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Inspired by this question: Why are Apple Macs used so much in the graphic design industry?

While browsing through the web trying to find device mockups for my website,
I realized that about 90% of all the mockups were of Apple devices.

For example finding a (flat) mockup of a non-Apple laptop computer is like a mission impossible.

On about every website showcasing their applications (unless it's Android/WP-only) on a device, the device is Apple's.

I think there are better designs out there than only Apple.

Why are Apple devices so popular?

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    All your base are belong to Apple.
    – Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 18:36
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    Because Apple's design aesthetics and business practices make them practically an open invitation to mockery? ;)
    – Mason Wheeler
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 21:23
  • "(unless it's Android/WP-only)" - Android/Wikipedia-only? confused
    – Vikki
    Commented Dec 28, 2021 at 4:36

2 Answers 2

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  • They're familiar. Designers tend to use Macs, so when they want to put a mockup on a screen, it's the first that would come to mind.
  • They're popular. Sure, Windows has more market share. But can you name a single model of PC that's super popular? What about an all-in-one desktop? What about an external monitor?
  • They're good-looking. Macs have a reputation for being very well-designed. (Perhaps people use them as coattails to ride? Scroll down to 'My Work')
  • They're minimalistic. Macs don't have a lot of details that would pull the eye away from the screen.

So: a popular, well-built computer that doesn't call attention to itself is a great frame for your app.

Maybe.

If you're in the Windows world, it really doesn't make sense. While OSX and iOS make a pretty good chunk of the consumer pie, they can be almost non-existent in the business world if you're the kind of site that used by office workers during the daytime. When I was in that situation I took pictures of the monitors that were all around the office because that was more familiar to me, popular with the businesses we'd target, and still pretty minimalistic.

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    Great answer (+1). I just wanted to add that they are also iconic, in particular their mobile devices. Their mobile phones and tablets are the first thing that comes to people's minds when they think of those devices. The iPhone and iPad terms have almost been genericized (like Aspirin and Kerosene) so very often people would say "an iPhone" when they meant to say "a mobile phone" even when we know, as we discover when we have to design for these devices, they are just one of the many different possible cases.
    – cockypup
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 13:37
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    Real life example, remember last year when NFL announcers couldn't help but to refer to the Surface tablets as iPads? That was a major slip up.
    – AndrewH
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 13:53
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    I'd also say they're trendy (pretty much the same with 'iconic'). For example Louis Vuitton's bags are very popular, just for the name and iconic look.
    – Claudio
    Commented May 8, 2015 at 3:46
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While the other answers are accurate, the real explanation is far easier:

They're standardized.

What's a windows laptop look like? What's an android phone look like? What's an Apple laptop look like? What's an iPhone look like?

There you have it, two of those you could visualize, two you couldn't. You might have ideas about the Windows and Android look but there's absolutely no mistaking what the Apple products look like. They're standardized and universally recognized. That's what Steve Jobs spent his life achieving, an icon.

From a Designer standpoint it also give you a template that works. Unless your client specifies to do the mockup on the Galaxy Note or the Nexus 6 or something you have no idea what Android device to use as your template. iPhone is iPhone though; as long as you have an iPhone template it will always work for you.

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    I had to use Google to find out what an Apple laptop and an iPhone look like.
    – Pharap
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 16:09
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    Its allso an investment issue samsung releases many iterations at the same time apple releases one. so your mockup is current much longer.
    – joojaa
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 17:31
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    @joojaa ya that's part of what I was getting at in the last paragraph
    – Ryan
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 18:41

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