Is It Getting Easier Or Harder To NOT Buy Apple Products?

Apple's success in the technology industry has been well-documented. During the fourth quarter, the company generated a $13.1 billion profit – a massive sum that makes it the world's largest technology firm. Apple's success has been built on the iPhone and iPad and surprisingly, Macs are starting to gain real traction among corporate users. Apple is officially a company that can deliver outstanding products and services to every customer, and those customers are buying its devices because of it.

At the same time, issues are arising at Apple. The company's $700+ stock price is now in the $400s. And although the iPhone was able to outpace Samsung's Galaxy S III in the fourth quarter, it appears to be fighting a battle against Android that it can't win.

So, I pose this question: is it getting easier or harder to not buy Apple products?

Those who say it's getting harder might be making a good point. Apple is delivering some of the best products out there, and it's doing so in the industries that excite us most. For instance, Apple is delivering the most popular smartphone on the market as smartphones increasingly gain traction among consumers and enterprise users. And although several Android tablet vendors are trying to take down the iPad, so far, they've been incapable.

[aquote]Apple has a secret weapon in its battle with Microsoft: Windows 8[/aquote]

Even on the computing side, Apple is making it harder to buy competing products. The MacBook Air is still the best thin and lightweight computer on the market, and its software is top-notch. When compared to Windows 8, it's getting harder and harder to buy a PC over a Mac. Apple has a secret weapon in its battle with Microsoft – Windows 8.

Others, however, disagree. They say that the logic that Apple is still making the best products in the mobile space and thus is the only worthwhile choice is outdated. They point to devices like the Samsung Galaxy S III, Google's Nexus 10, the Amazon Kindle Fire HD, and others to prove their point. And although Android didn't necessarily top iOS when it first launched years ago, it's now delivering more (and perhaps better) features than its chief competitor.

On the PC side, Apple detractors point to the increasing popularity of Ultrabooks to question the desire to buy a Mac. Ultrabooks, after all, are well-designed and lightweight and later this year, will deliver tablet-like functionality, giving them an advantage over devices like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

In the end, though, I still think Apple wins out. The company's sales seem to indicate that people are still finding a lot of value in its products. And try as competitors might, they've yet to find a way to beat Apple in terms of design. And in today's technology industry, that truly matters.

So, perhaps it really is getting hard to not buy Apple products. And Apple is laughing all the way to the bank because of it.