1 seems like it won't be a problem as long as Apple keeps disrupting/inventing markets a la iPhone and iPad. (This might be contingent on 4, though, I guess.)

1 seems like it won't be a problem as long as Apple keeps disrupting/inventing markets a la iPhone and iPad. (This might be contingent on 4, though, I guess.) 2 does seem like an issue to a degree. I imagine the subsidized pricing of high end phones in the US only helps Apple, but I think their PC marketshare/profitshare shows that they can sustain a great position just in the high end. 4 is just weird logic. The fact that a strength isn't a strength when it's not there anymore is a weakness? I mean, I understand that some part of Apple's success probably depends on Steve Jobs, but the characterization just seems weird to me, if only because it's obvious to the point of not worth mentioning. The whole thing reminds me of John Siracusa's excellent take on Apple's strategy tax, though, which seems like a more important and interesting to think about problem to me. http://arstechnica.com/staff/fatbits/2011/03/the-apple-strategy-tax.ars http://arstechnica.com/staff/fatbits/2011/03/the-apple-strat...