[rant]

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/355654/ ... es-secrets

The extreme - and violent - methods used to keep Apple's secrets

The most unjustified title I have seen on PC PRO for ages, and they make a habit of stretching the meanings of words a long way normally!



ONE unknown, unverifiable person said this. So we'll print it. And clearly, it is not in Apple's interest to stop people nicking their stuff or doing a little selling on of information. I bet Intel just throw their designs out to queues of people at the front gate.



One reporter investigated and got into trouble... in China... clearly it's all the fault of Apple...



...and Satan's incarnation, by the sounds of it. Or maybe he's just a successful CEO and PC PRO are doing a Daily Mail?

[/rant]

There is not enough verification of rumours in the press. Charlie Brooker on Newswipe had a journalist mention about such malicious reporting because everything that is said, has no one attributed as to the source.

As I wrote in the PC Pro comments section:

The security sounds familiar, where have I come across that before? Oh yeah, diamond mines, although they will probably shoot you, not call the police.

I've also worked at factories and offices in the UK which have had similar levels of security. You have to leave mobile phones and cameras at the gate (well, if you bring a camera with you, you will probably not get on site, regardless of whether you leave it at the gate or not). We had cars checked at the gate, we had to carry passes at all times and the passes let you into different parts of the building.

Being set upon by guards for taking pictures of the outside of the building? Where have I heard that before? Oh yeah, LONDON, ENGLAND!

The same goes for our Royal Navy, heck, I had to have a full vetting of my family before I could get on site there - well, in theory, I got my allowed 4 temporary passes and then was refused access until the vetting was completed; I told the security guard, he would be refused his monthly salary until I had finished programming their personnel system, I got a 2 month pass!

Where is the violence Where are the extreme measures? Those are measures that many companies have used for the last hundred years or so.

This is a Foxconn facility, you even said Apple's products are made in compounds like Longhua, not *in* Longhua...

The violence seems to be Foxconn's security, not Apple's staff.

The paranoia, the not talking to the family about what you are doing, that is NORMAL for many large companies, even in Europe and America.

Heck, for my current job, working for a chemical company, I had to sign a confidentiality clause in my contract, that I wouldn't discuss company plans or manufacturing details with anybody outside the company!

Yes I would agree that it is Foxconn's security staff going over the top, not Apple. But that would not make a good headline. I am surprised that Apple have not sued Denis for liable.

Well I've read the article and concluded that....


Apple are evil wrongdooers intent on taking over world

Good article PC Pro!






Obviously I lie. Talk about a non-story. Of course Apple want to protect their designs, products and intellectual property.

PC Pro ove a dig at apple. They just like to stir up disquiet on the forums every so often.

Thing is, other companies will be requiring the same levels of secrecy surrounding their products.

And it worked when they were joined, so users of various OS's could battle it out.

I think this is probably true, even if the article doesn't prove it either way.

i agree, ive heard stories about Foxconn's abuse toward its workers, just because Apple use them as an OEM (so do lots of other companies, according to Wikipedia), does not mean they are responsible for what happened to that guy.

and it seems Apple much prefer to abuse its customers' wallets than its workers [/flamebait]

I agree.
In the OS market apple were the underdogs and perpetual cry babies when in reality microsoft were fairly ethical for a Monopoly with the vast majority of market share.
However since apple have taken over the world with itunes and the ipod they have become the monopoly in that market and are no taking massive controling shares in the handheld device market.

Whoever came up with the Iuse of the letter "i" as a brand well words cannot explain what difference that has made to the world.

All monopolist abuse their power in the market, but apple seem to be splashing around in theirs.

They have neither a monopoly in the MP3 player market - they do have a monopoly in the iPod market, but no more than MS have in the Zune market - nor do they have a 'massive controlling share' in the handheld device market. They still sell a small fraction of the number of phones SE or Nokia do, for example. Apple have a very large share of one relatively small part of the mobile device market. The reason everyone else is copying them is because their margins are better, not because they sell massively more.


Which has nothing at all do do with the matter in hand.


if Apple have a monopoly, it's in markets that really don't matter all that much in the grand scheme of things. Compared to (and this is simply an example, I'm not singling them out specifically) MS's monopoly in desktop OS & office software, it really doesn't affect people's day to day lives all that much.

Jon

I barely know a single person that has an MP3 player other than an IPod in the last 2 years.
So They do have a monopoly at least on the UK market (not a true monopoly but they do have the majority of the market)
They have a massive share in the handheld mobile device market (not a monoplising one no way near) But the mobile market is an oligopoly and apple is one of the fastest growing.

I infact know more people who have an apple computer than an MP3 not solde from the apple logo.

The reason why everyone else is copying them is that they do have large profit margins and also have one of the most effective marketing schemes in the market.

I feel nothing but neutrality to microsoft. yea I have their OS but it does it's job and facillitates the operation of everything I could possible want to do on my computer.
Apple will hav ethe world and eat it

i believe that the pcpro forums are that quiet that any disquiet would probably go unnoticed …

Yes they are very quiet, there are a few old faces there, but I think that the majority are here now. Except Marklar77, unless he has toned down his comments and kept much more low key.

I don't miss marklar.