These little details are what sets a lot of their stuff apart. While I don't use it all that much, one of my favorite examples is the clock dashboard widget on OS X. The second hand wobbles at the very tip as it "clicks" into place. Most computerized renderings of clocks (even Apple's own clock in the system preferences) omit this detail. But it's amazing how much more lifelike it looks with the jiggle. Individually, things like that are not that important, but the collective accumulation of all those little details is what makes the difference.
Totally agree. Another example of this is with the sleep indicator. It pulses at the same rate that the average human breathes at, creating a calming effect. Really not important at all, but the attention to detail really does set them apart.
It is important though. Even with Apple knocking them out of the park every couple of years people don't seem to fully catch on. Dell added a sleep indicator to some of its notebooks and it pulses too quickly and is annoying. You need a control freak like Jobs that can go around and criticize every part of a system. You need someone that is willing to spend money to make things right.
edit: Even if people don't realize it breathes at the same rate as a human they notice subconsciously. Something about it is just right. Little touches like that make Apple products attractive to humans. Design matters. It's hard to hear for some geeks but the tech isn't paramount now that computers are mainstream.
You're definitely right. I suppose I just meant that it's one of those little things that doesn't make or break a computer, but it's those same things that sets Apple apart from the rest.
I do wonder whether if the whole "same rate" thing even matters or if its just bullshit that sounds good. Like why is that particular rate more calming? Because it seems like it should?
