Does Apple, Inc.'s minimalism approach make it such a valuable company?

[PhiladelphiaX]

Apple incorporates minimalism into all of their products - essentially, they eliminate all of the gimmicky, cheap looking things that distract users when using their products. They eliminate everything that doesn't need to be there - so everything looks futuristic, modern, sleek, shiny, glassy, aluminum, glossy and very sophisticated.

This consistent and seemingly obsessive focus Apple has, I think, has definitely contributed to most of Apple's success. When you use an Apple product, the minimalism to the design is breathtaking - it makes you feel like you're really using a high-tech, fashionable, important product.

I think that for consumers who may not necessarily have (or need to have) a high amount of computer knowledge - this is definitely what attracts them to Apple, and what essentially has made it a company worth over half a trillion dollars (in market capitalization).


What do you think?



Here are some examples of minimalism in design (industrial, architectural, and otherwise):

 

[TSE]

What makes Apple such a valuable company is it's reputation and brand image, and yes, a big part of that is it's minimalist design.

 

[thekev]

I'm somewhat of a fan of minimalist design, although I never liked the use of retro/nightclub style couches in residential use. They aren't very comfortable. Actually I don't like any of these examples. They're weird mixes, and I wouldn't necessarily call them minimalism. Like the stairs don't have a really high vertical climb, so they don't have a landing. The grade looks a bit steeper than average, and the glass wall precludes the use of handrails. First one has those silly plants. Third has a weird fluorescent ballast which you'd think would be hidden there.

Anyway regarding Apple, it looks different. They tried to make everything look iconic in some way. I'd argue that in some cases, more time could have been spent on the engineering. My macbook pro can drain the battery while plugged in under heavy loads. It also gets a weird backlight bleed around the bottom whenever it's running really hot. I may take it in and see what the genius bar says one of these days, as it remains under Applecare. The old 24" imac displays aged really poorly. The cinema displays have never employed any kind of uniformity compensation. I had way too many problems with ipod batteries.