Well, the last week and more have been a very trying experience for me. As anyone that knows me knows, I have been a dedicated and enthusiastic Mac user. That changed when Apple made their announcement to donate money to the efforts to stop Proposition 8. I was interested to note that this announcement has since been utterly removed from their website.
This is what I have written and will be sending to Apple and a few others:
To My Friends at Apple, Inc.,
My name is Dave Lyon and I've been a dedicated Apple user and fan for over four years. I'm a webmaster for a software company and I love Apple products. In that period I've purchased (or had purchased for me) two iBooks, a MacBook Pro, a 17inch iMac, a Mac Mini, and numerous peripherals designed to work with Apple hardware. I pre-ordered Tiger and Leopard for all my computers, and bought new versions of iWork and iLife as soon as they were released. I have bought too many independent software titles for Mac OS X to list here. And I'm sorry to say that iTunes has made a fortune on me. I will not estimate how much has been spent there. Hundreds of shows. Several movies. I've taken my kids to the Apple store for the great classes they offer on how to use the Macs in our home.
But despite that history, Apple has permanently lost me as a fan and as a customer.
Recently, Apple announced that they were against Proposition 8 in California. Contrary to what was said in the press release, this is a political issue. Gay and lesbian couples already have full protections and rights under the law and Prop 8 will not change that. I support Proposition 8 but since I don't live in California it's not up to me. But it's not up to you either- companies should not meddle in the democratic process. That right is reserved to citizens. But I could have let your opinion on the matter go. What I cannot let go of is that Apple has in essence taken money that I have paid and used that money to oppose Proposition 8.
You need to realize that your customers are not just liberals or people that don't care how marriage is defined- I might even speculate that a large segment of your user base is fairly conservative. Regardless, up until now, Apple has enjoyed more and more success because you make beautiful computers that work beautifully. The audience for such a product is everyone that has to use a computer. I can't think of any company that does it better. It's an inclusive message that will resonate with most people. At every turn you have made efforts to expand your market with new and better products.
But in this one action you have changed who you are and placed limits on who your market consists of. You still make beautiful computers that run beautifully, but now you've qualified that with a statement about how people should think and vote. That your beautiful computers belong to people who hold a certain set of values. And that message no longer resonates with everyone that uses a computer.
I am choosing not to follow you to the new place you are taking your company. And though it's been difficult, since you made your announcement I've switched to using Ubuntu Linux and a bit of Windows Vista. Apple will not be making any more money from my family. You have made your stand and now I am making mine.
Regards,
Dave Lyon
5 comments:
Dave your strong stand literally brought tears to my eyes. It may not mean much to apple but I think your stand to follow your convictions no matter what the personal cost will have an impact on many others.
i am proud of you too, dave. i have the feeling that sacrifices like this may start becoming more and more common in the years ahead.
Dave, your letter gave me the goose bumps, thank you so much for making a stand, it sure boosted my morale. I too will more careful watch of who gets my business. I have never set a foot into Abercrombie's store and I will avoid Hallmark products. But none of these examples compares to your sacrifice.
Thank you, Dave
Dave,
Much like the rest of my family I had tears in my eyes as I read your letter. This could not have been an easy decision for you. To me you were Mr. Apple. I deeply admire and respect you for sacrificing such an important part of yourself, but at the same time it disturbs me because I know that Apple will not miss your business nearly as much as we will miss your "appeltude". I can only imagine how devistated and betrayed you must feel. When I was about your age my favorite magazine, PC World, betrayed me in a similar way by dedicating an entire issue exclusively to gay rights instead of computers. I immediately cancelled my subscription and I have never looked at that magazine again. At that time PC World had almost no competition and I had nowhere to turn to feed my need for computer information. I felt like a junkie whose drugs had suddenly been confiscated.
Dave - One of the greatest joys of parenthood is when your children do something that impresses and inspires you. Thank you for realizing each of us and our decisions are important. A majority is powerful because it is composed of many individuals who agree on a common issue. When one person stands, he causes others to look up, and many will stand with them.
Stuart
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