Apple's Customer Trust Tough to Beat

[MacBytes]

Category: Opinion/Interviews
Link: Apple's Customer Trust Tough to Beat
Description:: none

Posted on MacBytes.com
Approved by Mudbug

[sweex]

A great article!
It's remarkable that everyone tries to do better than Apple, but I think even all together, they aren't better!

[jiarizti]

This article does a good job into explaining why Apple is so successful. No one will threaten Apples position on any market only on the basis of device features, and thats what most competitors have been trying so far. I hope that competitors out there start building upon their own agendas and not trying to catch up, or they will stand no chance.

[yayitsezekiel]

if you want to seriously compete with apple, you need to seriously innovate. I'm so tired of this "cookiecutter" stuff. I'm interested to see if anyone will get out of their rut and try something new

i'm glad apple knows what they're doing at least

[spillproof]

What Apple doesn't know is that back in 1996, Microsoft sent a guy to be an undercover Apple Engineer and report everything back to Gates. But their plan failed. When the undercover saw the power and real size of Steve's brain and the development projects, he never returned or contacted Microsoft again. Microsoft sent three more undercover engineers over the next 10 years, but they all fell to the same awe as the first.

In all seriousness this article does explain how Apple still seems to lead the way in "upping" and "revolutionizing" that way we interact with all data information.

[Kristenn]

This article explains exactly why my family has used Apple computers since their introduction. Even though I'm sure the Apple II broke at least once a week

Good article though.

[archipellago]

biggest load of bull ever...

[ABG]

Originally Posted by sweex

A great article!

Your comment made me read it. Sadly, it's not a great article - its a justification for a stock position (and not a very detailed one at that).

[dejo]

Originally Posted by jiarizti

No one will threaten Apples position on any market only on the basis of device features, and thats what most competitors have been trying so far.

As John Geleynse, Director of Technology Evangelism, at Apple has stated: "Implement solutions, not features."

[Kristenn]

Originally Posted by archipellago

biggest load of bull ever...

QQ?

[thecartoonguy]

Originally Posted by archipellago

biggest load of bull ever...

How so?

[sweex]

Originally Posted by ABG

Your comment made me read it. Sadly, it's not a great article - its a justification for a stock position (and not a very detailed one at that).

Sorry in that case, I just found it very interesting, it explains very well why google, for example won't beat the iPhone with thear nexus one...

[ABG]

Originally Posted by sweex

Sorry in that case, I just found it very interesting,

No apology needed - people are looking for different things from these articles. I'm completing an MBA and the sort of analytical detail I hoped from the article was lacking. I think most of us could have written that ourselves (although hopefully without the "because Steve Jobs says so") justification for his future expectations.

Originally Posted by sweex

it explains very well why google, for example will beat the iPhone with thear nexus one...

I'm pretty sure it claimed the opposite?

[sweex]

Originally Posted by ABG

No apology needed - people are looking for different things from these articles. I'm completing an MBA and the sort of analytical detail I hoped from the article was lacking. I think most of us could have written that ourselves (although hopefully without the "because Steve Jobs says so") justification for his future expectations.



I'm pretty sure it claimed the opposite?

Sorry because of all that studying I'm losing my mind :s

[Winni]

"I see no signs of the competition catching up anytime soon."

That's right. I look in my server room, and I see no sign of Apple anywhere. I look at my games collection, and I know that I have to play them either with Windows or my Xbox 360. I look at the shelves full with BluRays in the local movie shops, and I know that I cannot use my Mac Pro to watch them.

Apple is a glorified producer of consumer gadgets that are crippled and restricted with tons of DRM layers. That certainly is a market that they lead and where they make loads of money.

But this is not the neighborhood where I want to live. And sooner or later something will wake up all those cash cows living there, and then maybe they no longer want Apple to milk them in that exclusive neighborhood.

[Kevin Paquet]

I can very much relate to one of the commentators there who switched to a Mac from an iPod. I'm now using a MBP 15" because I was so amazed by the quality of the iPod Touch that I had to try something else from Apple.

[Soliber]

True that, I started out with an iPod, got an MBP, and an iPhone after that.
Frankly, as soon as I graduate, get a job and move out, I'm switching over to Macs as a whole

[jbl]

Originally Posted by ABG

No apology needed - people are looking for different things from these articles. I'm completing an MBA and the sort of analytical detail I hoped from the article was lacking. I think most of us could have written that ourselves (although hopefully without the "because Steve Jobs says so") justification for his future expectations.

