The iPod Virus: Apple Arrogance
Recently, there was an outbreak of E. Coli in the United States- bags of spinach across the country were recalled and the questionable spinach was traced to a region in California. How would you have felt if you had E. Coli poisoning- or worse, died- and all the farmer responsible said, “There is E. Coli in our spinach and we are really upset that human bodies are not more strong and healthy to protect against these things.”
That’s what Apple just did.
Historically, Apple has been an arrogant company and its user community has at times been snarky. We are an elitist minority and usually, we like it that way. We claim that Macs are better and safer and so much cooler, so we are not being arrogant. We’re just giving you the truth.
Apple users can do what they like, but this is my message to the Apple corporation: Stop it. You have gone too far.
In September, an undisclosed number of Video iPods were sold with a Windows virus called RavMon.exe on them. This is a serious issue and one that should be dealt with swiftly and effectively. These things happen and the way to separate the great companies from the bad ones is to see how they respond.
Apple’s response was terrible. They said:
As you might imagine, we are upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses
I’m sorry we broke in to your house, they say. You should have stronger locks.
There isn’t a hint of an apology on their page disclosing the issue, only an aloof sense surprise that people actually use Windows.
Wake up, Apple- your biggest cash cow is the iPod and most of them are used by Windows users. Insult them all you like in the Mac ads, but your iPod users are Windows users. And you just sold them a virus for $400.
Now that I got that out of the way, let us try to deal with the issue of the virus. If you bought a Video iPod after the 12th of September this year, you may have been sold a virus. I would recommend this free trial of McAfee anti virus which should deal with it. Make sure you run it with the iPod attached and scan any attached external drives. Then restore your iPod from iTunes (how to restore).
Apple has not yet disclosed a method of detecting whether your iPod is one of the problem iPods and I doubt they will, unless they smell a lawsuit. Public apologies, meaningful freebies and not being called a weakling is the least an infected paying customer should expect from a company like Apple. Right now, I feel embarrassed for being an Apple user and insulted for being an occasional Windows user.
del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Slashdot
StumbleUpon
Comments
To put things into context, the entire sentence from Apple’s response reads:
As you might imagine, we are upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses, and even more upset with ourselves for not catching it.
The part that was inadvertently omitted might be the hint of an apology that you were looking for.
Of course, without doubt Apple should have been more sympathetic and helpful to their affected customers as you point out in your article.
I understand that the second half of the sentence drew attention to themselves, but by calling Windows out first they put cheap shots before humility.
Hmmm… I think this is getting a little blown out of proportion. First off it’s NOT Apple computers problem if Microsoft cannot keep there OS safe from virus’s… Apple controls their OS and took care of these problems LONG AGO.
Second, they were unaware of the virus… Like 90% of all PC users out there who are currently infected with something, you just don’t know until someone gets an e-mail, file, or iPod from you. Even the best antivirus software is So-So on a PC. Symantec and McAfee being the best out there (which is installed on Apple’s test bed PC’s) are only as good as the updates to the latest round of virus’s (roughly 15 per day) and those lists and ways to deal with them only come out AFTER these Security companys have a chance to 1) Isolate the Virus 2) Define it 3) Find a way to destroy it or at least immobilize it. It takes time. Now if your kicking out 8.6 million ipods every 3 months, your test PC get’s infected say on a monday, Symantec and McAfee antivirus updates, or at least checks for updates 1-2 times per day… Some are gonna slip through the cracks.
So yea, it’s Arogant on Apple’s part… BUT AT THIS TIME THERE ARE ALLOWED TO BE! They didn’t mess up, they only slipped up. There job was done 20 years ago. And yes they admit some fault. So let it be known, nobodys safe when it comes to PC’s, not even Apple themselves.
@xwiredtva, my problem is not that it happened. My problem is that even when they messed up, they are upset with Windows. Their customers spent $400 on a premium product and were sent a virus. It’s like getting food poisoning at a $100/per head steak house and then being told you got sick because you are weak.
we are upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses, and even more upset with ourselves for not catching it. They shouldnt blame this on Windows’ security since every device you purchase is not supposed to come with this things at all. It’s Apple’s fault. And yet, it freaks me out that they dont even apologize for the inconvenience. Is it possible for somebody to sue them?
It’s like getting food poisoning at a $100/per head steak house and then being told you got sick because you are weak. Totally agree, and to make it harder, you’re weak cos some kind of inmunitary condition, and they don’t even bother to apologize. I wont get a new iPod unless they make public some apologize.
