Companies I love: Apple

This is the third installment of the Companies I Love Series. "Companies I Love" posts describe why innovative companies and business practices make us all better off, and therefore why they deserve our love. "Companies I Love" is featured every Sunday on this blog.

My only experience with Macintosh computers is troubleshooting Macs in my former job as a User Support Associate at Montana State University's computer labs. Most of the computers in the lab were PCs, but a select few were Macs. I loved getting questions and helping people who came to the labs, but I loathed helping people who had problems with the Mac computers. I dreaded Mac questions because (1) I had no idea what I was doing and (2) neither did they. In fact, I suspect that the only people who wandered into the Mac section didn't know what they were getting themselves into (i.e., they couldn't tell a Mac from a PC).

I am a PC and I will never be a Mac. I am too accustomed to the Windows interface, and let's face it, Microsoft did an amazing job designing Windows. Even if you don't think that Windows is great, I suspect that no company in the last 30 years has had such a profound effect on our lives. Without an easy-to-use interface, personal computers would have never appealed to ordinary people. It would be hard to imagine the internet, high-tech boom -- let alone ordering flowers or food online!

But, this is a post about why I love Apple, not why I love Microsoft. I detest using Macs. I have a Verizon phone, not an iPhone. I don't really see the point of iPods or iTunes. Instead, I choose to sing my own "I tunes," listen to the radio or listen to internet radio. Moreover, as I type this post, I use Internet Explorer, Microsoft Windows, a Gateway computer, and a Dell monitor. About the only thing I consume from Apple is their advertisements. In this world, how can I love Apple?

One word: competition. Especially recently, Apple has provided much needed competititon to the personal computer market. As a result, companies like Windows, Intel, Dell, HP, and the rest of the PC universe have been scrambling for improvements to their own products. On account of competition, we get faster processors, more efficient operating systems, better monitors, and lower prices. These are improvements that I get to enjoy, even if I never resort to switching from PC to Mac.

Some day I might try some product produced by Apple. That day isn't today, but that doesn't stop me from loving Apple. Because Apple exists, I get a better PC at a lower price. As an added bonus, I also get to enjoy Mac's quirky advertisements!

If you have ideas for Companies I Love, please let me know. It could never hurt to have more suggestions!