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I get mad when I see an iphone 4G commercial it's so awful. But, The droid x commercial is so awesome, I get excited just seeing the commercial lol.
Here is Apple's popularity explained.
Apple starts advertising an alternative to Microsoft Windows and PCs. The ads make the viewer think that they are wonderful at technology but it's the PCs fault for so many problems (it's not, it's the user's lack of ability). The viewer feels all warm inside again and goes out and buys the Apple product, thinking that it wasn't their fault they had a crap experience with other technology (it is, actually).
PCs dominate the marketplace, so prior to public acceptance, Apple was "uncool" because it was not very popular. Defense mechanisms set in, including all of the usuals picked up years ago (safer, better quality build), all of which are not really true if you look closer, or just a simple spin on a disadvantage that Apple faces (they were safer because no one owned them). All attempts to make the buyer feel better about themselves that they bought an unpopular machine.
Marketing continues, with the introduction of all hardware, pushing the idea that the viewer isn't dumb, it was the technology that wasn't right (in fact, the viewer IS dumb). Apple popularity grows, as does the price. People invest loads of money into the Apple hardware. Defense mechanisms kick in again, this time, fighting the fact that they paid nearly double what everyone else pays. They run to the same excuses again: safer, quality build, other spins and lies, etc., trying to make themselves feel better for spending so much.
Finally, the hardware reaches "obscure elite" status. "Obscure elite" status is basically what's going on when your friend says he loves a band until it gets popular. It's "cool" (in their mind) to like something that isn't popular, but represents something "bigger". As soon as it does become popular, they leave fandom. But with Apple equipment, in order to leave fandom, that would mean that you would have to admit that you paid double for something you don't like, basically showing that you're a total fool.
Defense mechanisms, insecurity, and cognitive dissonance. This is why Apple is popular. It's smart marketing to take advantage of this stuff, but it's naive for anyone to fall for it.
Apple starts advertising an alternative to Microsoft Windows and PCs. The ads make the viewer think that they are wonderful at technology but it's the PCs fault for so many problems (it's not, it's the user's lack of ability). The viewer feels all warm inside again and goes out and buys the Apple product, thinking that it wasn't their fault they had a crap experience with other technology (it is, actually).
PCs dominate the marketplace, so prior to public acceptance, Apple was "uncool" because it was not very popular. Defense mechanisms set in, including all of the usuals picked up years ago (safer, better quality build), all of which are not really true if you look closer, or just a simple spin on a disadvantage that Apple faces (they were safer because no one owned them). All attempts to make the buyer feel better about themselves that they bought an unpopular machine.
Marketing continues, with the introduction of all hardware, pushing the idea that the viewer isn't dumb, it was the technology that wasn't right (in fact, the viewer IS dumb). Apple popularity grows, as does the price. People invest loads of money into the Apple hardware. Defense mechanisms kick in again, this time, fighting the fact that they paid nearly double what everyone else pays. They run to the same excuses again: safer, quality build, other spins and lies, etc., trying to make themselves feel better for spending so much.
Finally, the hardware reaches "obscure elite" status. "Obscure elite" status is basically what's going on when your friend says he loves a band until it gets popular. It's "cool" (in their mind) to like something that isn't popular, but represents something "bigger". As soon as it does become popular, they leave fandom. But with Apple equipment, in order to leave fandom, that would mean that you would have to admit that you paid double for something you don't like, basically showing that you're a total fool.
Defense mechanisms, insecurity, and cognitive dissonance. This is why Apple is popular. It's smart marketing to take advantage of this stuff, but it's naive for anyone to fall for it.
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You guys can focus solely on Apple's marketing if that makes you feel better, but the reality is that Apple makes some nice products.
I really respect Apple for appealing both to tech geeks and the average consumer. Here's why:
Their products are so simple to use (and are therefore appealing to the everyday user)! No, you can't change the visual style or do some crazy customizations on your Mac. I see why some people like Windows, because they like doing that. However, for those who would prefer their OS's UI to be neat and aesthetically pleasing, there's the Mac. Time Machine is really easy and awesome, Exposé is insanely helpful, and the insane amount of detail that goes into the UI design is basically what makes me (and many other tech geeks) prefer Macs to PCs. Did you know that you can scroll inactive windows by rolling over them and scrolling without making them your active window? For example, if you have Word open and also a website you're referencing, you can scroll that webpage while still typing on your document. You can't do that on Windows.
The same thing applies to their mobile devices. These small details make a lot of difference to me and a lot of people. Scrolling on Macs and iOS devices is better than Windows and Android/WinMo devices, respectively. And Apple actually bothers to make sure all parts of their products are the best they can be; for example, the touch-sensitive areas of their devices (such as touchscreens and trackpads) are more sensitive and responsive than most other companies'. Do you think PC manufacturers bother making their trackpads perfect like Apple does? Honestly, after using a MacBook for almost two years, it pains me to use my friends' PC laptops due to the awful trackpad designs.
