Apple drags you in!

There was a nice little tweet floating around a few days ago - Three apples changed the world. One seduced Eve, One awakened Newton, and one was in the hands of Steve Jobs. The tweet went on to ask which one people felt was most important to this generation. And if you truly belong to these times, the answer should be obvious!

Apple is not just another technology company. Actually, Apple products don't sell because they are technologically superior - they are that too, but more important is the brand. There is nothing which comes close to the image of a bit-off apple behind your gadget. Suddenly, the person holding the device is transformed in the eyes of the beholder to the status of an ultra-geek. And in today's world, a geek is an amazing guy! He is the casanova of the modern world, and is the most popular guy around! No wonder really that Apple is counted as the world's #1 brand - even ahead of Coca-Cola in certain surveys.

But then this post is not to wax eloquent about Apple and Steve Jobs' achievements - there are tons of them, but the post is about the way the company drags you in and does not let you go :) It is not a complaint, but that is exactly what happens. Once one Apple product comes home, there is no other brand which can satisfy. From the most basic version of iPod to the most expensive MacBook, all of them grow off each other. The funny thing is that an Apple product owner does not happily buy another brand's product - in spite of the huge cost difference! This is not my personal opinion - most Apple gadget owners would agree! Even if we buy another brand, it is only option # 2.

Once iTunes sets up on our PC, it brings with it QuickTime. Then comes Safari browser (which, by the way, is quite good, and never crashes!). From there on, it is just a matter of time before another Apple product enters your home. Now that Apple is aggressively coming into India through resellers and authorized dealers, the excuse of availability is not valid either.

But strangely, not a single Apple product can be termed 'Value for Money' in the strictest sense of the word. Yes, they are very good. And yes, they are very safe. But when we get to comparing them with the competition, it is very obvious that we are paying more than what we would normally pay any other brand for a similar product. A fully loaded tablet with Andriod (where the apps are easier to get) including a phone will be available at a lower price than the iPad 2 which is not a phone. But 90 out of 100 people will still go in for the iPad 2 - honestly, just to flaunt it :)

That is why we don't see people put covers on their Apple products - what is the fun of covering up the logo - lest someone think it is a China product in a similar design ;) Our local computer dealer actually suggested an innovation - he showed a few iPad size cases which come with a cut-out area in the back of the case at the exact place where we see the logo! Our marketers know exactly why people buy their iPads!

In India, Apple hasn't even begun to do serious branding. All they do is to put up their bit-off Apple in front of stores, and people flock in! Globalization is for real.

And I know for a fact that my next phone is going to be an iPhone and my next computer a Mac :) You get used to these things, you know! Apple owners will agree with this. Jai Steve Jobs - the third Apple is certainly more thought-provoking than the first two :)

PS - I went on Google images to search for an image to use on this post, and typed 'Apple'. The first three images were not of the fruit - they were of the company's logo! Hence proved.