Ask Slashdot: What Is the 'Special Appeal' of Apple Products?

Reader dryriver writes: As someone who comes from MS-DOS/Windows PCs background, I've never quite understood the appeal of Apple's products. I don't think Apple's products are terrible or anything, but I just fail to see what is so special and different about Apple's electronics that many Apple users would never dream of switching to a non-Apple product. Where does the 'special appeal' of Apple products reside? And why are Apple users so very loyal to Apple products, even though with Apple's pricing policy, you rarely get the best bang-for-the-buck in a product?

Comments

Fitting in

[rsilvergun]

I buy my kid Apple because they help her fit in with the kinds of folks I want her associating with. Having an iPhone with iMessage lets her network with other kids. Moreover those kids are at least well enough off to afford an iPhone (well, their parents are). I know there's lots and lots of exceptions, but as screwed up as it is to say this they're still exceptions. It's not about snobbery, it's about keeping her away from crazies. They girls with $100 pre-paid cells and $300 celeron laptops are just plain more likely to have issues.

If there's one and only one thing I've learned in life it's you need to learn to spot and keep crazies out of your life. And one (rather nasty) way to do that is to use money as a gatekeeper. This goes for everything. Where you life, what you drive, what schools you go to. The mentally ill have a hard time being stable long enough to afford nice things.