Why do you assume I don't create anything? I'm a writer and my old man is a film-maker.

Then how is the distribution of your work without your permission not stealing? People are taking your work without your permission. If it's not stealing, what is it?

it also encourages word-of-mouth and growing fanbase. It's not a black and white issue.

It's not a black and white issue. There can actually be benefits to having your stuff pirated. I'm not arguing the rights and wrongs of piracy. I admitted earlier that I am not above pirating work when I feel the price is out of line, the company behind the work is unfair for whatever reason, etc.

But piracy is stealing. The same way I'd end up in jail for theft if I broken into Google HQ and took their algorithm for search analysis, piracy is stealing. After all, Google wouldn't lose that algorithm. They'd still be able to use it for whatever they like. I only duplicated it for my own use. Taking something that isn't yours without permission of the owner/creator is stealing. It has been identified as such since intellectual property became a commodity a thousand or more years ago. Piracy is no different and deserves no exclusion just because it's widespread.

That's some funny shit I tell you. The placebo effect works every time.

It's funny to see the Apple Apostles get angry over anything even slightly negative of Apple. The same people popping up in evey thread defending them. These same people laugh at the console fanboys.

What a stale strawman argument. OP is known for propaganda on anything involving Apple and makes it clear that anybody who even considers their products must be a moron. I'm a Windows Phone 7, Touchpad owning guy who generally uses A Win7 PC, and even I know that is a bullshit stance. Oh but I have a a 2009 Macbook Pro so I must be a foaming at the mouth fanchild... pathetic.

Edit: Owned an iMac too back in 2006 in the interest of full disclosure.

I'll tell you why I dislike / hate Apple. I hate Apple because Apple has always sucked in my opinion. Sure they made cool computers back in the 80s. However, if you were a PC gamer (noticed I said PC and not computer gamer) during the 80s and 90s then Apple computers were the worse option period. You might get the game about 10 years later ported over to Apple from PC. Fast forward to about 2000 and Apple was pretty much dead. They then release an ipod. Decent but I was never impressed by the "simplistic" MP3 player and also fuck itunes. I'll give them credit for making devices / crafting software for the masses however I believe their approach to computing is tailored for the dumb asses. The rare times I even try to get on a Mac everything just seems to suck. The way their OS is set up sucks, their web browser sucks, etc.. I call Apple fanboys sheep because they are. I didn't start calling them sheep after every one started using the term. I used the term to describe every douche bag that every bought an Apple product beginning with the first ipod.  So basically I coined the term back around early 2000 when Apple was starting to actually do something.  If you buy anything popular just because it is popular then you are a sheep. 

Are all Apple users sheep?  No, but a vast majority of them are (I view most people of having a sheep like mentality anyways).  Some ask why is this negative news?  If they like the ipad 2 and thought it was #3 then so what?  You know what is wrong with it?  People are too fucking stupid to realize what the products that they are buying actually offer.  If I cared I would do some research on the ipad but I don't so I hardly know the specs.  I do know the first ipad didn't even have a USB port.  That is pretty fucking pathetic.  Did it even have a SD slot?  One gimped ass tablet if you ask me.

It is Apple's arrogance (mainly Steve Jobs, he really made me hate Apple even more) and their user base that piss me off the most about Apple.  Apple fans have been roaming the net constantly putting down PC users for their OS having the most viruses (considering it is leaps and bounds ahead of user base then it makes since most viruses are written for Windows).  This somehow translate a person that is very far from computer literate to suddenly a computer pro that can look down on the lowly PC users.  They started this class warfare and now they bitch about it continuing.  Show me a die hard elite computer pro that has only stuck with Apple from the 80s to present.  I am sorry there are none... 

Let me just add the recent hip cool thing to do that has made me dislike Apple even more.  Let me see what the hell is the gaming "media" obsessed with writing about lately?  Could it be about the topic of Apple taking over the hand held market (and now the home console market) and true dedicated hand helds are a dying breed.  I am sorry but after reading about 10-20 articles dwelling on this topic basically usually stating that Nintendo needs to step down from hardware and just accept the fact that they can only be a 3rd party game developer.  That they have zero talent in making hardware designed to play their games better.  There you have it... It is the gaming media that I can put most of my excuse to my Apple hate.  How would you like it if someone kept telling you that an inferior more expensive product was in fact better for your gaming needs? That you had no choice but to accept their reality.  Let me just say this..  They can suck it because I am not going down without a fight.

Buy Apple product for use and functionality = fine.  Buy Apple product to look cool = not cool.

So I'm either dumb, a sheep, or a DB because I own a MacBook. Really? Maybe it isn't tailored for you Seth but you don't have to slam insults at people who like their products. 

There are some educated (computer literate) people that buy Apple products (I tend to generalize).  However, I believe most of their users are complete idiots.  I am sorry but when I see a product that is pure commercialized and people have to buy it too look "cool" then that is when my negativity shines.  Basically, I'd like to go to a Starbucks (never really do cause I hate coffee) and talk shit to all the fucks that are trying to flaunt their ipads and macbooks because it is cool to hang out in Starbucks on anything Apple.  I wouldn't ever do it but that is the people (user base) that I hate.  The people trying to flaunt their materialistic goods.  I see Apple users as fake and easily controlled people.

I am living in a plastic nation - Sublime