The Apple Paradox: They Love Us, And They Hate Us.

Mac OS X Leopard will be launched soon. Mac web sites are eagerly trumpeting Apple’s latest charge, even while Apple stuffs some trumpets with legal tomatoes.

The Apple Paradox™ means they love us and hate us. Mac users return the favor in an odd symbiotic love hate relationship with all the characteristics of a new age version of the Stockholm Syndrome.

How does Apple love us and hate? Love is displayed as the company designs great products that all mesh together better than individual products from a variety of manufacturers, or software developers. Frankly, we get hooked on Apple’s candy coated goodness. They’re our techno-sugar daddy.

Hate? Yes. All Apple wants us to do is buy their products so they can make enough money to continue to create and design more products to replace the ones we bought. And shut up about it. Oh, and there’s that worship and adulation thing, too.

If something goes wrong, Apple doesn’t want to hear about it. If a new product is crippled in some way, Apple doesn’t want to know, and doesn’t want anyone to spread the word.

If Apple is about to launch a wonderful new product, expected by all, they don’t want to read the details in a newspapers or web site. Apple wants to control everything about Apple.

CNN reports my case in point. Our friends at AppleInsider published the 6th detailed review of Mac OS X Leopard, as part of their Road to Leopard series. This is great for Apple as it promotes anticipation of the upcoming launch of Leopard. Or is it so great?

Remember, Apple loves us (customers and those of us who write about Apple), and Apple hates us (customers and those of us who write about Apple). As part of their love, Apple allowed most of AppleInsiders detailed reviews in the series to stand. Mostly. As part of their hate, Apple sent cease and desist orders to AppleInsider to censor parts of two of the Leopard reviews.

Love. Hate. AppleInsider is like Mac360 and Mac users. We have a love hate relationship, and perhaps suffer from a form of Stockholm Syndrome. Apple has captured our fancy, captivated our imaginations, and holds us hostage to their products and designs.

As Apple’s loyal customers, we’‘re “enticed’ to buy new products to keep Apple happy.

As Apple’s loyal press, we’re “enticed” to toe the company line, and not stray far from what Apple deems to be appropriate information for discussion.

Apple hates it when we do bad, according to their often-changing standards. That would include complaining about product problems or shortcomings. Apple customers (Mac users, writers of all things Mac) hate Apple when they do something boneheaded, idiotic, or cripple an otherwise elegant design.

See? It’s a bi-lateral, multi-faceted love-hate relationship based on divergent characteristics of the Stockholm Syndrome.