Choosing Apple over Microsoft.
As I talk to my techie friends it’s clear the divide regarding Apple v.s. Microsoft is still very strong and runs quite deep. Just as most mainstream Apple users adore the Apple ecology, Microsoft users hate them for it.
Yes, I admit… I’ve become somewhat of an Apple fan boy over the years but it’s not without a solid history of Microsoft usage. Since the age of 12 I’ve used Microsoft desktop products in one version or another. I recall the early days of Apple producst being proprietary and haviong a huge lack of software support… but those days are long gone. I moved from Microsoft to Ubuntu to Mac on my desktop at home in 2009 and haven’t looked back since.
Rather than bash Microsoft or highlight some frustrations (yes they do exist on both sides) I’m going to speak directly to what I’ve observed over the past 8 years or so as to why I think Apple really is a leader in technology. I’m not just talking about the hipster appeal but rather how they have innovated and forged a new world. I won’t deep dive into the actual technology because it would be insanely difficult to do so.
I mentioned earlier the notion of an Apple ecology. It’s the cornerstone of the argument. Its the way I view what Apple has done with their products and services since the introduction of the iPod (alone stands as a groundbreaking advancement). Folks probably don’t think about it but Apple users have come to expect it. The ecology ties directly into the end user experience and is a critical piece in customer satisfaction. Both Apple and Microsoft have been guilty of ‘gaffes’ that have aggravated customers but one need to consider a high level point of view.
Take an average user who can comfortably use technology and mobile devices. Now transition that same person between a desktop and a mobile device. THIS is where Apple has always really shined. The end user experience is relatively seamless. iPod, iPad or OSX; users can pick up and go. I understand that most hard-core techies crave for customization and the ability to get under the hood (hardware included). This is all very possible with both OS flavours but lets be honest; the majority of users want something out-of-the-box that simply works consistently, feels familiar and meets their basic needs. Apple has lead the way here. The customer satisfaction numbers show it too. At 40 + I’ve grown out of the ‘hot rod’ PC phase and great software out of the box is fine by me.
Only recently with Windows 8/10 do we see Microsoft starting to build the framework for a common user experience between desktop and mobile devices. That doesn’t even cover the difference between OS upgrades paths. Consider this: I have upgraded my 2010 iMac 4 major versions since I’ve bought it… no hardware upgrades! That would never be the case with Windows. Again only recently has Windows started going the way of in-line updates and now talk of no new major revisions. Behind the times they are and its mostly a result of no product ecology.
Exploring the idea of user consistency a bit further you’ll see that Apple paved the road for the notion of a modern day ‘app’ (thanks largely to its Unix core). I would describe an app as a self-contained piece of software that can be installed on the fly. In Apple’s case via the App Store. This idea has now been cloned by Microsoft, Google, etc. There is a lot of talk regarding virtual applications, etc. What is a virtual application? I believe it is a self-contained piece of software that can be installed on the fly into a given OS. Rinse, wash and repeat; it’s the same idea as an app. Windows tiles and applications are now resembling this basic notion of an app (or v-app). Again, playing catch-up.
And what about the availability of said apps? The App Store has been around since 2008 and that is well ahead (by about 4 years) of Google, BlackBerry or Microsoft. Having access to the world’s largest online repository of applications was an Apple thing and only recently has Google taken this crown. Of course that is pretty predictable considering Apple doesn’t let just anybody publish an old app. Anyhow, the idea that you could pay for even download a free application in one spot and then re-install on the same or some other device flawlessly was championed by Apple. The point is; The notion of an App Store is all thanks to Apple and their vision.
I have droned on enough about product ecology and apps I suppose but I did so because from my point of view… everybody else has lagged or is lagging and it is crucial to the end user experience.
As much as I know this is next bit is not a great argument I will touch base on the ‘curb appeal’ aspect. Apple branding is pretty genius. They tapped into the culture and tied it to the ecology with near perfection. I think they stand alone here. But more importantly Apple products are solid, functional and a thing of beauty. It would be hard to discount that every other phone manufacturer has emulated the iPhone design in some way. How about any recent all-in-one PC? Look no further than the iMac. All-in-one PCs are now very prevalent in the PC market. Look at Beats products; unboxing a Beats Pill is now eerily similar to an Apple product. Why? Because they do it so damn well. This argument quickly leads to the largest bone of contention for non-Apple users; Price.
Are Apple products more expensive; Yes. As to why some folks choose to spend more money on Apple products, well there are many reasons (some I have spoke about here). It’s about value. More to the point good value. That, is in the eye of the beholder. BTW, take a look at Microsofts fairly recent entry into the laptop/tablet market under the brandname ‘Surface’. These devices are easily as expensive as Apple. It’s what it takes to be innovative and produce a platform to showcase your OS.
Humor me for another paragraph as I highlight a personal experience I had with a MacBook Air. This MacBook Air was defanantly more expensive than other laptops available and nay-sayers always relished pointing this fact out to me. However, these same folks never compared apples to apples… so to speak. The MacBook Air in this case weighed a fraction of any other, had a slightly larger but exceedingly more brilliant display and came with an SSD drive. Solid state drive (SSD)… you could not even get that with other manufactures at the time. This laptop was blazingly fast and was absolutely amazing to work with. It really was state of the art in many ways. Really? You think I’m blowing smoke? Consider this seemingly tiny detail; the power adapter was held in place, to the laptop, magnetically. This meant that if your dog flew by and ensnared himself in your power cord the adapter would simply de-couple with no harm done laptop. Do you know how many people have had to replace adapters and/or motherboard connecters on standard laptops? A lot. How do you put a price on this simply design choice when having these conversations? Again, it comes down to value and that is the eye of the beholder. For me… that innovation was fantastic.
Some random last minute thoughts:
Backup and Restore - Time Machine (comes with OSX) is very slick. Restoring files or the entire OS. Slick. This was around way before Microsoft started to get it right.
Macs are based on Unix. Unix was around way before Windows. Unix is known for its stability. Unix has far fewer exploits. This means you will have far fewer issues in general with crashes, viruses and malware.
Media (Music and Photos) - Apple has included software to import, store, edit, flip, twist and play media from the start. Some people don’t like iTunes. Most often these same people seek out 3rd-party software to learn and familiarize that equally results in time spent just learning how to use iTunes. It’s really not that hard.
There are many more points and counter-points but these basic areas have caught my attention over the years. So there you have it, my 0.02 cents on having worked with Apple and many others over the years and why Apple is a leader in technology.
