Apple Case

Apple's designs are, well, elegant. There is no better word for it. Sony and Toshiba can come close at times, but, on average, Apple has the best-designed hardware from an aesthetics point of view of any vendor. It is amazing that, after several years, no one has been able to design a better hard-drive-based MP3 player than Apple did with the iPod. Even Toshiba's design, which used many of the same components, sucked.

Have you noticed that Apple doesn't live by the version-three rule? In the PC industry, there is this rule that some of the branded vendors take three tries to get something right. Apple often gets it in one try. The first iteration might not be perfect, but it is often so close to the ideal that the difference is insignificant. I'm clearly one of those folks who wish this rule didn't apply so well to companies other than Apple.

Sometimes it's the little things. For instance, if you look at the laptop hinges on the new PowerBooks and iBooks, you'll see the way screens should be attached to laptops. The screen opens out and down, minimizing the height of the open laptop and making it much more practical for airplane use. The hinge itself is not only robust, but also protected, so it would be difficult to break. The end result is like a Porsche design in a good year: clean, understated and elegant.

On the desktop side, Apple has done little things like the placement of the power button on the iMac into the screen, where it is both easy to access and provides an experience not unlike that with the start button on a Honda S2000. Apple also has turned desktop keyboards into hubs for easier cable management, although I still think the iMac should have a wireless keyboard and mouse.

Even though it is several years old, and I'd still prefer black or gray over white, the design of the iMac looks more advanced than any of the other all-in-one products out there, including the Sony W600 and Intel-codesigned Gateway 610 Media Center.

Even the company's tower computer, the G5, takes what has become an increasingly boring form factor and makes it look trendy. It looks exclusive, which -- given its cost -- it is. But it is a stunning design. On the PC side, you typically have to go to Voodoo or Alienware for anything that even comes close to an Apple design, although you have to admit Sony's RS products are rather close.

Apple Marketing

Where Apple really stands out is in marketing. The company simply seems to understand what will get people excited about its products, and then it executes on that vision. You don't see the company mainly talking about features or technology, but about how the computer will make your life better. The iPod ads actually won an award from AdWeek and, if it hadn't been for an even more stunning campaign from Citibank, they might have won best ad overall for 2003 as opposed to just