Couldn't have said it better... so I'm going to say something else instead.

Apple's image is so strong that some of their customers should be only be called "fans" or even "members of a cult" This concept (apple company and community) is so strong that false facts such as an apple computer with same specs as another brand will run faster than this other brand. I've spoken to people who actually believe that the intel cpu, the ram and other parts inside of an apple computer aren't the same as any parts you can buy everywhere. It seems that these people want to protect and justify the fact that they paid a lot of money for a computer that they probably don't fully use or need. A lot of people will defend the brand before anything else, Apple's customers are proud to give their money to apple, they love their products and most would never go back even if the competition offers better specs, better design, better whatever...

There is no way that a brand can just "steal" these customers right away in let's say.. 2-3 years. It's going to take many more years. Brands like Sony with the walkman had this kind of power a few years ago, do you remember? It's the same thing. The fact that apple has it with the ipod now doesn't mean they will keep their iconic image for the rest of humanity's life, it just means they have it for now... they easily have a minimum of 5 more years of that control until another brand takes the lead, not by trying to copy apple, but by imposing itself with so much more something worthy (because let's face it, apple could sell poo in a can and some fans would praise it... actually the current situation looks exactly like this for many...)

[cwt1nospam]

Originally Posted by jbl

Apple's image is so strong that some of their customers should be only be called "fans" or even "members of a cult" This concept (apple company and community) is so strong that false facts such as an apple computer with same specs as another brand will run faster than this other brand. I've spoken to people who actually believe that the intel cpu, the ram and other parts inside of an apple computer aren't the same as any parts you can buy everywhere.

That's because the Mac will run faster with the same specs. Maybe not significantly faster right out of the box, but it will be a little faster to begin with due to OS X being faster than Windows and lots faster as over time as the Windows registry becomes bloated and the PC either turns into a cycle wasting bot or antivirus software takes its own toll on performance.

Originally Posted by jbl

The fact that apple has it with the ipod now doesn't mean they will keep their iconic image for the rest of humanity's life, it just means they have it for now...

I have no doubt you'd call me one of those fan boys who'd buy poo in a can if Apple sold it, but the fact is that I buy Apple products because they have no real competition. The best any competitor can do is claim some better feature like higher clock rate, blue ray, or some other equally unimportant spec. Nobody has a system that is nearly as well integrated, so nobody can compete.

The really sad thing is that nobody seems to want to compete with Apple! They all just want to change their marketing tactics, acting as if Apple's marketing is what got them where they are today. As long as Apple focuses on building the best overall product and the PC makers focus on one upping them on a feature here and a feature there, Apple will get my business. There's not even a need to look at a PC as a potential option.

[jbl]

Originally Posted by cwt1nospam

That's because the Mac will run faster with the same specs. Maybe not significantly faster right out of the box, but it will be a little faster to begin with due to OS X being faster than Windows

So now there's only windows and os x? Also, someone cleaver can easily get os x on his pc box... its even easier if the person is currently shopping for a new box, he/she can make sure to get the right parts.

Originally Posted by cwt1nospam

... and lots faster as over time as the Windows registry becomes bloated and the PC either turns into a cycle wasting bot

Any company's computer department knows how to keep their computers in shape: format them regularly. Today, everyone should have back ups, so formating on the go is an easy option, I've always formated frequently either my windows or mac partitions and I never had problems with either... actually I had more problem with macs in my life, but these macs weren't mines, they were at my school, they were old and I suspect the department to completely suck with technology.

Originally Posted by cwt1nospam

... or antivirus software takes its own toll on performance.

Really? We're in 2010 by the way, unless you buy apple computers, you get 4gb of ram in your laptop even in sub-1000$ machines and you get 6+ gb in desktops... I'd even risk norton on today's machine... They don't lag.

[cwt1nospam]

Originally Posted by jbl

So now there's only windows and os x? Also, someone cleaver can easily get os x on his pc box... its even easier if the person is currently shopping for a new box, he/she can make sure to get the right parts.

Sure, there's Linux, and some day it may be mature enough and have enough market share to be useful. As for pirating, if that's your idea of a viable alternative then we've nothing to discuss.

Originally Posted by jbl

Any company's computer department knows how to keep their computers in shape: format them regularly. Today, everyone should have back ups, so formating on the go is an easy option, I've always formated frequently either my windows or mac partitions and I never had problems with either... actually I had more problem with macs in my life, but these macs weren't mines, they were at my school, they were old and I suspect the department to completely suck with technology.

