I have to get this off my chest. Why is it that most companies have absolutely no clue about how to present their products to customers?
I just opened an MP3 player that I'll be working with. The packaging on this product looked like it was designed by the department of Homeland Security. I opened one end of the box and tried to pull the contents out, but it wouldn't come out because the were sealed in a thick, oddly-shaped plastic package which stuck out through the oddly-shaped box (so that you could see the product in a window in the box). So I opened the other end of the box and wrestled with it for a little while. Finally it came out.
At this point, I faced the daunting task of breaching the tough outer exoskeleton. The only tool that can reasonably be used for this task is a samurai sword, or something similarly very sharp like an exacto knife. Think about this: to access this product you need to have a dangerously sharp utensil. Scissors or other normal, safe cutting tools won't work because the plastic is too thick (I tried it and hurt my hands from squeezing the scissors so hard -- and was unsuccessful). Even the exacto-knife was barely up to the job initially -- I had to use considerable force to cut through the plastic and then get a good slash going. It would have been quite easy for me to have hurt myself or any innocents standing nearby. After it was cut open, the cut edges of the durable plastic themselves made excellent cutting tools. In summary: opening this package was difficult and slightly dangerous. It was not a fun first experience.
Now, I contrast this with the experience of opening my iPod, which was -- quite literally -- a joyful experience. The iPod's packaging is beautiful, functional and obvious. Nothing is difficult. There are no sharp edges. Clearly, designers at Apple spent a fair amount of time considering not just the packaging, but also in crafting the experience of opening the packaging and pulling the device out for the first time. This is a microcosm of how -- as a company -- Apple thinks, and why they inspire such fanatical devotion.