Is Apple the Best?

Is Apple the Best?

You either replied yes or no.  There seems to be very little middle ground on a discussion like this one, similar to the vast yawning chasm separating fans of Ford or Chevy (or Dodge), and whether cats or dogs make the best household pets.  If you have not yet chosen a side in this love-or-hate debate, perhaps you simply lack a simple guide to the advantages and disadvantages of each.

apple-logo1Sales don’t lie.  One very independent and highly contextual survey noted that Apple store products far outsold Microsoft products at Mall of America during Black Friday.  While of course this is one minute fraction of the market as a whole, it serves as a rather vivid snapshot of Apple’s sales leadership.  And a score of 11-0 is one set of numbers Microsoft would do well to take heed of.  Even in the accessories domain, online venues such as the Accessory Geeks Apple Store reveal that holiday sales figures will be owned by Apple, simply on the basis of their immensely strong product lineup.

Innovation is key.  Apple does not get enough credit for operating a shrewd business – one that continues to make market leaders such as Google and Microsoft look grossly inadequate.  While Microsoft is attempting to keep with the times by desperately unleashing Windows 8 OS, and even Research In Motion is announcing a whole new Blackberry model (good luck with that), Apple is the company creating the times.  They remain the standard by which competitors are measured, whether competitors choose to accept that or not.

A picture is worth 44o ppi words.  Consider the new iPhone 5 as a sign of the times.  HTC’s Droid DNA sporting a 5 inch Super LCD 3 screen and a resolution of 1920 x1080 pixels, taking its pixel density to an unbelievable 440 ppi which is way beyond the iPhone 5’s 326 ppi.  Nokia Lumia 920 has a better overall camera and the camera UI on the Android 4.2 beats Apple’s Panorama feature.  Point to the competition.

Performance, anyone?  Another point against the iPhone 5.  Clearly Apple has still not caught on to the idea that phones need to be able to actually multitask.  While Apple’s software is butter-smooth, it needs more capability to keep up with the Androids muscling down the door.  Forget the whole Maps debacle, from which Apple is still reeling, if only slightly.

App-tastic Wars.  The Google Play store is neck and neck with Apple’s store, offering about as many apps but way more user customization.  Along with the swarm of new tablets flooding the market this year, the iTunes playground has plenty to worry about. 

Ultimate cool factor.  While your idea of cool may be in sheer power over tactility, meaning you are most likely in the Chevy and dog camp, there is no denying that Apple can do more with less and look awesome doing it.  The “Apple Fanboy” references from those who simply do not understand the degree to which the company impacts the entire market never get old.  No company could get away with clunky ergonomics and lack of intuitive interfaces on simply cool factor alone.  Face it, the reason Apple is cool is because their products WORK.

It could be submitted to the public at large that the main reason Apple is frequently bashed or discredited boils down to a severe lack of understanding as to how the company has shaped our computing and wireless world as we know it.  Recall that not too long ago the company for fighting for its life at the hands of Microsoft – a period during which the company considered bankruptcy. That it was able to emerge from such a dark period to become the market’s bellwether that it has  become deserves a considerable amount of respect – this is regardless of whether or not one likes or hates what the company stands for.

This was a guest post by R. Wilcox

Comments

  1. Stacy D. says

    I have an apple ipod touch 3rd generation. i love it and use it daily. i hope to one day get an ipad.

  2. Richard Hicks says

    I think they are the best. Their products are the easiest to use for sure!

    brich22 at earthlink dot net

  3. Debbie Welchert says

    I have had two microsoft computers so far and one apple computer, which I am using now. I have to tell you, I will never go back to microsoft computers. I love my Apple computer and everything it offers and so far the customer service is just wonderful. Keep up the good work Apple!

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