Thoughts on the #Apple antitrust case?
My first reaction is that it's going to be extremely difficult to prove.
I've long been critical of Apple's walled garden and their massive markups on components like storage and RAM, but I understand their appeal and clearly so do millions of customers.
I could have bought an iPhone but I chose Android devices because that's what I prefer. Does Apple really make it that hard to move away?
Well, the fact is that if you have more than a single Apple device, there are synergistic effects. I can use a passkey on my phone to sign in to a web site on my Mac Mini or my iPad, just to give one example. I can remotely control my AppleTV box from any other device. If I subscribe to a streaming service, it gets added everywhere.
But that's not any different than "my iRobot mop and vacuum share a map", really.
The DoJ isn't going to win this, in my opinion.
@mcfate
I agree that just a convenience feature. I have multiple Roku devices and they all stay in sync when there's a change somewhere, because I'm signed into all of them. Like anyone would expect it to work.
What the DoJ seems to be claiming is that Amazon Fire sticks should be able to ""get inside" Roku devices and vice-versa, or someone's doing someone a monopoly.
It's crazy that this is essentially all about green and blue balloons in messaging and some people feeling grumpy about about the color they get.
@mcfate
The iMessage thing is quite annoying, but should have no bearing on this.
Really we should have all stopped using SMS years ago and only use open source and audited encrypted messaging apps.
One thing I can tell you about Apple is that they'll tell you that they're not in the "computer business", they make consumer electronics.
@mcfate
Now that sounds like something the legal staff told them to say. They've always been in the computer business. All they make are computers of various sizes and shapes.
We were saying it thirty-odd years ago, though. It's not a legal thing, it's a "how do you think about the products you make" thing.
@mcfate
Oh well then it makes sense from that standpoint.
Calling an iPhone a "computer" is something like calling a toaster an "energy converter". It's not wrong, but it's not right, either.
@mcfate
You could have made an argument in support of your point rather than condescending. We were having a nice conversation up until then.
Fine, I'll spare you any further pain, and mute this thread.
@voltronic
I can see that. I stand by my statement.