RUSH: We got Elliott back on his cell phone in Cranston, Rhode Island. Elliott, thanks. I appreciate you letting us do this, ’cause it was a really bad, intermittent connection we had when you first tried.
CALLER: Well, it’s an honor just to speak with you. Thanks for letting me letting me talk.
RUSH: You bet.
CALLER: My question originally was, “What made you fall in love with Apple products?” Because everything I’ve seen, it’s such a restrictive corporation. The apps need to be approved. You can’t even write an app without a Mac. I can’t stream an AVI to my Apple TV. It’s just so restrictive. And as the freedom-loving man that I know you are, why?
RUSH: Yeah, that’s a good question. This is actually a really, really good question. And what he’s talking about being “restrictive,” is software developers with the new operating system for computers, for the Macs, Mountain Lion. You don’t get your app in the App Store unless it’s “sandboxed,” which means… “Restrictive” is the word. The best way to explain it is that it can’t access the data in any other app and very little of the operating system itself. Apple is doing this for security reasons.
They’re trying to make sure that they’re the toughest nut to crack for malware, the Trojan software that’s out there. Apple’s made a decision, just to answer your question about that. They’re deemphasizing their push into what’s called the enterprise business — large business, corporate — and they’re focusing on, as far as the business side, small business only. But they’re really going lowest-common-denominator consumer. They want to make their machines as simple, as intuitive, as easy to operate for the most people possible. They’re just mass marketing here.
CALLER: Mmm-hmm.
RUSH: They’re not running the company for the geeks and the nerds anymore. They’re not running the company for the power users and the power writers.
CALLER: Unfortunately.
RUSH: So on the “restrictive” side you’re talking about, that’s my theory about what they’re doing. The reason I like it is I learned on Mac.
CALLER: (garbled)
RUSH: I’m sorry, what was that?
CALLER: It works.
RUSH: Well, it does. It’s innovative, and it’s ahead of the game, but I learned on a Mac. I had a Blackberry once, and I could not keep it in sync. There was an app to keep it in sync with my Mac from my address book and phone numbers and all that. It just didn’t work. The primary reason I couldn’t wait for the iPad is so that I would have a remote device, a hand-held device that had all the stuff on my computer on it that I needed and kept in sync automatically. I think one of the greatest things around is iCloud.
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: But you know, I just read something the other day about Apple. You know, they have this big patent lawsuit going on with Samsung. Steve Jobs always said, “We don’t do market research. The consumer doesn’t know what he wants. That’s our job.” Well, they did do a little bit. Some document dumps have shown that they did do market research of iPhone buyers and it was shocking. You know what they found, Elliott?
CALLER: What’s that?
RUSH: They found that the primary reason people buy iPhones is because of trust in the Apple brand and design. And the last reason that they buy is the first reason that I buy. The last reason people buy iPhones, of all the options given them, was the option to keep all your data in sync across all your devices. That has me scared. (chuckling) What if…? I don’t think they’ll ever give that up. I don’t know. Apple wouldn’t let me in the door if I went out there. We tried for years to get them as advertisers; they wouldn’t talk to us.
Politically they have nothing in common with me, and your question is very valid. “Why in the world would you want to tout people that have no desire to do anything with you?” It’s just the stuff works. I think it’s state-of-the-art. I think it’s the best out there for what I need to do. Their stuff has facilitated my productivity like nothing else has. I was sitting on my sofa last night, and I was doing show prep. I had my new laptop.
I had the iPhone and the iPad, and I was using all three for different things. For three hours. I did not have to sit at a desk, did not have to be in any one particular place. I could have the TV on if I wanted to. In addition to that, it’s fun! It’s my hobby. It’s my avocation. If I weren’t doing what I’m doing, I’d try to figure out a way to get involved in this stuff. I’d love to be an adviser and, tell them how they need to innovate — for me. Selfishly. I understand a lot of people, “Rush, these people politically, they probably despise you.”
CALLER: Oh, yeah.
RUSH: For this, it doesn’t matter, I set it aside. I just have found that it’s fun. I’m one of these people, I’m on the edge of my chair when we get close to the release of a new product, a phone or an iPad. Apple stuff is my Christmas morning. That’s the best way to put it to you. As a kid, what Christmas was when you’re a kid, that’s what Apple stuff is for me. At age 62. That’s cool. I like being able to have that feeling at age 62.
CALLER: Yep, it’s a great product, I love it. I just can’t believe you don’t get paid for as much advertising as —
RUSH: That’s what Kathryn says to me. “I can’t believe that you don’t get paid.” Why should they? When you look at it.
CALLER: Exactly.
RUSH: They make the greatest toys for adults of anybody out there. Plus, I have to tell you something. You know, I’m a student of marketing, and they own it. They have it down pat. I’m fascinated by how they run their business. The dirty little secret is that Apple didn’t do it. Apple wouldn’t be where they are if it weren’t for me, and Obama. Now, who built the road, One Infinite Loop, in Cupertino? Anyway, greatest toys for adults. Yeah. Apple builds the greatest — (interruption) what are you thinking, dildos? What are you thinking? Toys for adults. I’m talking about this stuff, the iPhone, the iPad, they’re the most productive toys that anybody has ever had.
