Appleis revolutionary product designs have been catching the public eye for years, and now PC manufacturers are trying to turn that to their advantage. The likes of Dell, Toshiba, and IBM have all have PowerBook inspired laptops, and any number of companies have made iPod knockoffs over the years.
According to the James Coates of the Chicago Tribune, it may have taken Appleis competitors nearly a decade to catch on, but they are finally realizing that consumers are willing to pay for quality and style.
Mr. Coates noted "Customers seem delighted to pay more for gear if it is pleasing to the eyes and gorgeous enough to spawn envy in onlookers."
And now manufacturers are scrambling to catch up to the iPod nano, a product where the beauty really is in the details. The size, design, and the fact that Apple has nearly cornered the market on Flash RAM, will leave its competitors hard pressed to meet the challenge. Of course, thereis more to a great product than a flashy design, and thatis an important fact that designers will have to keep in mind.