Have you ever seen someone fall asleep cuddling a Microsoft Surface tablet? I haven’t. I have however seen people snoozing away with their iPad Mini underneath them, running silently while contently pumping Mozart and Foster the People into their dreaming minds. How many times have you fallen asleep with your iPod or iPhone? For me, I won’t even attempt to count. It’s a lot. Like, at least 9.

Credit to PhoneArena

The difference between, say, an iPad and a Surface tablet, isn’t very complicated. The Surface is a black slab of rubbery cornered computing power. Yes, I contend, at first glance it is pretty. But then you flip it over… Then you turn it on. And it becomes infinitely less pretty. The iPad, however, is a silvery hued slate of anodized aluminum, matte to the touch. You flip it over, you don’t see a window. You see an apple. AN APPLE. With a bite out of it. Who thinks of that? How cool to have something so ordinary, beautiful, and healthy on the back of a tablet! A shiny, chrome apple. Distinct yet subtle. What does the Surface have on it? A line for a stand and “Surface” written in something akin to Arial.

Apple and Kobo vs Microsoft and everyone else

Credit to The eBook Reader (Youtube)

Apple creates its designs with the relationship in mind. Every step of the way, Jony Ive’s team is wondering “Will people want to use this everyday? Will they be embrassed to use it? Does it look good? Does it feel good?” Other companies don’t put as much thought into this. LG, for example, creates a curved phone. What’s the purpose? To look cool? It doesn’t. The closest approximate to the way Apple designs is Kobo, a Canadian eReader company that 90% of Americans have never heard of. Kobo makes beautiful devices with design in mind. The Nook=bleh. Kobo Aura=oh yeah. Apple and Kobo design devices that make you not want to put them down. Ever. They become your constant companions, your precious friends. The iPad is so thin and light, you forget it’s in your bag. The rounded edges and thin bezels give the sense that nothing is wasted. This device feels like it’s meant to last a lifetime. People feel comfortable with these aspects, and thus feel comfortable with the device.