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Battle of the Brands: Apple vs. Dell

This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and check out other Battle of the Brands posts.

Going by ad campaigns alone, you would think that every person -- or, at least every cool person -- had abandoned their Windows PCs and hoisted themselves onto the Macintosh bandwagon. Not so. The truth is that PCs far outnumber Macs in the market. The big-business worlds of finance, law, medicine use predominantly PC, while the areas of video production, web design and art use Mac. These computers do most of the same things (play games and DVDs, word-process, create web pages, store and play music) but they are completely different operating systems. Even though Apple computers now include the Intel processor that makes it possible to use Windows-only applications, it can still be hard to compare products.

But what about the companies themselves? What does the Apple brand signify that the Dell brand does not? And vice versa.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL): Providing innovative products and a user-friendly interface, Apple has turned the whole computer thing into a fashion accessory. For someone who used Dell products for years and then switched to Mac, the difference is like night and day. A Mac is so easy to use. With a clean interface, a near-universal compatibility with external products and tools, these computers are a beautiful breeze. And now that Macs include Intel processors, one can switch back and forth between a Windows interface and a Mac interface, making previous incompatibilities (software, games, etc.) now perfectly compatible. And when it comes to customer service (see below) Apple really socks the house.

Dell (NASDAQ: DELL): The Apple brand may have a glossy sheen, but when it comes down to it, Dell's products can run circles around your typical Mac. Offering more memory, speed and features, a Dell laptop -- when set against a comparable Mac -- also comes through the finish line with a slightly lower price tag. Also, Dell systems are compatible with Apple's innovative (and ubiquitous) iPod products. But no matter how you slice it, Dell falls short in the customer service arena. Not only does Dell grade low among consumers, it also lacks Apple's neighborhood appeal: Dell -- long a catalog-oriented business -- has suffered in trying to imitate the Apple Store success, which allows customers to see actual products and talk to actual Mac "gurus." Dell has attempted the retail thing with Dell Direct stores, and it's also in talks with Radio Shack to expand its sidewalk visibility.

Therefore, this battle is still somewhat up in the air. Dell won the war (long ago) by providing big businesses and corporations with truckfulls of laptops and desktops that are still being used, but Apple has won the peace by courting and satisfying today's key market: the consumer.

B. Brandon Barker also writes for Political Machine.

Vote in our poll for Apple or Dell as your preferred brand, and let us know in the comments why you love it.

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Last updated: May 11, 2008: 11:40 PM

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