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Why do we always wait for apple's stuff before making a i[blank]-killer??

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tomos:
I'm not an apple user, but it seems to me, a lot of people (quotes below) agree on one thing - Apple do a lot of work on the user interface. This is an area that is extremely neglected by everyone else in my limited experience of electronic apps / software.

If I could change an app, 99 times out of a 100 it's the interface I'd change.


> apple did 2 main things -- first, they put the effort into the software user interface that few other companies are willing to do.
mouser

> the Ipod, the Iphone, the I-pad succeeded so far because they always brought something "shiny" like scroll wheel, touch screen/power, screen size/touch screen when the pragmatic view of useful at the time didn't respect these features enough.
If these were turds, then every other offer at the time would be smellier turds from a consumer perspective.
PaulKeith

> Apple is good at 1 thing, and 1 thing only. It takes good ideas that failed, repackages them in a super-sexy outfit...
Renegade



edit: minor corrections

mouser:
I think it's also important to highlight how focused Apple is on providing a good experience to it's customers -- which explains partly why their is a kind of cult-ish devotion to Apple.  They have set up their stores to help people deal with problems and they make a real effort to help people feel comfortable with their products and guide them through problems when they have them.  Apple computer users know that if there is a problem they aren't going to be left alone to solve it; sure they may have to pay more for such benefits, but for them it's a price well worth paying.

Now why more companies don't go the same route as Apple.. One reason is surely that Apple already has this area of the market fairly well covered -- it's hard for other companies to make headway into it.  It's much easier to make headway in a market where customers aren't so loyal to one brand and are more objectively attracted to features, and less concerned with getting long-term support.

Apple is *very* good at what they do.. A good part of that success has to do with marketing.  The same thing could be said of google.  Maybe the common thread in all giant successful corporations is how good they are at marketing themselves and developing a cult-like reality distortion field around them.

However i think it would be a real mistake to chaulk it all up to marketing -- Apple takes very very seriously the idea of creating a complete user interface experience in ways that other companies cannot be bothered to do, and they back it up with a support system that their customers appreciate.  That's not a trivial thing.  In many ways it's a lot more rational that those of us who are more focused on squeezing out a few more cpu cycles or mb of free memory, or saving a few bucks.

app103:
Mouser, you hit it on the head. They don't sell a product. They sell an experience. From the design of their stores to the design of their packaging, it's meant to make you feel special, pampered, and people love the feeling. It's not just about hardware, software, or customer service.

There was this toy store in NYC that had a similar approach to business. You could buy your Legos at Toys-R-Us for less money, or you could get your Legos from this toy store and pay a lot more. They were the same Legos, and people bought them there for the higher price, because of the whole experience the store gave them. They made kids feel like they had just visited a magical world where everything came directly from Santa's workshop, and they made adults feel like kids again. And for that experience, people were willing to shell out the bucks. It really wasn't about the toys.

rgdot:
The idea that setting up stores makes it more comfortable for users is theoretical. People trained to be salesmen are not too likely to be helpful in terms of product support. I doubt, in fact I am pretty sure, many employees are qualified technically. A franchise kind of place or small store perhaps selling exclusively PCs is more likely to employ someone who by chance or by design knows PCs inside out. You can buy Apple Care which I have heard good things about so may be that's good.

I think one of the roots of the majority (safe assumption I hope) opinion here is what Apple offers you. There are 8 or so year old Fujitsu (not the biggest tech innovator ever) tablets that have USBs, docks, drives and even the thing to view landscape or portrait, I don't even know what it's called.

Stoic Joker:
There was this toy store in NYC that had a similar approach to business. You could buy your Legos at Toys-R-Us for less money, or you could get your Legos from this toy store and pay a lot more. They were the same Legos, and people bought them there for the higher price, because of the whole experience the store gave them. They made kids feel like they had just visited a magical world where everything came directly from Santa's workshop, and they made adults feel like kids again. And for that experience, people were willing to shell out the bucks. It really wasn't about the toys.-app103 (June 06, 2010, 09:15 AM)
--- End quote ---

And that (customer service) is good up to a point. But the flip side of the same coin is more of a pedicure analogy.

The whole point of trimming ones toenails (aesthetics aside...) is to keep them from ripping holes in ones socks. - (e.g. it's strictly a practical matter) - Now one can either simply grab the clippers and be done with the task in short order for free. Or... One can run down to the local ego massaging boutique, and have them done for you for only (*Snicker*) $100 ... This is much the same justification for charging $20 for a friggin hamburger; ambiance.

The point is unfortunately that one just paid $100 to protect a $2 pair of socks. ...Why?

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