[chewbaxxa]

I don’t really agree that Apple is similar. I am no Apple fanboy, but if you want hardware will all the same features, complexity and polish; in particular a phone, there is no competitor that can make an identical clone. Printing vinyl on a hoodie though, that’s a pretty well solved problem.

As for expressing yourself, does it really count? These brands are marketed at you in a million different ways. Then by purchasing what are you expressing?

[xzel]

I'm talking about their branding/advertising and cultural norms, not actual innovation, as in they are considered hip and cool. And yes, that is exactly what marketing is trying to do and it has a clear effect on what people think about the brands and the products and therefore about the purchase of them.