“My son bought me an iphone and I think it is fantastic. It lets me keep in touch with my customers whilst I'm on the road. I'm not a fashionista, I'm 54 years old! I loved my old Nokia and the iphone would not have been my choice, but now I have had one for 6 months I would not be without it. It's not a brand for me, it's a product.”

“@JX - Better user experience on a HTC? The ones running Android are OK but try the HTC Touch with Windows Mobile! It's an utter abomination. Apple are UX specialists and their hardware and software both score well on usability tests.

@Alex - I'm not a huge fan of the "Apple smugness" either. However I'm a long time PC user (built them myself etc) who switched to a MacBook Pro earlier this year. At the end of the day, I paid the extra money for OSX which is the best operating system currently on the market. (Some Linux distros come close but the lack of mainstream software available is off-putting - GIMP isn't as good as Photoshop Generally Macs will run programmes essential to my job (as a Web Developer) like Adobe CS4 better than a PC of the same specification. During my day job with a large company I use a PC (of similar spec to my Mac laptop) and it's like running through treacle whenever I have a few files open in Photoshop and Dreamweaver. When doing work for my own business (on my Mac) I can produce more in a shorter space of time by running multiple resource intensive applications simultaneously without any negative impact on performance.

To conclude I used to hate Macs but given the choice I would definitely buy one over a PC. However, if you just want to surf the net and not really do anything else then a PC running Windows (or Ubuntu!) will suffice.”

“So, Alex, people only buy Apple products because they're 'trying to be cool'? There are a great many valid reasons for preferring a Mac to a PC, and for preferring a PC to a Mac. Personally I use a Mac because I work a lot with photographs ¿ Mac displays are higher-quality and brighter, and their colours are 'truer' to what will be seen in a printout. I also work with magazine layouts, and it's much easier to use multiple Adobe Creative Suite applications in OSX than it is in Windows. I couldn't give a rat's ass if some people prefer PCs. Why would I?
The kind of enmity you decry is in fact largely espoused by a select group of individuals (on both sides of the 'divide') who need to get out more. Judging by the vitriolic tone of your posts, I can only conclude that you are one of those individuals. You sound like the Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons.”

“What are you all going on about?? The Iphone is an excellant product. I own an Acer PC and an Iphone. It is by far the best phone I have ever had. I can onl;y assume you are all old and dont like technology.

You think Iphone users are strange, stupid or wierd,, Ill tell you whats weird, people who want one but dont want to pay £87 for one on a £35 a month contract. They would rather get a free phone for £35 a month and then pay £150 for an Ipod Touch or those that dont want to pay £87 for an Iphone at £35 a month and would rather get the phone free on a £45 a month contract and actually cost £240 more over the 2 years. Thats stupid.”

“Another vote for the anti-apple stance.

Pretty products, grossly over-priced and sold purely on image. That and the religious like following the brand has. Plenty of cheaper alternatives that do the same job and are just as unreliable.”

“Robin ¿ I was referring to people who buy Apple products and yes, I stand by what I said. They are trying to be cool but like JX said (along with a whole list of valid reasons why Apple products are over-rated), what's cool about having something so many other people have? That is why Apple customers are mindless materialistic sheep. The irony is they think they are superior for owning their gadgets when it is in fact quite the opposite.

What I am surprised about is that we have not had the Apple evangelists on here yet telling us how they cannot live without their products and how ¿if you try it you will be a convert¿ like Apple is some sort of religious moral bloody choice!”

“JX is right, (apart from the lager bit, i guess you meant larger?)

I phones are much bigger than my sony experia or my girlfriends htc hero yet offer less.

A poor camera, bad battery life, some even explode!

What is the fuss all about?”

“I simply dont understand what the 'fashion victim' class see in these apple products.

>shocking battery life
>poor user experience (compared to the likes of htc)
>appalling value for money
>looking the SAME as everyone else
>i-phones particularly are lager and offer less than rival products

If someone can concisely explain why a branded product that is over priced, under powered and extremely common is so in demand.”

“How arrogant you are Alex; 'mindless materialistic sheep ... sad people'. Must be great being so superior to us peons.”

“Glad to see I¿m not the only one who detests everything that Apple products represent among their customers. Don¿t get me wrong, they are actually good products but now, unfortunately, people buy them just to be associated with the brand like mindless materialistic sheep. They actually think that it gives them a higher social status to be seen with the white earphones or using their Mac on the train. Sad people. I prefer Sony products myself ¿ technically just as good but without the associated arrogance.”