Isn't This What We Wanted?

It’s only natural to be offended by shameless copying of iOS and iPhone. I think most people remember what phones looked like before the iPhone and now see how the Samsung business model works. I’m willing to bet that somewhere inside Samsung there is a big poster that just reads “Don’t think different, think like Apple.” It feels frustrating. It feels like cheating. But if I really stop to think about it, this is what we all wanted.

We[1] wanted the Apple aesthetic and “consumer first” model to win. We wanted crapware free computers to be the norm. We wanted everyone to experience what it’s like to use a Mac or an iPhone. We wanted taste to prevail in the marketplace. Well, I think it has.

We got what we wanted. Apple proved that good design and happy users are very profitable. They taught the market a lesson in making something look and feel good from top to bottom. Samsung, Microsoft, HTC and even Google are admiting as much with their product iterations. While some, like Samsung, are content with copying successful designs outright, others like Microsoft are actually creating something new and interesting. Now they are, at least, equally concerned with the user experience as with partner relationships.

This is what we Mac users had hoped for. What did everyone think it would look like? Did people imagine that Apple would win and everyone else would just walk away from the market? I suggest we sit back and enjoy the future Apple designed.