I think Apple’s point was meant to reflect it’s dissatisfaction with the computer system owned and used by the vast majority of computer owners - and it has every right to do so. Apple produces OS X and, as xwiredtva points out, perhaps a little optimistically, “Apple controls their OS and took care of these problems LONG AGO.” Whhy shouldn’t it use this an opportunity to berate Microsoft? It’s a Goliath that needs a David, as we all know, and one reason it is so successful is because /most people don’t have an alternative/ (please, we all know Linux is an excellent OS but hardly for the majority - yet). Apple provides an alternative - a viable, attractive, stable and productive one at that. Yes, Apple’s contracted iPod manufacturer screwed up, and Apple rightfully should accept responsibility. However, let us not ignore that, when a company holds a monopoly and uses it to propogate profits rather than propogate improvements that affect millions, it is abusing its position. It deserves to be criticised, and frankly, who else is there to do it?
PS At the risk of diminishing the effectiveness of the reply above, I’d like to voice the opinion that this virus problem affected the iPod at a very opportune moment for Microsoft, no?
>Their customers spent $400 on a premium product and were sent a virus.
While I agree that Apple’s humility is sorely lacking, I would also posit that Microsoft would have you believe that _Windows_ is a premium product and, depending on the variant, it could cost you $400 as well as inviting a broader, more colorful assorment of virii/spyware/sheer operational poo and untold hours of frustration and misery.. all the while offering frustratingly little in the way of visual and aural pleasure.
There are thousands of examples throughout history of the moral high ground not being wielded graciously. I vote iPod.
How exactly would it get onto the iPods in the first place?
I can understand how one might get extremely upset for purchasing a $400 piece of electronics with a virus, but hearing all the blows that Windows users spill out about having good protection on computers can make them as secure as Apple…...(case closed).
I would think, and willing to bet that Apple is already getting to the bottom of this and if they feel a public apology is in order it will be given, GIVE THEM TIME.
I feel the article has some merit, maybe alot, but your comparison literally sucks. Don’t compare a human life with a piece of electronics. There is no comparison the way the article is written.
The fact that this was narrowed down to one percent since the first of September and Apple has already posted facts and admitted great disappointment in itself, could be considered an apology in itself.
I have had my fair share of problems with Microsoft in addition to other companies and I never recieved an apology. Do people blame Dell or HP when the computer gets infected. Sure it slipped by Apples quality control, this happens when objects are produced is mass.
Apple did explain how to fix it. (Could that be interpreted as an apology)
IMHO, when you buy an Apple product, wether it be used with or without an Apple computer there are chances you take. The more you mix and match hardware the greater the chance of a problem.
Deal with it and move on with your life.
I understand that the second half of the sentence drew attention to themselves, but by calling Windows out first they put cheap shots before humility.
In fact, they should probably not have mentioned Windows AT ALL. Apple delivered a virus to iPod users. That’s ENTIRELY their own fault. To say that Windows should be more secure is as irrelevant as if I delivered a virus to OS X and then lamented the fact that OS X should be more secure.
They didn’t mess up, they only slipped up.
This wins the award for the most pathetic apologist parsing of the day. “I didn’t give you a virus, I only gave you a product that had a virus on it that infected your system. Totally different.”
However, let us not ignore that, when a company holds a monopoly and uses it to propogate profits rather than propogate improvements that affect millions, it is abusing its position.
Apple should definitely be held accountable for using its monopoly position with the iPod to propogate profits (and a virus).
IMHO, when you buy an Apple product, wether it be used with or without an Apple computer there are chances you take. The more you mix and match hardware the greater the chance of a problem.
Deal with it and move on with your life.
Couldn’t one say the same thing about Windows?
@Macster2, analogies in articles of this kind are supposed to be extreme in order to make a point. Earlier this week, Jacqui Cheng at Ars Technica used an even more sinister analogy:
Go ahead, Apple, blame the victim. She shouldn’t have been wearing that short skirt anyway.
How about these analogies, if you didn’t like my e coli, food poisoning or house break-in analogies:
* Your neighbor’s dog ruins your garden and they chastise you for not having a fence.
* You buy a toaster that causes your house to catch fire and the manufacturer tells you that you shouldn’t live in a wooden house anyways.
* You buy a Zune and it causes your Mac OS X to crash and Microsoft tells you that you shouldn’t be running Mac OS X.