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The Apple way.
Don Dodge says that Apple creates intuitive products because they control the whole experience from hardware to software to peripherals. But he also makes a few other comments that didn't ring true for me.
The Apple Mac has a small but loyal following of users. I never got into using Macs but the users I talk to always marvel at how everything works together. Yes but, everything has an Apple logo on it. You buy it from Apple, and pay a premium price for it.
I bought MacBook for $1500 (and I got a free Nano with it). I bought a similarly configured Sony Vaio for $1500. They do pretty much the same thing. So where is the premium price?
The iPod and iTunes work the same way...it is a closed, all inclusive experience. People love the iPod but they grumble about not being able to get music from other sources.
Who is grumbling? Ican rip any CD I want or get music from the web. Sure I can't get DRM'd music from other sources but why would I want to anyway. People ARE grumbling about DRM.
Apple builds closed proprietary devices. The larger marketplace wants open devices (computers, music players, phones) built on industry standards, or at least "de facto" standards. They want to be able to buy software, peripherals, and hardware upgrades from a variety of sources. This competition keeps prices low and drives innovation.
Really? Open devices? What is open about a music player, other than the fact that they may have a USB connection? And what is open about a phone? Even if it has Bluetooth, the likelihood is that it has been disabled in some way.
And what is open about computers? Does Apple not use the same USB or FireWire standard as everyone else? Do they have different Bluetooth?
The same devices that connect to my Sony Vaio also connect to my MacBook, and before that tehy connected to my PowerBook. And even when Windows can't see all of the devices on my network, the MacBook can.
Indeed PC users do have more choices when it comes to machines in terms of power and options, though I'm not sure about flexibility.But their success in the consumer space comes down to an incredible concern for the customer experience. That's also why their users are so loyal and dedicated.
By the way, at no point did I say Apple was better than the PC. They are just different. Though after twenty years of PCs, I do happen to prefer the Apple way.
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