Siri backlash the end of Apple fanboyism?
(CBS) - Boy, I never thought I'd see the death of Apple fanboyism. When a blog like Gizmodo bites the head off the dragon, it makes me wonder if the Cult of Mac is winding down into more of a social club.
The Siri abortion debacle that was discovered by bloggers at Abortioneers and brought to light by the New York Times, provoked more than just women's groups. It posed a conundrum for Apple fans. Either Siri's flub was a conservative conspiracy or it was a failure in Apple's spotless technology.
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Well, it's not a conspiracy theory. Apple employees are considered to be the second most liberal in the U.S. That's a no-brainer, the main campus is only an hour from liberal cities like San Francisco and Berkeley. FYI, U.C. Berkeley is No. 1 on the same list.
That only leaves the unimaginable: Apple is not perfect.
Gizmodo senior reporter Mat Honan went on a tirade against Apple, citing Siri as its main failure and broken promise. However dramatic the rant was, it was a bold confirmation of what I've already heard from friends and acquaintances about the digital personal assistant.
Most people I know don't use Siri because it doesn't understand them or they simply hate it.
After much reporting over why Siri failed to provide information about abortion clinics, those of us paying attention know that the software is still in beta.
"I'm sorry. Beta? Beta is for Google," Honan declared. I actually laughed out loud. He's right. It is rare to ever see any Apple product have such a wide release while in beta.
Technology blogger for the Houston Chronicle, Dwight Silverman asserts, "The 4S was originally intended as a lower-cost phone, but also as Plan B if the 5 wasn't finished. Under this scenario, Siri was added to make the iPhone 4S seem like a bigger upgrade than it really was."
If this is how Apple fans perceive Siri, it has disenchantment written all over it. An iPhone model, let alone an Apple product, hasn't inspired this much disdain in years. Sliverman even claims that Siri is the new Newton. Yikes!
Newton was Apple's first attempt at a personal digital assistant installed on a tablet computer. The platform never quite took off.
I hear all the fanboys' cries, but I still think Siri is good technology. The app was cool even before Apple bought it. Now that it's an Apple product, suddenly everyone expects it to make us sandwiches and scratch our backs.
Nonetheless, there is a demographic of people that are disappointed at Apple for releasing a product they believe to be subpar.
Sorry, Apple, the rose-colored glasses are coming off.
