

Are You Caught Up in Apple’s Reality Distortion Field?  - spacestronaut
http://mashable.com/2012/10/21/reality-distortion-field-infographic/

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yen223
I'm not quite sure what to take away from this infographic.

1\. Are they assuming that everyone who bought an Apple device is caught in
the reality distortion field?

2\. Is it really significant that people who used to own Apple devices, but
now don't, are more likely to be dissatisfied with Apple products? I mean,
that's the reason they are _former_ Apple customers no?

3\. For that matter, is it really surprising that more people who own Apple
products, have entered an Apple store? How else would they buy one otherwise??

4\. People who own expensive electronic equipment are more likely to be richer
and younger? Really, I couldn't have guessed that.

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tzs
Another one in the same vein is the one that says people who own Apple devices
are less likely to think they are overpriced. Well, duh!

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bunderbunder
What was really interesting about that figure was that among Apple users,
about half still think they're overpriced.

That's not a figure that I'd think is consistent with the "fanboy" and
"reality distortion field" memes. To the extent that you can glean an image
from a single survey result, this one does more to suggest a sober, perhaps
even skeptical customer base. Folks who think their brand of choice is
overpriced aren't slavish devotees; they're people who are presumably ready,
willing, even eager to switch brands the moment they see a better value
proposition.

And it suggests that perhaps the failure of other brands to eat further into
Apple's market share isn't something that can easily be waved away with
frantic pleas about fanboys and reality distortion fields.

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kennysabarese
My guess is that anyone filling out a survey and asked if they want what they
will likely buy again to be cheaper, they will agree with it. So this may not
be an accurate question.

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rdl
I didn't expect the slight bump to non-white ownership of Apple products. I
suspect it's related to the huge bias (2-3x) for younger people owning Apple
products, and there being a much higher percentage of non-white people in 0-18
and 18-34 brackets than in 35-death.

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yen223
Heh, I assumed it was because of the massive Chinese market. iPhones are
incredibly popular in the Far East.

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rdl
It's a USA dataset.

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diggan
The data is from this page with a full, interactive survey:
[http://aytm.com/surveys/182246/stat/b108ab3c88e425b66d633ead...](http://aytm.com/surveys/182246/stat/b108ab3c88e425b66d633ead91b08343)

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okamiueru
Come up with a conclusion already in the title seems like such a horrible
thing to do, especially when the numbers presented form a lousy argument for
it's validity.

Instead of reading it as a comparison (which it was), it was portrayed as
arguments suggested being relevant to having a distorted reality. To me, the
author just wanted a catchy title. I'm sure it worked.

People who own Apple products are three times more likely to have been in an
Apple store? How does that relate to a distortion field?

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jeffehobbs
I am constantly disappointed and saddened by Mashable's Minimally Viable
Journalism.

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aw3c2
Infographic warning

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aaronbrethorst
I voted you up, but this really isn't an infographic[1]. Mashable and most
other websites that produce these are really just making the fast food
equivalent of infographics: cheap, fast, and not particularly nutritious.

My rule of thumb for good vs. bad infographics is whether or not a paragraph
of text could better capture the data presented. See, for example, the graph
depicting Napoleon's army in the Russian campaign:
<http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/posters>

[1] Wikipedia (<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infographic>): "These graphics
present complex information quickly and clearly, such as in signs, maps,
journalism, technical writing, and education."

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aw3c2
I agree wholeheartily. I meant "what weird non-journalistic linkbait sites
call infographic". ;)

I had a really hard time understanding some parts of it. The writing feels
chopped and bad.

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Toshio
I don't own anything made by Apple, but I have to admit, I kind of enjoy
watching how the BYOD movement is beginning to prove wrong microsoft's long
held creed "enterprise software is our birthright".

Enterprise software is fair game to everyone and it is noone's birthright.

