I think THIS guy is missing the point.
I was sold on Apple after visiting the store in Reston VA. It had NOTHING to do with snappy marketing. Did that, the TV commercials bring it to my attention, or create a consciousness? Sure.
What did the Apple store do for me?
It gave me a chance to see and TRY the products.
I got some questions answered, and when I waded too deep, the salesman just said, try it and see. Use the machines, help yourself!
My quest originally started with a quest for a subnote. I saw a bunch of 2-300 mini pcs, and thought, hey, thats cute. Cool enough to slip in a pocket. A comms terminal! good for work in the field, or keeping on you in the new work environment for privacy where employers are clamping own on web use on their systems and time. Hey if you have to take a break, stay off their system and stop leaving a trail.
A commercial on tv lead me to looking at the Apple website. It was a bit of a hopscotch parade from the TV, the web and then finally the store. At some point there's not gonna be enough stores, I wish they had more and closer to where I live!
Grabber number one, was the macbook Air in the original quest for the subnote. I am still stunned from seeing it and holding it. An ad man did not create my fascination. Seeing, touching and holding the product along with trying it out, just testing the bootup speed is what did it for me.
All the marketing in the world will not make me buy something if the product is crap.
I did not however end up buying the Air...YET. I may still. Being the computer user I am I started getting in spec creep, and wanting more in the machine, and suddenly I'm looking at the other machines. If I were loaded I'd have them all. I ended up buying a trickedout MBP 17. Not quite as portable or discreet as an air..,but its so beautiful I don't want it to leave the house for fear of having it stolen! I want it to be the new base station!
Looking at the quality issues, I started noticing the shortcomings in my Blackberry phone, which while competant has its better in the iphone, the next release of which will be a stunner, I'm sure.
I debate myself about Air vs Pad. I want them both, but not because of the commercials! Feel, usage, quality, functionality are what do it for me.
That's in all cases. I may end up with functionality overload. But quality, form and function steer my monetary purchases. The new MBP is a joy to use and if it werent , all the marketing in the world would not have made me buy it. Mac keeps its promise to make better stuff, and after 20 years of MS, its nice to see someone deliver for once. MS to me is mostly a marketing company... it seems theyve fooled their customers into buying, because marketing is all they have. Apple may spend a lot of money on marketing, but they tell the truth and deliver. I say this as far and away NOT an apple butt boy, but an MS user of more than 22 years who just bought his first Apple only a week ago. My experiences are real.