Buzz Out Loud Lounge forum: Why Apple Products are Popular even when it's more expensive

For me, their products/OS is easier to use only because I've been using Macs since 1990.

It's easier to do in a closed system where the same company controls every facet of the process (hardware and software.) There's less variables to deal with as the developers know the ins and outs of the hardware that will be integrating with the software.

I have both an Ipod video and a Sandisk Sansa. I think the Sansa hardware is actually just as nice as the Ipod (and the specs beat the comparable Nano.) But I originally didn't take the time to properly setup my music library through WMP11. It was actually easier than I expected (and even has some customization options that I couldn't find in Itunes.) But it wasn't as idiot-proof at first as you had to dig down a little to set some options. Now that I have everything setup properly I now actually use the Sansa more due to its portability and the FM tuner (for sports talk radio.)

But if somebody less tech-savvy like my dad were to ask me what mp3 device to get I'd still probably recommend an Ipod for now. The end-to-end experience is more seamless and idiot-proof. Microsoft has a chance to make a similar experience with the Zune (as well as with Windows Mobile devices) but there's still too much disconnect between its various media platforms. Microsoft really needs to do a better job of consolidating Windows Media Player, Media Center, Zune/Xbox Marketplace, etc. under a single umbrella.

I think iPhone will decide how Apple will rule the computer business. When consumerss get the idea that Apple designs excellent products for the general user, they will start to migrate over to Mac OS X. I am using Safari for Windows - because I got fed up with using IE 7 (I liked IE 6) - mainly because I could get to all the stuff I need in Safari.

(BTW - my learning curve was about 3 hours on a Safari/Mac after spending YEARS with IE 3, 4, & 5.) I am just now getting use to IE 7 after a year of using it! (I was using the beta version last year...)

My work computers are Windows, my home computer is a Mac. (I am also fighting Office 2007 - wasting time on figuring out where things are.)

I have an ipod. For some reason I talked my wife into the Sansa since she didn't want to be another ipod sheep and pay more money for the same or less memory. After a day of trying to get the songs onto it with Rhapsody, we traded it in for a Nano and had it loaded and running in 30 minutes. Baaaaaaa.