@Billy and Phillip Very true: All this goes back to the fact that the country was split into two during the 80s as to who is cooler and who is better for business.... Steve jobs/Apple provided the cooler uses for machines... while Bill Gates/Microsoft was seen as the tasteless corporate kind of niche.[California hippies vs Wallstreet] Of course the one making products for corporates won - they have more money ... but the rebels/young at heart are still there,, not that many, but they are loyal. But Microsoft so-o owns part of Apple now :-) ! Combined with the fact that the Apple fanbase are still mad at Microsoft because they still believe that Microsoft stole many ideas from Apple - this has made them buy a phone at $499 despite the price being ridiculous and Microsoft laughing at the price in public. And many did buy. Ref movies/documentaries:- 1) Pirates of silicon valley [movie of both competitors from college to billionaires] 2) Truimph of the nerds [3 part documentary about the same] 3) Nerds 2.0.1 [10 years later- networking]