I know that Microsoft is campaigning now to let everyone know that Macs are expensive and, allegedly, people buy them because they want to be cool. I certainly won't deny that some of that goes on, but I think it's only half of the story. They saw a slight decline this year, but are still way outpacing the overall PC market.
My personal love for the machines is more based on the fact that they're just so damn solid. I mean, I'm a Windows developer, and I still want the shiny aluminum stuff. It feels better in your hands, the quality of the screens and keyboards are better and they don't make a low end anything. For me, as someone who makes a living using the machine, I want the nicest machine I can get my hands on.
As a business strategy, Apple's biggest story is that they're simply not chasing after a crowded commodity market. Analysts and pundits are always saying how Apple could do this or that with greater market share, but why would they want to do that? I think even in this economy, there is a consumer segment that wants better quality stuff, and is willing to pay for it. Apple's margin on some machines is higher than the entire cost of some of the junk peddled by Dell and HP.
I admire that they're able to market themselves from a better product angle and not get too wrapped up in price. Granted, it means they have to deliver on the promise, and I think for the most part they have. I'm very curious to know if they can continue this trend. It has been awhile since they've had a truly colossal failure.
"For me, as someone who makes a living using the machine, I want the nicest machine I can get my hands on."
Isn't that what it all boils down to? It's perfectly logical to want something that will give you the largest productivity to inconvenience ratio possible. If you were a carpenter you'd buy quality tools that last, right?
It's interesting to watch Apple buck the trends of other manufacturers--especially when it comes to appeasing critics. Rather than simply adding features because people are bitching for them to, they work at them until they come up with the best possible implementation. Copy/paste may be long overdo, but I had less trouble using it for the first time than I do on my Blackberry after owning it for a year now!
Maybe that's where the company truly gets it--refinement is the key. Look at how far the iPod has come in eight years and imagine where their phone may evolve into one day.
Kids growing up today are living more and more of their lives through computers (or phones, or other products made by computer companies). It's more critical to them that their machines work properly. Perhaps this can be compared to the way people of our parents' generation look at automobiles.
Regardless, this change in view of a computer simply being a box for looking at the weather and sending chain emails (as many older people see it) to a central part of every day life (as we do) can only help companies like Apple who strive to put out the best possible products.