What Consumer Technology Companies Can Learn From Apple Product Launches

This excerpt from the article reminded me of something I read in the forward of Emotional Design. The author remarked on the close connection between aesthetic appeal and perceived performance by using the example of a freshly detailed car; when we are just done washing and waxing our car, it seems to drive smoother, quieter even...

"Even the font choices in Apple’s user documentation and manuals are carefully selected. By crafting a uniform design identity not just for the core product, but also for all ancillary materials, Apple builds a tangible expectation of superior performance and value."

The truth is, there is no change in the car's performance, and the cleaner design of Apple's products don't make them any better than the competition. What makes people continue to buy Apple's products is that a discretionary purchase (anything costing more than $199) is not based on logic and reason - it's based on perception and visceral appeal, which Apple evokes in droves.

This need to draw the user to products is slowly permeating into the product lines of other hardware manufacturers too - Lenovo, Dell, HP, dare I say Microsoft, are all learning from Apple and catching up. It's a great time to be a consumer right now because when manufacturers compete for my attention, I WIN!