[scumola]

I agree. Apple fanboys are like Porsche aficionados. They buy it because it's sexy and elitist, therefore, the consumer is also sexy and elite by association. It doesn't mean that Apple's products are better than any other, just more stylish. Do I even have to mention the huge number of flops that Steve Jobs had prior to the ipod? Do people remember the NeXT cube? The Newton? That mac that looked like a toilet seat?

I myself read your article and saw the ketchup bottle picture on the page prior to reading your thoughts about it and thought to myself "Oh yea, that upside-down ketchup bottle - that was a good product change, I never have to tap the side of the glass bottle again to make the ketchup come out! Yea!" But hearing your comments on the futility of the design change made me think that perhaps you just aren't the typical user of the product and you're the exception that's not satisfied with the design, not the rule.

I think that companies are making changes that work well with the company's 'vision' and sometimes the company's vision needs to change. The whole thing about Dodge/Chrysler is that they make larger vehicles - gas hungry, 2-ton trucks that are still very popular. Fiat bought them thinking that they can re-tool the assembly lines to make cars and parts for smaller, fuel-efficient cars which will be more popular (see Europe,France,... - people drive those crappy, little 2-cylinder cars everywhere and big trucks and minivans are not even heard of for the typical customer). Chrysler/Dodge made great changes for their trucks - I own one and it's more reliable than my wife's Honda Minivan, but the company's focus was on large cars, which are not in favor anymore by the general public. They made a good product and I'm sure that the CEO of GM probably owns and drives GM cars (as well as some luxury cars) on a very regular basis. The problem is that they were not seeing the big picture, that's all.