Now, there are two types of people: those who care about all the stuff I mentioned, and those who do not (which is probably everyone on this forum). Those who do not are content with using the disastrous UI's of WinMo and to a lesser extent Android. There's nothing wrong with that. However, if you'll notice, the well-designed apps are all on the Mac or iOS platforms rather than the Windows/WinMo/Android platforms. Have you seen something as elegant as Transmit or Coda on Windows? Nope. My assumption is that all design-conscious developers are on the similarly design-conscious platforms by Apple.
Now, I, too, have issues with Apple. All my iOS devices are jailbroken, and I disapprove of the way Apple handles the app store. I do wish that Apple made their platforms as open as Android without requiring a jailbreak, but as I've said before in other places, the problems with the iPhone can be fixed by jailbreaking, while the problems of Android and WinMo cannot. If you don't get what I'm saying, I mean that the iPhone has a flawless UI but a closed ecosystem, while Android and WinMo have comparatively awful UI's but open ecosystems, and while the ecosystem can be opened up on iOS, the UI cannot be fixed on Android or WinMo.
At least, that's the way I see it.
I will be replacing my HTC Magic with an iPhone 4 hopefully by the end of the week. (Stocks are ridiculously low on my telco, as anyone on SingTel will attest.)
(Oh, and this post was typed on my iPad.)
In response to rory, probably about half of the people whom I go to school with have Macs. And the iPhone is definitely the single most popular phone among students. And according to a survey by the newspaper team, something like 70% of students have an iPod touch. So, your theory about Apple users being "unique" is quite inaccurate. The reason for such high PC marketshare is mainly because of their use in businesses and their low prices. Older people who don't care what kind of computer they have buy the cheapest available -- a PC. I suspect as the younger generation begins to replace the current older generation, Apple's computer marketshare will rise by a substantial amount.
I really respect Apple for appealing both to tech geeks and the average consumer. Here's why:
Their products are so simple to use (and are therefore appealing to the everyday user)! No, you can't change the visual style or do some crazy customizations on your Mac. I see why some people like Windows, because they like doing that. However, for those who would prefer their OS's UI to be neat and aesthetically pleasing, there's the Mac. Time Machine is really easy and awesome, Exposé is insanely helpful, and the insane amount of detail that goes into the UI design is basically what makes me (and many other tech geeks) prefer Macs to PCs. Did you know that you can scroll inactive windows by rolling over them and scrolling without making them your active window? For example, if you have Word open and also a website you're referencing, you can scroll that webpage while still typing on your document. You can't do that on Windows.
The same thing applies to their mobile devices. These small details make a lot of difference to me and a lot of people. Scrolling on Macs and iOS devices is better than Windows and Android/WinMo devices, respectively. And Apple actually bothers to make sure all parts of their products are the best they can be; for example, the touch-sensitive areas of their devices (such as touchscreens and trackpads) are more sensitive and responsive than most other companies'. Do you think PC manufacturers bother making their trackpads perfect like Apple does? Honestly, after using a MacBook for almost two years, it pains me to use my friends' PC laptops due to the awful trackpad designs.
Now, there are two types of people: those who care about all the stuff I mentioned, and those who do not (which is probably everyone on this forum). Those who do not are content with using the disastrous UI's of WinMo and to a lesser extent Android. There's nothing wrong with that. However, if you'll notice, the well-designed apps are all on the Mac or iOS platforms rather than the Windows/WinMo/Android platforms. Have you seen something as elegant as Transmit or Coda on Windows? Nope. My assumption is that all design-conscious developers are on the similarly design-conscious platforms by Apple.
Now, I, too, have issues with Apple. All my iOS devices are jailbroken, and I disapprove of the way Apple handles the app store. I do wish that Apple made their platforms as open as Android without requiring a jailbreak, but as I've said before in other places, the problems with the iPhone can be fixed by jailbreaking, while the problems of Android and WinMo cannot. If you don't get what I'm saying, I mean that the iPhone has a flawless UI but a closed ecosystem, while Android and WinMo have comparatively awful UI's but open ecosystems, and while the ecosystem can be opened up on iOS, the UI cannot be fixed on Android or WinMo.
At least, that's the way I see it.
I will be replacing my HTC Magic with an iPhone 4 hopefully by the end of the week. (Stocks are ridiculously low on my telco, as anyone on SingTel will attest.)
(Oh, and this post was typed on my iPad.)
