Only because Apple's track record so far is a lot better than Asus' or other OEMs in terms of not adding novelty or gadget-y features to their pro products.
Apple has mastered the second mover advantage. They let all the other companies blow money on R&D and educating users while they simply observe the pain points. Then, they swoop in a few years later and reap the benefits.
To be fair, they don't just "reap the benefits". They are working hard at improving new technology until it is really a product. They have many prototypes long before the first product, but don't end up selling those prototypes.
Did you forget the touchbar or the “low travel keys” that break after a few months?
I feel apple lost the edge on innovation on the desktop space a long time ago.
What novelty features did Asus do? Apple did touchbar, the thinnest keyboard on earth, a super underpowered 12 inch MacBook, a screen with an iphone build in. And that is only the last few years.
In Asia I saw Asus laptops with "tribal tattoos" decoration on the shell. That sort of "novelty".
I mean there also (or used to be) a golden iphone.
No, but they did take away lots of important features from their pro products purely for novelty. Things like ports, for instance.
Yep, and they added them back in and the current M1 MacBook Pros are their best yet.