I used Apple displays and systems throughout my business as they disappeared or blended in with the desks and interior aesthetics, not because of the brand. Clients were greeted at the front desk to the back of house editing studio's with Apple systems. They sat in front of my setup of 4 mounted 30" displays that fit perfectly together with then current tech, aluminum enclosures, bright and consistent panels, and hidden wires. It was a statement, not of grandiosity or snobbery, but that I take my work seriously. Clients felt more at ease in a professional yet simple environment without inconsistent plastic displays, cables everywhere, drives and systems thrown about. There was a reason professionals such as Annie Leibovitz and editing studio's used Apple systems - they were designed to work together.
As a professional or everyday consumer, anyone could walk into an Apple Store and find everything they need right there. Displays, Mac's, AppleCare - even .Mac when it was an annual service that synced more than Contacts and Emails. The displays sold Mac's, Mac's sold displays, neither ate into iMac's as they weren't marketed for professionals using a workstation Power Mac or Mac Pro. PowerBooks were perfect for the mobile professional. Now the stores are crowded, Mac's are outdated and overpriced, customers will have to find displays elsewhere, and most floor specialists don't know the difference between integrated and dedicated graphics, RAM, HDD vs SSD.
The stores reflected Apple's doctrine - the harmony of form and function. Now they reflect the discord within the company itself. Apple doesn't know what it wants to be, the focus that brought it back to life is gone and it shows.
