I still smile - after nearly four years - whenever I walk in my office and see my iMac sitting there, a sleek looking package of gonzo, user-friendly computing power, ready to rock and roll, grab and save, cut and paste. My Macbook has never let me down and I've lugged all over the place, for both fun and biz (Nothing on the hotel television? No prob. Hulu and online feeds await via my magic box.) The iPod makes my power walks power dances on some days (one of the pluses of living in a "transitional" neighborhood - your neighbors don't care what you're doing, as long as you're not doing in their front yard...;-)  

Now I've got a new puppy iPad. And, it's - well - cute. (or as cute as a hunk of plastic and metal can be.)  It's a marvel of design. Yes, I know, techies - it has some limitations, and I.don't.care. As a user I love it. It's fun, easy to use and - yep - just downright cool.  (Check out all the custom cases and covers you can buy on Etsy and other sites - you don't see that happening for the Dell notebook, now do you? Oh, yeah...there's Kindle, but I can't download a bazillion apps I can use in both life and biz on the Kindle.)  

The power and glory of the Apple cult has been written about for years, but my new iPad reminds me anew of why there is a cult:

They design for the user, not the developer.  (Sure, the user may be uber-techie genius Steve Jobs, but the guy's got taste.)

They make their products fun AND functional.

Their products put silly smiles on people's faces (Check out your local Apple store. All kinds of folks in there playing and grinning.)

They're still way ahead of Microsoft. Those goofy commercials with "real users" telling how MS designed Windows 7 "for me!" always make me grin.  Uh-huh, we've been doing that in Apple land for years.    

And...they're turning into a content distribution company.  It's insanely easy to buy from them - you find yourself dropping more than a few dimes on apps and music. It's so easy.  Before I know it - I've spent thirty bucks, and I'm happy about it.

Are your customers happy about spending $ with you? Hmmm...