It amazes me that while some companies copy many superficial Apple actions, such as the format of their ads and on-the-street commentary, no one out there grasps the reason for their success.

In terms of product design and process, practically every manufacturer out there still produces a poorly built and afterthought-designed product, both in the mobile and desktop space. [EDIT] I am talking about all notebooks and all desktops here. [EDIT]

Just look at some of these notebooks that pundits are using to price compare against Apple's latest. Flimsy plastic construction and other low-end materials, no leadership in features and some seem like they were designed in a vacuum, without any concern for use. Tossing on as many little blinking lights as possible and stickers isn't going to help you move product or make any impact on the industry.

Is it any wonder Apple has 18% of the US market? That's huge for a "proprietary" ecosystem.

Another 20 Eee variants from Asus isn't going to help them make any gains. The company has totally and utterly destroyed that brand.

I hate the removal of ports as much as the next guy, but the MacBooks are still BMW-class compared to the 1980's Yugo stuff most of the rest of the industry is producing. In fact the only recent example I've seen of a decent looking notebook by anyone else was the VooDoo Envy. But recent news from that camp indicated HP is likely going to ruin the brand and ideology. (Compare to what ATI did with FireGL)