This is an example of the best kind of peer pressure. There is simply a “climate of excellence” on the Mac platform. Any developer that does not live up to community standards is looked down upon, or even shunned. Commercial, open source, freeware, shareware, it doesn’t matter: pay attention to detail, or else.
This has definitely changed since the iPhone became their biggest product, but it still has a more polished feel than competitors.
Having been a Mac user since the late 80s I don’t like Apple per se, but the design ethos that seems to leak into other applications. This Ars Technica review from 2004 is a great example
This has definitely changed since the iPhone became their biggest product, but it still has a more polished feel than competitors.