It may surprise some younger readers to know that there was a time when Apple products were neither everywhere nor cool. This period, known to some as the "early 1990s", was a dark time for Apple and its fans.

Its marketshare was dwindling, its domination of the education market waning, and an ill-conceived move allowed other manufacturers to use the Mac Operating System (OS) on their machines. Rabid Apple fans maintained themselves on a more stable OS, rabid-single mindedness and the famous EvangeList, a devoted Mac -mail list run by an ex-Apple executive. But then Steve Jobs was brought back into the fold and Apple got its cool back. The multi-hued Apple logo was swapped for a silhouette, and the design department got their a . . . . . into gear.

But the thing that's got Apple to where it is now is its tenacious design system. The company finds a market that's been going for a while, figures out what people hate about it, and then engineers a solution that is beautiful, fixes all the major flaws, and has a far better user interface. The perfect example of this was the original iPod.

It wasn't the first MP3 player, with the likes of the Rio PMP300 and the Personal Jukebox preceding it. And the iPod had its problems: the first two generations didn't work on PCs, and then only barely. It forced users to use iTunes software instead of their own applications, and for years required the use of a FireWire port, which many computers didn't have. Yet, they managed to create a device that was simple for the uninitiated to use, had a straightforward interface compared to the overly complex, button-heavy competition, and more than anything else, it looked absolutely sexy. And it blew everyone's mind.

Apple fanboys have always devoted equal parts of their mind to genuine reasons to praise their chosen corporation, and to blindly ignoring its faults. For years, Mac users touted the superiority of their computer chip (the PowerPC) over the Intels found in most PCs, claiming their chip crunched numbers in a much better way then the opposition. Then, in 2006, Apple switched to Intel chips, and everyone backpedalled with the agility of an Olympic gymnast, gushing in admiration over the new technology, and showing remarkable cognitive dissonance.

Of course, the rabid supporters have a lot to be proud of. Lower crash rates, higher quality hardware, few appreciable viruses, easier software uninstalls, feeling generally superior because you own a Mac and such. Unbelievers are quick to point to the higher cost of buying Apple hardware. These accusations are quickly retorted with price breakdowns based on body quality, built-in software, the operating system and the moon's gravitational pull. For years, the most telling criticisms of Mac were always about software. Apple controls less than a quarter of the marketplace, and it was less than this for a long time. Fewer users means fewer new and exciting applications, especially games. Once Apple switched to Intel processors, there was no hardware reason why you couldn't play whatever game you wanted with the right software.

So, now there are a variety of ways that you can get PC applications running on your Mac, including Apple's own Boot Camp. It doesn't take much to join the legions of devotees. All you need is a single Apple product and a complete lack of subtlety (though a propensity for black turtleneck sweaters helps).

Take your gadget, and use it with pride! Pull out your MacBook at Starbucks. Use your iPhone in front of your friends and scoff at their lack of money to buy one. But don't forget to mock at anyone who uses an alternative, regardless of its positive attributes or affordability. Mocking examples include: "Nokia? Let me guess, they paid you to take it?" or "A Dell laptop? Enjoy your exploding batteries and the third- degree burns on your crotch!"

If you make them feel bad, you can always band together to mock anyone who purchased a Zune. I mean, c'mon! A Zune? (Microsoft's MP3 player). Apple users have a reputation of having drunk a bit deep of Steve Jobs' Kool-Aid. Whenever he gets on stage, the "reality distortion field" kicks in, and everyday features become mind-blowing to the devoted. That said, their fanaticism occasionally masks a hardware and software set known for amazing design aesthetic, durability and ease of use. As with any devotee to a single brand (see Holden v Ford), the fanboy arguments are hilariously inane. Watching Apple fans go at it against Windows users, while the occasional bearded Linuxer sticks in their oar, is a daily occurrence of deliciously sad comedy.

Because, when it boils down to it, Apple products look a little better, are a bit easier to use, and cost a little more. And that's it. If that's what you want, buy it. The Press, New Zealand * Tim Barribeau, a University of Otago graduate, writes for the MIT Technology Review in Boston.