone application: Android allows anything in their store but you?re going to criticize Apple for letting one bad App out of half a million slip through the cracks?
8. An organisation, too secret? Agreed. Secretive to the point of paranoia.
9. iPhone 4 and the 'Antennagate' furore: Again, in the three full quarters of iPhone 4 sales, Apple sold 14,102, 16,235 and18,647 iPhone 4?s and increased their year over year sales by 113.06%. Can?t really see the antenna as being a ?foul-up?. Will agree that their PR efforts fell into that category.
10. iPhone and 'Locationgate' tracking: A tempest in a teapot. If that constitutes a ?foul-up? then Apple is doing very well indeed.
1. Apple's anti-porn cabal: Really? A lot of people see this as a plus.
2. Anti-trust and anti-competitive behavior: I would suggest that the world?s largest tech company is always going to be scrutinized in this area, sometimes deservedly so, sometimes not. If you want to call this a foul-up, I?ll agree for argument?s sake, but it?s really just a part of the territory.
3. Argument between Adobe and Apple over Flash on iOS: Interesting. It certainly has been controversial. But I would argue that Apple is winning this fight, hands down, and that Apple has inadvertently forced their competitors to champion an archaic and dying standard. Controversial? Yes. Foul-up? I doubt history will agree.
4.Foxxcon suicides and accusations of labour abuse: Agreed. Aside from the human cost, a PR nightmare.
5. Gizmodo and the 'stolen' iPhone 4: Another interesting choice. In the long run, I think Apple will be vindicated when all the primary antagonists are convicted of some form of crime. But even if that occurs, it may not lift the negative impressions left by the imbroglio.
6. Mac Defender and 'do not assist' Apple employees: Ten years of virus free computing and you consider this a foul-up?
7. 'Gay cure' iPhone application: Android allows anything in their store but you?re going to criticize Apple for letting one bad App out of half a million slip through the cracks?
8. An organisation, too secret? Agreed. Secretive to the point of paranoia.
9. iPhone 4 and the 'Antennagate' furore: Again, in the three full quarters of iPhone 4 sales, Apple sold 14,102, 16,235 and18,647 iPhone 4?s and increased their year over year sales by 113.06%. Can?t really see the antenna as being a ?foul-up?. Will agree that their PR efforts fell into that category.
10. iPhone and 'Locationgate' tracking: A tempest in a teapot. If that constitutes a ?foul-up? then Apple is doing very well indeed.
@Falkirk I find it pretty laughable that 1 and 7 make the list. It's bad that they block one type of app but also bad that they let another through? Actually, the whole list was pretty laughable overall.
Oh how we forget the past...The Cubes had a horrible design defect and would start cracking.
Then there was the Apple resellers that started a class action suit against Apple which was settled out of court.
Apple authorized clones back in the mid 90's...That was until the clones were better than the Mac's that Apple were putting out and of course the clones were much cheaper. Apple pulled the plug on that one.
Then there was the Apple resellers that started a class action suit against Apple which was settled out of court.
Apple authorized clones back in the mid 90's...That was until the clones were better than the Mac's that Apple were putting out and of course the clones were much cheaper. Apple pulled the plug on that one.
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