The iPod defined what an MP3 player is, and is far-and-away the most successful portable music player. The iPhone redefined what is possible with a cell phone. Has Bose contributed anything to the audio world that has had an impact like that?
Virtually all of us get branded and sucked into the " cool" factor (I am not one of these people) and Apple is the best at sucking people in. IMO the "cool" factor has far more impact than any good that Apple has done to the industry; it's become the most successful portable music player because of this, not because it's supposedly good, or more advanced at the time.
It bothers me to no end when people buy products based on the aforementioned premises. Yes there are educated buyers, but it is the tots and image driven folks that are driving the sales which easily supersede the educated ones; it has nothing to do with technological advancement in these circumstances .
I purchased a Zune because I'm anti apple for the reasons mentioned.
Oh yes, these cohorts create their own little subculture, especially noticeable on university and college campuses. Years ago you would see a group of five or six people leaving school donning their yellow Tommy Hilfiger jackets, now just replace those jackets with an iPod.
