I’m a lifelong Windows user (occasionally forced to use Linux), starting my creativity in MS Paint, upgrading to Xara, and finally switching to Adobe software years later. So when the opportunity arose, I tested several Macs and was kind of disappointed—I didn’t understand the hype. Why was everyone so obsessed with these overpriced machines?
The answer hit me when I started paying attention to where Macs actually live. Walk into any design studio, recording booth, or film editing suite, and you’ll see nothing but glowing Apple logos. Nope, it’s not a coincidence or a secret handshake among creatives.
There’s a deeper, decades-long story about how Apple carved out its place as the go-to platform for people who make things. Let me show you.
Table of contents:
- The desktop publishing revolution that started it all
- When a tech company actually understands creatives
- The technical edge that keeps audio engineers happy
- More than computers: the identity factor
- Why “it just works” matters when deadlines loom
- The ecosystem that ties it all together
1. Apple pioneered the tools that defined modern creative work
Back in 1985, something changed the creative world forever: Apple released the LaserWriter printer, Adobe brought PostScript to the party, and Aldus introduced PageMaker—all on the Mac. Suddenly, you could create professional printed materials from your desk instead of sending everything to a print shop and crossing your fingers.
Paul Brainerd, who founded Aldus, coined the term “desktop publishing” that year. When someone asked Steve Jobs why anyone should pay twice as much for Apple’s laser printer compared to HP’s, his response was classic Jobs: “Because HP is brain-dead!“
This early ecosystem became the foundation for everything that followed. When Adobe later developed Photoshop and Illustrator, they found a natural home on the Mac.
Apple doubled down by acquiring and developing its own professional software like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, creating a comprehensive suite that spoke directly to creative workflows.
2. Apple designs specifically for creative workflows, not corporate needs
Here’s where Apple zigged while others zagged. While most tech companies chased the corporate market with their beige boxes and enterprise solutions, Apple went after designers, musicians, and video editors.
They didn’t just run ads in creative magazines, but they built features and workflows that solved real problems for creators.
Steve Jobs put it best when describing Apple’s strategy: “As we have tried to come up with a strategy and a vision for Apple, it started with ‘What incredible benefits can we give to the customer? Where can we take them?'” For creatives, this meant tools that felt like extensions of their creativity rather than obstacles to overcome.
What incredible benefits can we give to the customer? Where can we take them?
Apple’s teams worked closely with creative professionals to understand their needs, frustrations, and workflows. The result was hardware and software that felt designed by creatives, for creatives.
3. Macs handle audio, video, and graphics better than competitors
Beyond the software, Macs had technical foundations that creative professionals depended on. The Unix base of macOS gave developers and power users a familiar command line when they needed it, without sacrificing the polished interface on top.
For audio engineers, Core Audio solved a persistent problem. Built into macOS, this framework handled audio with minimal delay and no driver hassles. If you’re recording a band and the vocalist nails the perfect take, you don’t want system hiccups or mysterious driver errors ruining the moment. On Windows, audio interfaces often require specific drivers that could conflict with other hardware or stop working after updates.
When Apple introduced their own chips—the M1, M2, and newer—the speed improvements were immediate and practical. Video editors found they could scrub through 4K footage as smoothly as they once handled 1080p. Audio producers loaded sessions with 80 tracks and multiple plugins on laptops that previously struggled with half that load. The same MacBook that lasted all day on battery could now handle projects that used to require desktop workstations.
4. Using Apple products signals you’re a serious creative professional
In 1997, Apple launched a campaign that would define its relationship with creatives for decades: “Think Different.” The iconic narration began with “Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers… the ones who see things differently.” But this wasn’t just marketing. It was a manifesto that resonated with every designer, musician, and filmmaker who felt like they didn’t fit the corporate mold.
Apple became the brand for people who saw themselves as different, innovative, and deserving of tools that matched their ambitions. Using a Mac became a statement: you weren’t just doing a job, you were creating something meaningful.
5. Macs crash less when you’re on deadline
When you’re rendering a video at 2 AM for a client presentation the next morning, reliability isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s everything. Macs earned their reputation for stability through a combination of controlled hardware, optimized software, and an operating system less prone to viruses and malware.
Steve Jobs once said, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” This philosophy of integrated hardware and software meant fewer compatibility issues, fewer crashes, and less time troubleshooting. A 2021 Forrester study found Mac users experienced fewer IT-related disruptions, while reports from sources like Consumer Reports have consistently shown lower problem rates for MacBooks compared to many PC brands.
Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.
For creatives working under pressure, this translates directly to peace of mind. You can focus on perfecting your work instead of worrying whether your system will cooperate.
6. Everything works together seamlessly across devices
Today’s creative workflows rarely stay confined to a single device. You might sketch an idea on your iPad during your commute, refine it on your MacBook at the coffee shop, and present it from your iPhone in the client meeting. Apple’s ecosystem makes this fluid movement between devices feel natural rather than forced.
Features like AirDrop eliminate the email-yourself-files dance, Universal Clipboard lets you copy on one device and paste on another, and Handoff means you can literally pick up where you left off on a different device. iCloud keeps everything in sync without you having to think about it. For creatives juggling multiple projects and constant revisions, this interconnectedness removes friction from the creative process.
The creative connection continues
The bond between Apple and the creative community is built on decades of mutual understanding and evolution. From pioneering desktop publishing to creating an ecosystem that supports modern creative workflows, Apple has consistently demonstrated that it has what creatives need.
