What Is The Magic In Apple, Mac, iPod, iTunes, iPhone?

Except for being a woman, I’m a fan boy for pretty much all things Apple. It’s been that way for nearly (not quite) 20 years and shows no sign of abating.

It’s not like we don’t mind criticizing Apple or the Mac when needed, it’s just that it isn’t necessary too often. We’re not religious zealots at Mac360, and we don’t think you are, either.

So why do we (including you) have this passion for Apple and Macs? Why do we buy the products and follow every move the company makes?

It isn’t just that the Mac has made Apple what it is. It’s a part, but not the whole story. In fact, it may be a “story” that brings together all the pieces that make up Apple to a whole greater than the sum of the parts.

Historically, Apple looks at products differently than mainstream tech companies. They’re always looking for a better way to do the obvious while hiding the technical complexity required to get there.

That alone attracts plenty of followers, hence the Think Different advertising campaign back in the last century. But it’s the “story” of Steve Jobs fall and resurrection that may weave all the pieces into a fabric which makes Apple different in many respects, and better in other respects.

Hey, Steve Jobs was an iconic, demanding, visionary (pirates can be visionary), and fell from grace. Though nearly losing his fortune on NeXT and Pixar he toughed it out, took advantage of opportunities, was raised back to a position of glory and influence and wealth.

In the meantime, Apple survived, began to prosper, took advantage of opportunities (the iPod, iTunes, now iPhone) in the technogadget marketplace. Whether it is software or hardware, Apple makes a lot of products that over 100-million customers truly love. How many technogadget companies stir that much positive passion?

OK, why? The Steve Jobs and Apple story is interesting, intriguing even. Is that it? Not quite. Products. Apple dares to be a little different. I say “little” because I don’t think the company is daring to be different as much as it could because it needs to deal with cell phone companies and movie companies and cannot fully dictate all the details.

Products. Apple makes slickly designed, attractive, highly functional products—hardware and software—that users really love to use. And it isn’t just the techno geeks like us who love their products.

Average, everyday people from all walks of life make a choice to use Apple—Macs, iPods, now iPhone. The numbers are staggering. Even more so is the passion customers have for their Macs and iPods.

Name another computer or consumer product that elicits that much unreserved passion as a Mac user or iPod user.

There’s another “key” element. We, the customers, the users, the fan boys, love to use the products. We enjoy it. Mac customer satisfaction has nearly always been higher than competitors. iPod customer satisfaction borders on fanatical. The iPhone? Even with some obvious faults, it’s being hailed as the most satisfying new product ever in electronics.

Why? Why do other companies not have that same panache? Maybe Sony had it at one time, but certainly no more. Creative people were honored by Apple in the Think Different advertising campaign for a reason. Base customer. We’re willing to make a choice because we think Apple provides a better solution for our needs.

Microsoft and Windows own the desktop not because they provided a better solution. They applied market muscle to a mediocre product and dismissed all competitors. Except Apple. But Apple owns the portable music market because it does have a better solution.

Do you have a Mac or an iPod or an iPhone? Do you follow Apple happenings regularly? Why?