“I can’t afford Apple products.”

This is what my response is when I’m (often) asked why I’m I computer-guy and yet don’t use a version of the computer with a partially eaten apple logo that glows via nuclear reaction while the lid is closed…

It’s partially true. I’ve crunched the numbers and have had the numbers crunched for me when I’ve talked about my new non-Apple laptops I’ve purchased over the years. There is enough evidence to go either way, I think, with performance and quality versus affordability in the argument of Mac vs PC.

The truth is – I learned much of my early computing on an Apple product – it had a green-monochrome screen and I’m fairly sure I spent more time suffering from the electronic-version of dysentery (while playing Oregon Trail) than I did learning anything truly helpful in those days. I also currently have an old iMac in my home that my kids play on occasionally. I also love stepping into Apple Stores when I have the opportunity. I have owned a few iPods over the last few years. I’ve even wasted a few afternoons in the past watching Apple Keynotes via someone’s snuck-in webcam on an livestream to see LIVE what kind of earth-shattering technology Mr. Jobs and company have come up with (mainly so that I could Tweet it out and be cool).

But I’m definitely NOT a ‘fanboy’ of all-things Apple – I own an Android phone, a Dell laptop, an Android tablet, and a GoogleTV device. An ‘Apple fanboy’ would own an iPhone, MacBook, iPod, and an AppleTV – plus a pile of the related accessories and probably sport a small partially-eaten apple logo on their left bicep.

The latest headlines regarding the lawsuits Apple has filed against Samsung have been seemingly insignificant in their goings-on and especially in their outcome of Apple winning the suit and Samsung being forced to make amends for their apparent copyright infringements.

I am appalled by the result of these lawsuits.

Full disclosure: the Android tablet I own is a Samsung Galaxy Tab. The Android phone I own is a Samsung Galaxy S2. Obviously it would look as though I’m a bit biased because I’m on the ‘other side’ and own a piece of the losing company – but stay with me.

The court’s ruling that Samsung infringed upon (read: stole) the Apple product(s) in creating their own is probably fair but I don’t think it’s right. (For more on “fair vs. right” please take a time-machine back to my adolescence and almost any afternoon conversation with my father about how ‘unfair’ the world was back then.)

Other’s have described the danger’s of Apple’s winning suit better than me. Even before it was a court-case.

Back in June, Kirby Ferguson, a filmmaker was a featured TED presenter at TEDGlobal 2012 that I think gives us a unique and powerful perspective on the fact, as he says, that “Everything is a Remix”. I challenge you (Apple fanboy or not) to watch this short presentation and ask how the consistent patenting of ideas by the likes of Big Corporations is not only hypocritical but also detrimental to our society.