Apple defenders come out

When Choice named iPods as among the ten shonkiest products of the year, I expected the fanboys to come out snarling. In the next few days we'll see the usual sqwarking and attacks on everyone concerned. I certainly didn't expect Smarthouse News to be questioning Choice's integrity, however.

While I agree the Australian Consumers Association can be hysterical at times, and I disagree with their view that computers should be as reliable as toasters and fridges, their comments about Apple's disgraceful iPod return policy are quite right.

What I find interesting in the Smarthouse article is the quote from Harvey Norman's Rutland Smith: "The claims by Choice surprise me as we have no problems with iPod returns and we sell thousands"

It's amazing that there are two Rutley Smiths working at Harvey Norman. A month earlier another Rutley Smith told Australian Personal Computer,

Harvey Norman had repeatedly asked Apple to change its iPod return process which instructs customers to return faulty iPods directly to Apple by post.

“We’ve instructed our stores to resolve problems in accordance with the Trade Practices Act and handle stock problems with Apple at a later date. But so far we’ve found Apple to be particularly uncooperative.”

So it seems we have two Rutley Smiths at Harvey Norman. One thinks Apple are terrific and one seems to have a similar attitude to Choice Magazine. What a strange world we live in.

iPod wins shonky award

Choice Magazine has nominated Apple's iPod for their Shonky awards.

Apple's iPod has won a Shonky, the Australian Consumers Association award for "unsafe, unethical, dishonest or plain hilarious products". The main point against the iPod is Apple's disgraceful, and possibly illegal, return policy.

Then again, what more can we expect from a company that blames Microsoft when it ships a product with a virus?

I also love how Apple link their advisory to two of the buggiest antivirus products on the market.

It's way beyond time that the ACCC and various state consumer protection authorities start doing their jobs and prosecute a few vendors for breaching the Trade Practices Act and various state laws.

Perhaps if they did, these outfits would stop treating users, customers and resellers with contempt and start shipping products that did what they promised.

Techs pushing Vista

Are techs mad to be pushing Vista right now?

I received a competitors newsletter yesterday which was mainly an exercise in pushing Windows Vista. It's not something I would do.

Vista will eventually take over from XP, however we'll see a lot of teeth gnashing as the early adopters work they way through the many incompatibilities and bugs that we'll find. It's a brave tech that would tell their customers to upgrade three months after the release, let alone three months before. We're advising to wait until this time next year.

The notable thing about this company is they have a "no fix-no fee" policy. I suspect this advice might become very expensive in the new year.

Germany proposes a computer tax

In countries like Germany and the UK where televisions require a license it was inevitable that applying these taxes to computers would be proposed.

I'm surprised the record companies and movie studios haven't suggested a similar levy to compensate for the billions they claim to lose to piracy.

What this really illustrates is how flawed comparisons between computers and household appliance are. A TV can only do one thing: Watch TV (although the picture can come from a VCR or satellite dish). Computers on the other hand can do untold number of things.

This is why I get cranky at the Consumer Association's constant assertion that computers should be as reliable as toasters. I don't see too many viruses written for toasters or teenagers trying to share raisin toast in return for muffins. I also don't see too many home based businesses using a domestic toaster to run a cafe.