Apples and Oranges

Being an Apple appreciator comes with some baggage. We're often ridiculed and dismissed as being fanboys or mindless drones following an authoritative regime. Usually it's in good fun. Tech companies have always mocked and teased each other, and their supporters usually follow suit. It's Silicon Valley culture. It's sport for geeks. I get it, and it can be a lot of fun. I do get a little disappointed when the arguments are based on criteria which I feel are entirely subjective. Take Android vs iOS for example; feature for feature, Android is a more developed platform. You can do more and you can do it faster on an Android phone. That means nothing to me. When I use an Apple product, it is because I appreciate every aspect of the product; from manufacturing to unwrapping. I fall into the camp that believes people who want to make great software should make their own hardware. The invisible line between my apps and my device is what makes the product personable. When I get my hands on a new Apple product, I experience a kind of symbiotic relationship that is rarely felt with inanimate objects. And when I get excited for a new product yet to be released, or the mere announcement of product unveiling, it is because I am confident in Apple's ability to innovate and 'wow'. Simply put, Apple products are better realized than any product from any other tech company. Features are neat, and tech junkies love them. It's really cool to show off cutting edge features, I get it. However, at some point, these features have to do something for us. What good is 4G when it drains a battery at an exponential rate? How much faster do processor speeds need to be? Aren't apps designed to meet the lowest common denominator anyway? And that's why the Google app market isn't robust; because it fragmented by it's need to serve a kitchen drawer full of different devices.  Sounds like Windows all over again, doesn't it? It's interesting that we can translate product traits to the user. Apple users are often mocked for only buying the products because they are 'slick' or 'sexy'. So? I have a great appreciation for design. When a product is so painstakingly crafted that it earns merit on appearance alone, doesn't that speak volumes for the creators? That sounds like the kind of company I'd like to be associated with. The design isn't ancillary. It is the product. If this post doesn't speak to you, that's all right. If you hate Apple products, that's okay too. More than okay, actually. A company can't be for everyone, because when they try to be, they lose who they were.