If it was that simple mainstream Linux success would be one good marketing campaign away.

Their hardware is really good, their software is fine — at least as good as all the others to the average user I think, the integration between their products is good, and their marketing is obviously top tier.

I don’t think they’d be as successful if their products were not premium hardware.

I’d love an arm based laptop with a great screen and trackpad running Linux for work.

Do you have any sources for this? I agree that people tend to follow their peers, or seek things that communicate a higher social status, but like, Apple's hardware just is also very good, and that could easily be why someone stays with them, even if they were prompted by status.