Apple epitomizes cool! After all Macs are probably the only computers that people buy because of the eye-candy factor. Apple has become one of the hottest companies of the 21st century, their sleek, sexy design concepts, made up of elegant, clean lines and their clever focus on design and entertainment offerings are quickly turning them into a cult brand. It's amazing to see how Apple's clients become clients for life, probably because they have so clearly defined their market and purpose (in addition to building a compelling user experience). Their success is linked to the fact that customers are increasingly using their computers for more than work. We spend so much time in front of these machines that they're becoming lifestyle centers, and Apple have mastered providing the best possible experience. After all, wouldn't you rather sit in front of sleek Apple station all day? Apple excels at offering exactly what clients want instead of trying to do what everyone else is doing.

Apple has innovation written all over it. Just looked how they took the world by storm with iPod and iTunes. They've completely changed the way we talk about music. Then there's Apple's successful flagship stores. According to Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, in his keynote at Macworld, the company's 135 retail stores have just had their first $1 billion quarter, with 26 million people visiting during the past three months. That many people aren't drawn to their stores just to buy computers. Apple has built a whole brand experience around their stores, and customers are eating it up. The stores are slick, modern, and visually stunning. They're built around interactivity and are filled with people playing with equipment. They're different from their dreary competitors, and are creating experiences that are resulting in growing sales.

So what's Apple going to do next? Other than their landmark deal with Intel, they're now developing their Mac's into entertainment centers. No longer will computers just be work places, they'll also be music, video, TV, and photo centers. We can throw our TV's away, because our computers will be able to handle that job, and much more. Even better, now we'll be able to access those facilities, even at the office. We certainly look forward to seeing these products launched.