As the impending iPhone release looms over the world, it’s good to reflect upon Apple’s place in the world. Specifically, I’m speaking about their impact upon style and culture.
Can we imagine a world without iPods? That world existed, it can be confirmed. People had mp3 players previous to the iPod. But did anybody care? Not really. Was the mp3 player the stylistic commodity that it is today? Hardly. They were big, they were ugly. Then came along the sleek, and ever increasingly smaller iPod, and the whole world now owns mp3 players.
The iPod made the market, and it made the market cool.
Think about Apple’s website. Did you know that Apple was the first company to allow you to order your own customized computer from their website? Can you imagine a world where you couldn’t order exactly what you wanted from a computer maker’s site?
Their advertising campaigns are on a whole ‘nother level. Do you remember the last Microsoft ad campaign?
Neither do I.
But I can easily recall Apple ads. Remember when the original iMac came out? How about the “Think Different” campaign? My roomate, who uses a PC, has his own iPod dance in mockery of the highly graphic and memorable iPod commercials. Needless do we need to remind you about the ubiquitous Mac vs PC commercials.
So that brings us to the iPhone.
And you’re dang right I want to get one.
But I’m a Mac nerd to begin with. How about my friend Nathan who absolutely hates Macs?
“Man, I hate Macs, but that iPhone looks sweet.”
The dumb thing hasn’t even come out yet, and people are already proclaiming it the greatest phone ever. Can we imagine a world without iPhones? That world exists, it can be confirmed. But it’s hard to imagine that world come July/August.
So what does all of this mean? It’s all about culture and style. Apple has it. Microsoft doesn’t. Plain und Simple. The funny thing is, is that it has always been that way. Steve Jobs mentioned it a long time ago:
It’s only now that the entire playing field of the world of computers has leveled out that people are starting to notice or care.
The needs of most computer users haven’t changed much in the past 5 or so years. Processor speeds have leveled out. Graphics needs, outside of extreme gamers, has leveled out. People just don’t need that much more performance to be happy.
What they need now is style and culture. And living in this culture-less era, this cesspool of regurgitated ideas and half-baked schemes, I for one thank Apple for at least having the nerve to do something different. You might not like Apple for whatever valid reason you may have, but you’ve got to respect them for at least trying.
