[Off-topic] da-vid:
You guys can focus solely on Apple's marketing if that makes you feel better, but the reality is that Apple makes some nice products.

I really respect Apple for appealing both to tech geeks and the average consumer. Here's why:

Their products are so simple to use (and are therefore appealing to the everyday user)! No, you can't change the visual style or do some crazy customizations on your Mac. I see why some people like Windows, because they like doing that. However, for those who would prefer their OS's UI to be neat and aesthetically pleasing, there's the Mac. Time Machine is really easy and awesome, Exposé is insanely helpful, and the insane amount of detail that goes into the UI design is basically what makes me (and many other tech geeks) prefer Macs to PCs. Did you know that you can scroll inactive windows by rolling over them and scrolling without making them your active window? For example, if you have Word open and also a website you're referencing, you can scroll that webpage while still typing on your document. You can't do that on Windows.

The same thing applies to their mobile devices. These small details make a lot of difference to me and a lot of people. Scrolling on Macs and iOS devices is better than Windows and Android/WinMo devices, respectively. And Apple actually bothers to make sure all parts of their products are the best they can be; for example, the touch-sensitive areas of their devices (such as touchscreens and trackpads) are more sensitive and responsive than most other companies'. Do you think PC manufacturers bother making their trackpads perfect like Apple does? Honestly, after using a MacBook for almost two years, it pains me to use my friends' PC laptops due to the awful trackpad designs.

Now, there are two types of people: those who care about all the stuff I mentioned, and those who do not (which is probably everyone on this forum). Those who do not are content with using the disastrous UI's of WinMo and to a lesser extent Android. There's nothing wrong with that. However, if you'll notice, the well-designed apps are all on the Mac or iOS platforms rather than the Windows/WinMo/Android platforms. Have you seen something as elegant as Transmit or Coda on Windows? Nope. My assumption is that all design-conscious developers are on the similarly design-conscious platforms by Apple.

Now, I, too, have issues with Apple. All my iOS devices are jailbroken, and I disapprove of the way Apple handles the app store. I do wish that Apple made their platforms as open as Android without requiring a jailbreak, but as I've said before in other places, the problems with the iPhone can be fixed by jailbreaking, while the problems of Android and WinMo cannot. If you don't get what I'm saying, I mean that the iPhone has a flawless UI but a closed ecosystem, while Android and WinMo have comparatively awful UI's but open ecosystems, and while the ecosystem can be opened up on iOS, the UI cannot be fixed on Android or WinMo.

At least, that's the way I see it.

I will be replacing my HTC Magic with an iPhone 4 hopefully by the end of the week. (Stocks are ridiculously low on my telco, as anyone on SingTel will attest.)

(Oh, and this post was typed on my iPad.)

In response to rory, probably about half of the people whom I go to school with have Macs. And the iPhone is definitely the single most popular phone among students. And according to a survey by the newspaper team, something like 70% of students have an iPod touch. So, your theory about Apple users being "unique" is quite inaccurate. The reason for such high PC marketshare is mainly because of their use in businesses and their low prices. Older people who don't care what kind of computer they have buy the cheapest available -- a PC. I suspect as the younger generation begins to replace the current older generation, Apple's computer marketshare will rise by a substantial amount.