The Genius of Apple Design Governance

I have spent the last 6 months or so converting to Mac. I replaced my Windows laptop with a MacBook Pro, replaced my BB with an iPhone and started digging into Mac OS X, xcode, HIG, etc. Bottom line - I realize now what I have been missing.

I admit that I cheat - I am very dependent on Parallels which runs Win7. Hey, it's hard for someone who has been using Windows/DOS forever to switch over-night. Plus MS Office is a powerful force and works well.

As I dig into the Apple HIG, play around with xcode and build some simple iphone apps, I realize the genius of Apple Design. I'm not just talking about the cool factor - my 9 and 11 year old sons can tell you about that. I am talking about the governance and control over the look and feel as a way to create a seamless user experience.

If you use the iPhone app creation process as an example, the xcode IDE is simply amazing in terms of how simple it is to create an app but also how simple it is to follow the UI guidelines. The controls that Apple puts in place in terms of what can make it onto the App Store initially struck me as "big brother" and honestly I originally thought it was a bad idea. Android allows someone to put almost anything up as an app.

Then it struck me as to why Apple has some level of governance and here is my prediction. Android apps will proliferate and possibly exceed the number of iphone apps. BUT, the user experience hopping amongst apps will be painful and disjointed on Android given nothing to create a common UE. People will find the disjointed experience an annoyance. iPhone will continue to be the mobile device with the highest customer satisfaction.

Success of a platform isn't about the number of applications - it's about the quality of the user experience and the ease at which people can get things done. Ease requires a consistent UI and that is where Apple will dominate.

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