Apple has it right

Jason Snell at Macworld wrote a piece about tech specs and Apple’s advertising, or rather, non-advertising of said specs.

Apple’s iPhone Product Marketing Manager Bob Borchers said that “the usual speeds and feeds aren’t the way Apple likes to talk about the iPhone”.

In today’s tech market, you’re saturated with numbers and ratings. 2 Gigabytes!! With new 10 Mega-Tega-Pegga-Flops!! Think about it for a second. How many people know (or even care) what those numbers mean? People (for the most part) are satisified knowing that “this years model is faster than last years”. Granted, there will always be a segment of the population (techies) that want the exact processor model & speed, but for I’m guessing 90% of the population, those tech numbers are met with glossy eyes.

Apple’s success lies in the fact that their products “just work” and are simple to figure out. Ever compare the ‘Windows 7′ upgrade chart to Apple’s Snow Leopard upgrade?

Apple:
Snow Leopard upgrade $29 (single user)
Snow Leopard upgrade $49 (5 users)

Microsoft:
Windows 7 Home Premium From $119
Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Family Pack $149
Windows 7 Professional $199
Windows 7 Ultimate From $219
Windows Anytime Upgrade: Windows 7 Starter to Home Premium $79
Windows Anytime Upgrade: Windows 7 Home Premium to Professional $89
Windows Anytime Upgrade: Windows 7 Home Premium to Ultimate $139

What’s the difference between ‘Home Premium’ and ‘Professional’ vs Ultimate? I’m a tech person and I’m confused about what the difference is.