Re: OTH, Apple?
Whilst some people buy Apple because they see it as the premium brand (for bling appeal), others buy it because it works without much hassle. Updates come through to phones that are 5 years old (automatically and usually without more than a message telling you it's been updated) and they work well straight from the box. There are some defaults that don't suit everyone but. for the person that just wants a phone/portable internet device, they just work.
Also, Apple's walled garden (whether you like it or hate it) suits most people who don't get excited about tinkering with configs. Especially if they also have a Mac and iPad, they link up with little fuss and, for corporations, need much less support in the long run.
One reason Linux hasn't taken over the desktop scene is the perception that you need to be a geek to use it. By existing users flaunting how easy it is to tweak to suit it to your needs sends the message that you need to tweak it to get it to suit your needs. You don't as distros like Ubuntu install and run "straight out of the box". I install it onto older laptops as loan machines with almost the default settings and even computer-phobes find them easy to use. But they wouldn't choose it themselves because of its geek-appeal.
The market is big enough to go around and, personally, I'd vote to let Apple keep its walled garden as there are plenty of alternatives for the rest of us.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
