I sit on a lot of PC company advisory boards, and, while this may surprise you, I actually point out Apple's competitive advantages on a regular basis. The problem for me is Apple's market share, which is at a tiny and stable 2.6 percent of the PC marketplace.
Apple's Competitive Advantage
Don't get me wrong, Dell is where Apple once was at the top of the PC stack. But Dell got there by specializing in cost control, controlling the customer experience and being the first to do direct-PC purchasing right. Both companies are profitable. And while some people do, in fact, lust after Dell PCs, generally Dell boxes are utilitarian. Dell has learned one thing that Apple hasn't, and that is to choose powerful partners to leverage. No other company leverages Microsoft and Intel as well as Dell does.
Motorola, BSD and IBM are no match for Intel and Microsoft. If it weren't for the powerful advantages Apple brings to the table, the company would be gone by now. Let's revisit some of those advantages.