The Apple that we know and love (well, some of us) is very different than the Apple of 
yesteryear. In the past, the Macintosh received the most attention from its parental unit, and that’s because competition and the newness of the personal computer kept everyone enthralled.
As years and decades have gone by, excitement for the standard desktop computer has subsided a lot, and the fact that various industry analysts and executives have declared that the PC is dead hasn’t helped the matter. Manufacturers have had to toy with the idea of creating alternative devices; just look at what Dell is doing for proof of this. Not only are they making computers, but they’re also creating portable music players and plasma televisions. Before you know it, they’ll be making BBQ grills, too. Regardless, you can expect these major players to be where the demand and money is.
Even though Apple was primarily an operating system and hardware vendor, they’ve reacted to change just like everyone else has, and that adaptability gave birth to the ubiquitous iPod. The smallest mention of that product is enough to get some people giddy, because it’s done a tremendous amount for portable music, and it’s used daily by an astounding number of people. It’s become a part of pop culture, and reference and exposure to the device constantly happens in real life, advertising, and entertainment. It’s a relatively simple idea, but the execution is brilliant, and it fills an important need; people want to be able to listen to their music wherever they are. Who would have thought that the company that gave us the Finder would also go on to develop such a cult classic? OSWeekly.com - Microsoft Zune: Will Apple Care?