What Makes Apple So Much Better?

During my brief time at Apple, it was this question that I probably answered more than any other. Sometimes they’d be referring to the iMac (the all-in-one desktop unit), the Macbook, Macbook Pro, or Macbook Air (the laptop selection), or perhaps the iPhone/iPod (portable phone and music players); nevertheless, some answers applied to all three, and some were a little more specific. Let me explore some of the answers I threw out, to customers who were looking at any of the products I’ve listed above.

one: The Store.

Regardless of what Apple product you purchase in the store, this place becomes a resource for you. Even if you buy your Apple gear at Futureshop or BestBuy, as soon as you’re an owner this place becomes a place for you. Everyone who works here is super friendly, and wants nothing more than to please you. When we see someone walk in with a laptop or desktop computer, (working or not) we pay double attention because we want those folks to know that the relationship doesn’t end with a purchase, it only begins.

If you’re ever have issues, questions, or just want to brainstorm something Apple you were thinking about this morning, we’re all here for you. Half of our Specialists are knowledgeable enough to fix random issues you’re having, so you can walk off the street without an appointment and pull one of us for 5 minutes. I’ll be honest with you when I say that I spent more than half my time at Apple, answering technical questions or applying quick fixes for people who were in a rush or without an appointment. We’re all here to help, and we’re happy to do it. If you ever are having legitimate repair-worthy issues (rare) that are beyond us, the Genius Bar takes appointments… right here in the store. Repairs are all done here, and your computer never leaves these doors unless it’s in your hands. All of our Genius’ (technicians) have had hands on training in Cupertino, where it all began.

note: It’s worth mentioning that we also have world-class phone support which you can access from the comfort of your home. More importantly, our phone support is located in NORTH AMERICA. You’re not calling India, Pakistan, or any other random outsourced region.

I’ve since realized that the benefits of the store really deserves it’s own article, so I’ll be putting one together. For now, I’ll be focussing on the question at hand.

two: Hardware AND Software.

If you buy a Toshiba computer with Windows Vista from BestBuy, and start having issues 2 years down the line… who do you go to? Do you call Microsoft? Toshiba? BestBuy?

We do our absolute best to provide the most Apple software relevant to your needs so that you don’t have to look elsewhere. That way, when you have a problem, we’re not going to be giving you the run around.

“Well… you should talk to Microsoft about that one, I’m just a Toshiba guy, and all your hardware seems to be working fine. This is definitely a software problem.”

“Sorry, it’s been more than 45 days since your purchase [From BestBuy], you’re going to need to call Toshiba regarding your computer not starting up. I can’t help you.”

Apple has been and for the next little while (at least), will continue to be the only major computer organization developing all the software, and assembling/supporting all the hardware without third party support.

three: Mag-safe Laptop Adapter.

This is one of those brilliant ideas that Apple came up with (and subsequently patented) that makes their products superior. All Apple laptops since 2006 have shipped with this technology, and if you take a second to think about it, hundreds of thousands of computers have probably avoided a disasterous demise because of this simple yet elegant product.

The Magsafe benefits me in two ways. Before I was used to having it, I was always super conscious about my laptop and made sure I didn’t knock it over or do something stupid to damage it; this includes being weary of the power adapter. Obviously, at some point you will become careless and cause the accident you’ve been dreading. When I first tripped over the cable, I laughed. My computer obviously remained unharmed, and since then I actually stopped caring about it. Not only does it protect my computer, but it allows me to stop thinking about it; I don’t have to be careful. I appreciate that, greatly.

For arguments sake, and in the interest of not exagerating, we’ll say that the Magsafe adapter has saved me from having to replace my current Macbook…prematurely.

four: The Operating System (Mac OS X).

One thing that Microsoft does that really bothers me, is release numerous different versions of their operating systems. Windows XP had Home, XP Professional, XP Media Center Edition. There was an XP Tablet version as well, but I’m not going to comment on that; I don’t know if Apple will release a modified Mac OS X Snow Leopard with their tablet, tentatively being announced on Tuesday January 27th, when they announce the device. Windows Vista had Home Basic, Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, and Vista Ultimate. Windows 7 has Starter, 7 Home Premium, 7 Professional, 7 Ultimate, and 7 64bit.

Excuse my language, but are you fucking serious? Not only do I have to go through the rigamarole of finding a computer that will suit my needs, but I have to sift through the 17 different versions of the operating systems you make to see which one will work best for me? Let’s put aside the fact that most computers you buy in a store come with a specific version, and no room for upgrade or exchange; I’m going to get home and in 6 months realize I need to do something, but it’ll be missing from my revised edition of the garbage operating system that comes with my computer.

You will never run into that issue with an Apple computer. They make one version of each operating system, and then release updates adding/fixing anything that needs to be done. Everything comes with your computer; you don’t need to worry about getting “Snow Leopard Lite” or “Snow Leopard Home Premium Upside Down Question Mark” or whatever other stupid variation Microsoft could possibly come up with.

What else is great? When a new Apple operating system comes out, it’s EASY to upgrade. You stick the DVD in, click upgrade and watch your computer do the work. What happens when a new Microsoft operating system comes out? Everybody scrambles and panics… as they should.

In the interest of your attention span, I’ll leave it at that. Expect further volumes of this same article; I will have given you 50 reasons to choose Apple over anyone else by the time I’m done writing on the matter.