In response to rory, probably about half of the people whom I go to school with have Macs. And the iPhone is definitely the single most popular phone among students. And according to a survey by the newspaper team, something like 70% of students have an iPod touch. So, your theory about Apple users being "unique" is quite inaccurate. The reason for such high PC marketshare is mainly because of their use in businesses and their low prices. Older people who don't care what kind of computer they have buy the cheapest available -- a PC. I suspect as the younger generation begins to replace the current older generation, Apple's computer marketshare will rise by a substantial amount.
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Nope....I guess only an Apple lover does
In my experience, anti-Apple extremists are worse than Apple fanboys. (Case in point: this thread.)
And you must not be very bright if you didn't catch the irony in the post I quoted. (Another testament to your lack of intelligence is the fact that you just inadvertently called Apple lovers more intelligent than Apple haters.
) The guy I quoted is judging Apple and the Droid based on marketing, when much of this thread talks about how Apple is built on their marketing rather than actual products.Ugh, and seriously, the random, senseless, and arbitrary Apple-bashing in this thread makes me sick. Are most of the posters in this thread below the age of 12? It certainly seems so.
In my experience, anti-Apple extremists are worse than Apple fanboys. (Case in point: this thread.)
And you must not be very bright if you didn't catch the irony in the post I quoted. (Another testament to your lack of intelligence is the fact that you just inadvertently called Apple lovers more intelligent than Apple haters.
Ugh, and seriously, the random, senseless, and arbitrary Apple-bashing in this thread makes me sick. Are most of the posters in this thread below the age of 12? It certainly seems so.
Listen you.....there is no need for you to open that Encyclopedia Britannica and use all of your new found words and Syntactic expletives on me.
You asked a question and I answered....which should be more that enough for this thread to be honored by...
WTF at your post. LOL. Firstly, encyclopedias don't give you synonyms; I believe you mean a thesaurus.Listen you.....there is no need for you to open that Encyclopedia Britannica and use all of your new found words and Syntactic expletives on me.
You asked a question and I answered....which should be more that enough for this thread to be honored by...
Secondly, is English not your first language? I apologize if I used "difficult" words on you. For native speakers ages 14 and up, the words in my post were not particularly advanced.
Syntactic expletives are words that perform a syntactic role but contribute nothing to meaning[1]. Expletive subjects are part of the grammar of many non-pro-drop languages such as English, whose clauses normally require overt provision of subject even when the subject can be pragmatically inferred (for an alternative theory considering expletives like there as a dummy predicate rather than a dummy subject based on the analysis of the copula see Moro 1997 in the list of references cited here). Consider this example:
"It is important that you work hard for the exam."
Um... okay... that was totally irrelevant. You decided to ignore all of my post except for the last sentence. You realize that I explained the irony, right? Since you didn't get it the first time and all.
Once again, proving your lack of intelligence... this is exactly why I don't post here often: XDA's forum seems to have little intelligent discussion. Great place for ROMs, terrible place to talk.
I get your point Da-vid....it's clever and informative but, I'm still shocked and appalled by the fact that you continue to insult me for no reason at all. Does it make you feel better about yourself?
And...if you must know.....English is my second language; would I get any pity from you now? Or you plan to continue with your attacks?........I'm waiting.....
I would expect these numbers from students, who happen to be the most sensitive when it comes to self-esteem and image. I do expect a rise in marketshare, but not by a substantial amount. People hit the real world and realize that it's okay to have a Mac at home, but at a real job, it's not all that practical. Having a Mac and knowing what to do with it on the technical side gets you nowhere (except video editing careers, but that's a fantasy straight out of hippie land). Having a PC and knowing what to do with it does. Older people buy a PC because they care about money and practicality and don't worry about image as much as the younger folk.
I see the opposite. I see depth in conversation. Yes, there's a few kiddies and a few people that look a little slow because of their translations, but for the more part, people are a little more insightful and less naive here than what I've seen on Mac sites. Over there, they will try anything to stick with the LIE.
M_T_M; said:I get your point Da-vid....it's clever and informative but, I'm still shocked and appalled by the fact that you continue to insult me for no reason at all. Does it make you feel better about yourself?
And...if you must know.....English is my second language; would I get any pity from you now? Or you plan to continue with your attacks?........I'm waiting.....
I'm frustrated with the replies to this thread. I assumed you were/are part of the mindless Apple-bashing crew, seeing as how you ignored the irony in the post I originally quoted and proceeded to derogatorily call me an "Apple lover."
Macs have a much higher resale value than PCs. That makes up for the higher initial cost, I think. And while I would agree that some of the students with Macs buy it because it's "cool," I know plenty of people who legitimately like OS X better than Windows.rorytmeadows; said:
But I think for most offices, Macs can do the job just as good as PCs can. Other than some specialized software in certain fields, I honestly don't see how having the technical know-how to do things on a PC gets you any farther than on a Mac.
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