I was at the Raptors game yesterday, having fun watching them win for a change and as I was looking around me trying to spot the cheerleaders and hot girls in the stands, it wasn't very surprised to see maybe over 70% of the folks around me had iPhones with them, some kids had iPods, one or two blackberries and a couple Andriods.. and that's when I started thinking.. silly as it may be.. Apple products 5 years ago, had a sense of exclusivity, a defiance against the mainstream kinda attitude that gave it a big part of it's appeal. The brand loyalty that apple enjoys is unparalleled in any industry that I know of! but how much of that was due to the exclusivity nature of holding an apple?
I thought I'd ask here, how many of you guys feel the same? would Apple being mainstream change your loyalty to the brand? or is the more the merrier?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MacUnited
I was at the Raptors game yesterday, having fun watching them win for a change and as I was looking around me trying to spot the cheerleaders and hot girls in the stands, it wasn't very surprised to see maybe over 70% of the folks around me had iPhones with them, some kids had iPods, one or two blackberries and a couple Andriods.. and that's when I started thinking.. silly as it may be.. Apple products 5 years ago, had a sense of exclusivity, a defiance against the mainstream kinda attitude that gave it a big part of it's appeal. The brand loyalty that apple enjoys is unparalleled in any industry that I know of! but how much of that was due to the exclusivity nature of holding an apple?
I thought I'd ask here, how many of you guys feel the same? would Apple being mainstream change your loyalty to the brand? or is the more the merrier?
Before I had an iPhone I would not touch an Apple product with a 10 foot pole. I wouldn't even look at it or consider it. It was not "mainstream" enough for me. I always felt like I would be handcuffed if I purchased an Apple product, true or not, it is the way I felt. Now I don't look at thing but Apple products. Very odd I tell you.
The reason I left my BB behind for an iPhone was the beauty of the touch screen, apps and the ease of use. There was nothing out there like it. Now I own an another iPhone, MBP, Apple TV 2, iPad 3, maybe another MBP this year and maybe an Apple TV 3.
What attracted me to purchase a MBP was first to work with it in terms of software development as I am a Windows developer I wanted to get into iOS dev. But once I tried the trackpad on the MBP that was it I was hooked, there is nothing like it in the market.
I don't need to know that I own something that very few people have, I don't have that type of ego. The fact that other people around me have an iPhone lets me know they made the smart choice in terms of the best smart phone on the market.
Interesting question. I've been using Mac OS since 8.6. Always loved the Mac for so many reasons. It never bothered me that I had some kind of status that I was on the road less traveled. It's actually better because I don't have many Mac vs. PC arguments anymore. I'm actually more concerned that all these iPhone users will be switching over the large screen Android phones. To me, iPhone is losing appeal not because it's mainstream but because it looks inferior now to the large screen phones.
I had a similar train of thought a couple of years ago when the iPhone 3GS was launched here and Bell and TELUS got into the Apple game.
But now I see Apple differently. The exclusivity is gone, but there is still a sense of paying more for quality that really appeals to a huge portion of the population.
I wouldn't get a product because it's exclusive or elite or to make me one of the few.. I'd buy a product because it works great and does what I need it to do, and maybe even more...
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Whether Apple is mainstream or not has no effect on my feelings towards them. I've been using Apple products since my first Mac Classic, not because it was the computer "for the rest of us", but because it was the system that I preferred. I've never been an Apple snob or evangelist.
One thing about your observation of the crowd at the game. I would bet that very few of those people really make that sort of connection between their devices and Apple Computer Inc. iPhones and iPads are hot commodities right now. The fact that Apple makes them is secondary. I know a few Windoze centric folks who own iPhones and/or iPads, but don't consider themselves Apple users.
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Echo sentiment... Mainstream or not has never played a part of my purchase decision, just how good the product was.
Hypothetical, if Apple made a product and a competitor made a product that was exactly the same, I'm quite into the Apple ecosystem that I would stick with Apple's product. Another competitor would have to have a VERY compelling product, but my decision wouldn't be simply because there was an Apple logo on it. Certainly isn't because of a perception of main stream or not.
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Well, not so much about the iPhone, but perhaps if the Mac was more 'mainstream' Intuit might actually have a decent and regularly updated version of QuickBooks for the Mac for Canadian users.
So yeah, mainstream? Bring it.
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I actually miss the exclusivity. Don't get me wrong, I've always used apple products because I appreciate the quality and how well thought out their products are, but I always used to have a feeling that I had discovered something that nobody else had and that made the experience even more special. The fact that I'm a designer and get to "play" on macs all day still leaves friends envious, but still not the same.
I guess what worries me is Apple ability to keep the safe ecosystem intact. the more people using Macs, the more software will be developed, and not all of it will be up to bar, Apple keeps a strict eye on all iPhone and iPad apps but would they have the capacity to continue doing this AND maintain another huge ecosystem for the Mac?
I mean if I was a spammer, or a malware hacker.. with a 1,000,000 Windows users vs 100,000 Macs.. I'd focus on windows since, well it's easy to hack AND with it being a numbers game i have a higher probability of someone biting the bait..
now will we see an increased trend in apple directed malware? I know it's hard to get in, but some folks will click on any link to a naked girl's picture if you get what I mean!! lol
and as I was looking around me trying to spot the cheerleaders and hot girls in the stands, it wasn't very surprised to see maybe over 70% of the folks around me had iPhones with them, some kids had iPods, one or two blackberries and a couple Andriods.. and that's when I started thinking.. silly as it may be.. Apple products 5 years ago, had a sense of exclusivity, a defiance against the mainstream kinda attitude that gave it a big part of it's appeal. The brand loyalty that apple enjoys is unparalleled in any industry that I know of! but how much of that was due to the exclusivity nature of holding an apple? 
Very odd I tell you.
(water/dust-proof! NFC! infrared! WiMax! 
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