OS X changes all of that, fer sure. For me, Mac OS X is the catalyst for bragging rights again. It adds the fun back into computing again. We are, admittedly, a more visual culture than the past generation, thanks in part to Apple, but that's the subject for another column. Looks are important.
Looks go beyond mere aesthetics.
There is something wonderfully intangible about being attracted to something and not being able to give empirical reasons about why I like it. Ignoring the initial gripes, most of us found ourselves grudgingly admitting that after playing with Aqua for a while, we found that it presented a pleasant user experience. Sure, there's something there they can relate to, but I'm talking about the masses out there that are looking for something that emphasizes the man more than the machine. The feature set that we see today will grow over time. There will be features rolled into it.