Why is Apple so popular?

Their spiritual leader just died.

From what I’ve seen, their products are so user friendly, a lot of tech-illiterate people can use them.

Apple is very good at blending design and function. The hardware looks good, sleek, doesn’t take up a lot of space. Plus it is suppose to be easier to use to do basic functions like documents, running apps, finding things in the computer and handling media things like music, movie and picture files. I noticed on the Macs I used it handles plug-ins and downloads very well. Understanding the navigation was a learning process because I was more use to how PCs handled things from desktop to folders, etc. If I had started with a Mac I guess I would find PCs very, very difficult.

Because they’re good.

Just a fun fact. The Internet (web browser) as we know it was written by Tim Berners-Lee. He did it on a NeXT computer. That is the company Steve Jobs founded after getting ousted from Apple in the 80’s. Apple bought NeXT a few years later and it is the basis for OS X and iOS.

Another factor is aesthetics. In the years when Steve Jobs was in charge (and we’ll just skip over the big beige boxes when he wasn’t) the words ugly, clunky, awkward were NEVER EVER descriptors for Apple products.

For just one example recently pointed out by David Pogue, everything has beautiful rounded edges. Every laptop,iPod, iPhone etc. even the windows portrayed in the OS. Beauty counts for something. Steve Jobs chose that as well as the colors on all the products right down to even the charging chords.

Obsessive? Sure. Beautiful? Definitely. Worth the trouble? A LOT of people, aside from Steve, thought so. You could tell it was an Apple product even without seeing the logo (at least until the knock-off clones inevitably came along).

That’s just one little aspect of what made Apple products unique and set the standard for others to imitate.

PS.

For anyone interested in seeing the whole brief commentary by Pogue, the vid of it can be found on the website for CBS Sunday Morning. It was really a great tribute and very well thought out. It will give you some more insights on why Apple and Jobs were so special.

Perhaps someone can post the link since I can’t. Hint hint.

I haven’t had a serious problem with my computer since I switched; I’m on my second MacBook. Every computer I ever had with a Windows system always had problems. Always.

They make good products and have excellent marketing.

For many of the reasons that people have mentioned, but, don’t forget, Apple products are not universally “popular.” Windows based PCs far and away dominate the personal computer market. Windows based PCs are what most people have in their homes and what most businesses use.

The iPod was maybe not the first, but at the time, it was best mp3 player and the iPad was the first, and at the time, best touch screen tablet. Apple is an extremely innovative company. They put a product on the market, and everyone scrambles to catch up.

Apple spends as much time trimming out things that aren’t necessary as they do coming up with the latest cool new idea. They realize that every extra unnecessary option increases the complexity for everyone, and if you’re not ruthless with cutting out things that most people don’t want you’ll end up with an experience that is cluttered, complicated, and difficult to figure out how to use on your own. It’ll look like a Cockpit UI.

Apple has a massive document for programmers called the Human Interface Guidelines (affectionately referred to as the HIG) that covers a huge range of user experience issues and ways to make your apps as elegant as possible. The intro is worth reading for anyone curious, it’ll give you a sense of the level of care they put into software craftsmanship.

One example is that on PC software you’ll often be greeted with a pop-up message from the system that warns you about something, and it leaves you with 2 choices “OK” and “Cancel.” The problem is that you never really know what those mean, does ok mean you can’t save and clicking it will destroy my data? or does it mean something else? In the HIG, it states:

“Ensure that the default button name corresponds to the action you describe. In particular, it’s a good idea to avoid using OK for the default button. The meaning of OK can be unclear even in alerts that ask if the user is sure they want to do something. For example, does OK mean “OK, I want to complete the action” or “OK, I now understand the negative results my action would have caused”?

Using a more focused button name, such as Erase, Convert, Clear, or Delete, helps make sure that users understand the action they’re taking.”

There are tons of little details like this that most people never notice, but subconsciously improve their daily lives. I can assure you that a lot of thought and energy go into these types of details.

Anyone who want’s to understand why Apple is one of the greatest tech companies just needs to read the HIG, and they’ll see why.

And they will simultaneously gain an understanding of why Microsoft OS takes up such huge amounts of hard drive space and the frequent complaint that most Windows computers they buy are loaded with “Bloatware” :D

@Buttonstc is right about Bloatware, I bought a new macbook pro and there was nothing I couldn’t use loaded onto it but yet when I bought a toshiba loaded with vista it had all these programs looking for me to buy if I wanted to use them loaded onto it. It took me hours to uninstall so much and I am sure even after the thing is dead less than 3 yrs later it still had things I wasn’t aware of. Not to mention the many many many updates it could do that always made you restart the thing just when you started it. I have some updates with my apple but it doesn’t have to be constantly restarted each time it updates.

@Hamizi Don’t knock them until you tried them, go over to your local Apple store and play until your hearts content. You can connect to the internet play with all the devices they have and really use them. If you have kids you can bring them along because there is a table set up just for kids with all different childrens software for them to use. Try doing that at a windows retailer.

I know a guy who is a real techie and makes his living performing his services for businesses. He works with PCs as well as Macs. He told me that he has never known a PC that did NOT crash and he has never known of a Mac that DID crash.

My son is a Naval Officer and used to run PC systems for the Navy. A few years ago my PC crashed when I was at his house. His advice to me…..Get a Mac, Dad. He and his wife both have Macs for personal use.

Yes! Freedom from the dreaded BSOD.

While my aging Mac may occasionally give me the spinning beachball (because it needs a Ram infusion) I can merely force/quit the program and continue on.

I don’t have to shut down the ENTIRE ccomputer and then sit and twiddle my thumbs for 15 mins. while it reboots.

And not having to worry about picking up a drive-by virus is a luxury known only to Mac and Linux users. Oh how I love that Unix base for OS X !

I’m sure that some nitwit will eventually come up with a Mac virus just to prove he can do it but Apple will be on it with a patch so quickly it will make his head spin.

@plethora

So, did you follow your son’s wise advice?

It’s products are the epitomes of COOL.

@Buttonstc Oh yes…just as quickly as I could get to the store. Once I got used to I could not believe the beauty of it, the things it does own its on, while PC users sit, twiddle thumbs, wait untold hours for something to happen, talk to Indian tech reps who speak English as a 14th language, etc, etc, etc. I love all things Apple.

Funny how that happens to PC users who switch, isn’t it?

Good for you for being wise enough to allow your (now adult) kid to be teaching you some new tricks. We’re never too old to learn something new.

:D

I have never bought anything from Apple, though I see one in my future. I love the company because the stock value keeps going up. I am no stock market guru, but the small investment I made when Jobs returned to the company has increased about 80-fold. I don’t know of any other large company whose value keeps rising so steadily (with the departure of Jobs, I will have to consider selling). By contrast, I bought Microsoft stock quite a while ago and its price is below what I paid for it.

Apple are so popular because of their technology. They are innovators. They know how to sell their products by all mystery and arrogance, which make Apple users more curious. Their way of promotion makes all apple users wait in excitement for the next launched product. The quality of their products is extremely high (innovative and unique design, long lasting battery life, technical innovations). Their simplicity makes their products perfect.

@kfiatek Great answer, and welcome to Fluther!