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You're attacking a straw man. There's a difference between a limited choice offered by a particular company and a limited choice in the marketplace. No one is a

You're attacking a straw man. There's a difference between a limited choice offered by a particular company and a limited choice in the marketplace. No one is arguing for the latter. OP used Apple as an example so let's stick with it. If someone wants to buy a laptop to browse the internet, use e-mail, organize photos etc. they learn very quickly that MacBook Air is for them. Then they need to pick a screen size (11" or 13"), decide if they need more storage than in the base model and they're done. Apple is essentially a curator, which is a very valuable service. But we would be much worse off if we only had Apple clones on the market. People around here know much more about computers and smartphones than an average consumer so these examples are not convincing. But consider microwave ovens. Recently I had a displeasure to look for a new one. If some company decided to scrap their entire line and settle on two or three base models with clear differences between each, it would be a great benefit to many costumers.

yummyfajitas 11y ago
There's a difference between a limited choice offered by a particular company and a limited choice in the marketplace. No one is arguing for the latter. From the article: "...too many options create anxiety and leave us less satisfied. Could one answer lie in a return to the state monopolies of old?" "consider jeans. Once there was only one kind, says Schwartz – the ill-fitting sort that, fingers-crossed, would get less ill-fitting once he wore and washed them repeatedly. Now, what with all the options (stone-washed, straight-leg, boot-fit, distressed, zip fly, button fly, slightly distressed, very distressed, knee-holed, thigh-holed, knee and thigh-holed, pretty much all holes and negligible denim), Schwartz feels entitled to expect that there is a perfect pair of jeans for him. Inevitably, though, when he leaves the store, he is likely to be less satisfied now than when there were hardly any options." "Corbyn’s political philosophy suggests, what we need is not more choice, but less; not more competition but more monopolies."

yummyfajitas 11y ago

There's a difference between a limited choice offered by a particular company and a limited choice in the marketplace. No one is arguing for the latter. From the article: "...too many options create anxiety and leave us less satisfied. Could one answer lie in a return to the state monopolies of old?" "consider jeans. Once there was only one kind, says Schwartz – the ill-fitting sort that, fingers-crossed, would get less ill-fitting once he wore and washed them repeatedly. Now, what with all the options (stone-washed, straight-leg, boot-fit, distressed, zip fly, button fly, slightly distressed, very distressed, knee-holed, thigh-holed, knee and thigh-holed, pretty much all holes and negligible denim), Schwartz feels entitled to expect that there is a perfect pair of jeans for him. Inevitably, though, when he leaves the store, he is likely to be less satisfied now than when there were hardly any options." "Corbyn’s political philosophy suggests, what we need is not more choice, but less; not more competition but more monopolies."