I had every anti-virus program known to man on my PCs, didn't help. Granted, most of the viruses came from P2P sharing but still, haven't had a single issue downloading any music or movies with any Mac. That right there is reason enough for me to never touch a Windows machine again.
What Redneckrebel said.
In the last 12 years I never had a malware infection and I have been on P2P networks as well.
It is about being responsible, actually reading and thinking for a second before you click download and staying informed.
By Apple's touch, I mean their clean and sleek designs and how user friendly and appealing their devices are. As I said, they for sure didn't invent the MP3 or the tablet computer, but they came along and made great devices that sold like crazy and everyone else tried to copy them and cash in on the market Apple created. There have been well over 200 million iPods sold and they continue to sell very well. How are those Zune sales doing these days? LMAO
Design wise the iphone was not unique nor the first: (first prada phone, Samsung F700, Motorola ROKR E6, Philips S900 and there are more.)
It was however, very well put together, idiot-proof and cleverly marketed as a must-have, future-proof device. Good marketing is more important for a product's succes then actual quality and Apple is a master at marketing.
Appealing is a matter of taste. I think Apple's UI is confusing and looks pretty but boring. Their products are too expensive and their sandbox environment in all things media immediately put me of ever buying their products.
I know I am not alone, but if it floats your boat, more power to you.
Your "cashing in" accusation is nonsense. It is called competition. Companies is every field of business watch the trends and try to develop products that sell well in the current market. The one who does so the best, is the most succesfull. If Apple cannot stand the heat, it should get out of the damned kitchen.