Unnecessary support needs == time lost == lost performance.

Originally Posted by jbl

Really? We're in 2010 by the way, unless you buy apple computers, you get 4gb of ram in your laptop even in sub-1000$ machines and you get 6+ gb in desktops... I'd even risk norton on today's machine... They don't lag.

Nobody's talking about lag. The claim was that the Mac would be faster, and it would be, at least in part because of registry bloat and the drag of installing, updating, and using AV software. Once again, wasted time (user or IT support) == wasted/lost performance.

By the way, my MBP has 4GB of RAM. I'm not aware of any Macs sold without at least 4GB these days.

[DMann]

Originally Posted by cwt1nospam

That's because the Mac will run faster with the same specs. Maybe not significantly faster right out of the box, but it will be a little faster to begin with due to OS X being faster than Windows and lots faster as over time as the Windows registry becomes bloated and the PC either turns into a cycle wasting bot or antivirus software takes its own toll on performance.

Right you are - my Asus workstation running W7 will verify it.

The time saved in not having to deal with the aggravation, frustrations, and kludgy interface makes it all the more worthwhile.

Originally Posted by cwt1nospam

I have no doubt you'd call me one of those fan boys who'd buy poo in a can if Apple sold it, but the fact is that I buy Apple products because they have no real competition. The best any competitor can do is claim some better feature like higher clock rate, blue ray, or some other equally unimportant spec. Nobody has a system that is nearly as well integrated, so nobody can compete.

The really sad thing is that nobody seems to want to compete with Apple! They all just want to change their marketing tactics, acting as if Apple's marketing is what got them where they are today. As long as Apple focuses on building the best overall product and the PC makers focus on one upping them on a feature here and a feature there, Apple will get my business. There's not even a need to look at a PC as a potential option.

True - nobody wants to compete in this arena, as doing so would require a complete business model overhaul toward creating a highly innovative and integrated environment, just to qualify as a worthy contender.

Dell has set a trend for low profit/high volume bottom-of-the-barrel sales. While this approach provides a path of least resistance, in continuous pursuit of the lowest costs for parts and labor, innovation, integration, and design take a back seat.

Different strokes for different folks - the choices are out there.

[sweex]

Originally Posted by jbl

Apple's image is so strong that some of their customers should be only be called "fans" or even "members of a cult"

Sure you can call me an apple fan, but only because I love their products and because I love the way they think.
Yes an Apple computer with the same specs will cost more then a Dell. But for my apple I don't have to spend 75euro's for Norton internet security, and an extra 50 euros if I wan't an antivirus. I already have an app installed that's great for dealing with my pictures, if I'm an amateur video editing I won't have to spend anything extra to buy a video editing tool. And I won't have to spend 319 euro's if I decided to upgrade to windows 7! (you can look for the prices in dollars but I think you get the idea)
Ok my mac isn't perfect, sometimes it's a bit slower than I would have wished, some apps sometimes don't respond, but windows isn't perfect either, and on my mac this happens a hell of a lot less often then on my windows.
If Apple keeps innovating the way they do today, and if microsoft still won't be able to react like a proper concurrent then I will buy a Mac because "everything just works"

[cwt1nospam]

The PC fanboy response to this article is really just another example of them trying to claim Mac users are cultists who've drank from some Kool Aid. The reality is that I don't know any PC users who don't regularly have more trouble with their computers than any Mac user would find acceptable, and that experience doesn't seem to change for anyone I've met.

Brand loyalty must be earned, and Apple has done that over the years. PC makers haven't begun to consider what it would take to earn customer loyalty, probably because they know they can't compete on that level. When you don't control the OS you can't control the user experience.

[Kristenn]

Originally Posted by cwt1nospam

The PC fanboy response to this article is really just another example of them trying to claim Mac users are cultists who've drank from some Kool Aid. The reality is that I don't know any PC users who don't regularly have more trouble with their computers than any Mac user would find acceptable, and that experience doesn't seem to change for anyone I've met.

Brand loyalty must be earned, and Apple has done that over the years. PC makers haven't begun to consider what it would take to earn customer loyalty, probably because they know they can't compete on that level. When you don't control the OS you can't control the user experience.

QFT.

Also, Winni. When I go to a graphic arts center all I see is Macintosh computers.

C WOT I DID THAR?!