Dedication to Apple
In a 2004 episode of "Talk of the Nation", Steven Levy describes the nature of the Mac audience as "generally fanatical about their computer and they're more likely to be thinking of it as a relationship than with people who use the tool called the PC," adding that the decision to get a Mac is one users "make with their hearts." Lance Ulanoff adds that "Mac users have an emotional attachment to their hardware that PC users do not," (Conan, 2004). Many diehard Apple fans, some from the early days of Mac in the 1980s and some more recent, come for the brand's sense of community and anti-corporate idealism.

 

Listen to the Talk of the Nation interview:

 

The Mac community 
Early Mac users relied heavily on the idea of community, built on the hope of discovering a powerful tool together (Shely, 2009). Mac User Groups (or MUGs) met to discuss the system and collaborate to create software. This community of diehard fans is what held the company together in the 1990s when it seemed doomed to fail, at a time where Mac users were seen as a "revolutionary force, fighting against the empire," (Shely, 2009, 14:14). One Mac user describes her return to Apple after a decade using Microsoft products by saying she'd come home--come home to a community of Apple fanatics, of people like her (Shely, 2009, 34:45).
Apple has used the early community to its advantage and is built largely around that idea of a community, using emotions to strengthen the bond between the company and its users. "Apple's design is people driven," says Marc Gobe (Kahney, 2004). Apple products have always been designed to be user-friendly and cater to the needs of the user. Numerous Apple users cite the "instant friends" gained by recognizing fellow Apple users--that they seem to have something tremendous in common simply by using the same operating system. Apple users feel a sense of camaraderie and community within its product base. However, early adopters are concerned that "it's become more of a brand and less than a community," (Shely, 2009, 45:20).

 

Steve Jobs
One Mac fan proclaims that "only Steve knows. Only Steve knows what we want." Another says that "Steve is Apple." (Shely, 2009) This Steve is, of course, cofounder Steve Jobs. Jobs is seen as the mastermind of Apple and its products, and the success of the company is dependent on Jobs. Many feel that "Steve Jobs is their best friend" who makes products "just for them," (Shely, 2009, 19:40). Steve is seen as more than a company head, but as a supposed friend and colleague who has the best interest of his users at heart.