Plus, I marvel at what they do. I marvel at the technology. I am in stunned amazement. I can’t believe that I’m able to sit here and dictate whole paragraphs. I don’t have to ever type anymore. I actively enjoy that. I don’t take it for granted. Every time I dictate a response to Kathryn on the iPhone or an e-mail to somebody, I sit there after I’ve done and say, “I can’t believe this just happened.” To me, it’s probably how Edison felt after inventing the light bulb. I’m not inventing anything; I’m just using it. And wait ’til you see Siri in the new OS. Everybody’s talking about Siri, it’s been a failure. It’s in beta. Wait ’til you see Siri this fall when they come out with what’s called iOS 6. It is what everybody hoped and thought it was gonna be when they first announced it. Anyway, Elliott, I’m glad you called. Oh, one other thing Elliott. Keeping current on this stuff keeps my mind sharp and active and young and gives me a diversion from being constantly focused on the crap that’s happening to the country.
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RUSH: Let me explain one more thing or tell you about one more thing regarding Apple and that will be it. Everybody’s talking about their move to television and what’s it gonna be. Is there gonna be one? Are they gonna make a TV set? What are they gonna do? Steve Jobs in his biography written by Walter Isaacson said, “I finally cracked it.” Everybody said, “What does this mean?” When you realize that on your phone — I don’t care what phone, Samsung, Blackberry — the phone is just an app. If you look at it, the phone is just an app, then TV channels can just become apps.
If I were in the cable TV business or DirecTV, I would be very worried right now because of something they just released in Mountain Lion. It’s called AirPlay Mirroring. You have an Apple TV box, 99 bucks, you can mirror everything on your computer on your television set, which means you can buy for 99 cents a television show from iTunes, watch it on your computer, and project it to your 1080p high-definition TV without needing cable TV, without needing DirecTV. Now, there’s no live TV streaming, but if you’re watching a YouTube video that you want to watch on your 60-inch screen, just mirror if from your computer with AirPlay. You need a $99 Apple TV box to make it happen. But they’ve got their hooks into the future in that company like I would love to know. They’re three to five years ahead of everybody.
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RUSH: Laguna Niguel, California. Hi, Donnie, great to have you, sir, on the EIB Network. Open Line Friday. Hello.
CALLER: How you doing, Rush?
RUSH: Good. Thank you, sir.
CALLER: Can you hear me all right?
RUSH: Yeah, I hear you great.
CALLER: Awesome. I was just curious if AT&T was able to get your iPad working yet.
RUSH: No. We’re working on it. I won’t bore you. What happened was I got my iPad 1, iPad 2, I had the data, cellular data account, and instead of canceling with the new iPad and getting a new account, I went to their website, transferred it over using the UDID of the iPad, and that’s where we think the mess-up is. So they’re working on it. They’re actively working trying to get it resolved.
CALLER: Okay. Well, I shot you over an e-mail. I used to be a contracted technician with Apple, so I shot you over an e-mail with a couple of tips that, you know, if you can’t get it to work with those two things, then in all reality the only other thing you can do is restore it in your computer. I don’t know what AT&T’s trying to do for you, but they’re really not the Apple iPad experts —
RUSH: But it’s their account. All I’m trying to get the iPad to do is reflect LTE.
CALLER: Yeah. As long as it’s enabled in the settings under cellular data, you know, as long as that little switch is switched on, ’cause when you first get it, it’s off.
RUSH: It is. And I’ve done restarts, cold restarts. I’ve played with the SIM card. I’ve done it all.
CALLER: But holding down the power button and the phone button at the same time until the Apple shows up?
RUSH: Yep.
CALLER: And then going into settings and —
RUSH: Power, gone into settings, I’ve turned it off and on. I’ve done everything you could suggest.
CALLER: They’re not gonna be able to fix it for you, Rush. They can pretty much do what they want.
RUSH: Well, if that’s the case, I have a defective iPad, and I just need to go back there and get a new one out of the rack there. I’ve not done that simply ’cause I want to try be economical here. I already got an AT&T iPad account. I don’t want to have a second one. That’s 30 bucks a month or something.
CALLER: Yeah, it’s kind of pricey.
RUSH: (laughing)
CALLER: You know, I’ll tell you, though, Rush, you had a caller two callers ago talking about, you know, how do you feel about Apple locking, you know, the consumer out, you know, as far as being able to do what you want with your iPhone. It used to be a point where, you know, like when the first iPhone came out, you know, the first two generations and the first iPad generation came out, you know, they were really strict about not being able to do anything to your phone without voiding the warranty. Well, it’s great now the fact that just a couple of years ago, and I’m pretty sure it was a congressional hearing that was passed that said that they’re not allowed to do that anymore. You’re not damaging the hardware; you’re just doing something, you know, that anybody — just like with a PC, you know —
RUSH: Yeah, but this guy was calling from a developer standpoint. He’s talking about the restrictions on software writers having sandbox for the Mac OS. Yeah, you’re talking about jailbreaking the thing, right?
CALLER: Yeah, but everybody still has in their mind-set, you know, that doesn’t know and understand what they’re actually doing, they’re like, oh, no, no, no, just the term “jailbreak,” they’re just scared, you know, and they’re saying —
RUSH: No, I know, they’re afraid they’re gonna break it. Everybody’s afraid —
CALLER: Yeah. But it doesn’t, though.
RUSH: No, it doesn’t, but people are afraid of technology, they think they’re gonna break it so they’re timid. That’s the hardest thing to overcome in teaching somebody these things. Just use it! It won’t break. If it does, you get a new one.