4 ms·

I hear what you're saying: Apple's Monopoly on airtags is good for you. Are there other monopolies you think are good for you? For others? For the world?

breakfastduck 5y ago
How on earth is that a monopoly? It's their product. That's like saying MS have a monopoly on Windows. Or VW have a monopoly on the Golf. There's literally nothing stopping anyone else from developing an AirTag competitor.
- tommit 5y ago
  Especially since an AirTag competitor existed prior to AirTags. Turns out if you have an existing network of billions of devices, you can offer a better working product.
least 5y ago
It's more like... Apple doesn't really have much reason to open up their technology here to third parties and it doesn't make sense to, either. It's not whether or not other people can design applications for something like a gigantic mesh network other than Apple, just that in order for such a thing to be useful it has to be opt out, which means that the application would have to be developed in conjunction with Apple or by Apple. If you allow third party applications utilize the tech but require an opt-in, it's effectively useless. If you allow third party applications to do so without an opt-in, it's dangerous.
hellotomyrars 5y ago
I think this particular usage of monopoly is suspect/leading. Tile has a monopoly on Tile devices. Ford has a monopoly on F-150s. Yes a company has a monopoly on its products in many/most cases. That doesn’t mean they have a monopoly on the market though.
- samhw 5y ago
  To be charitable, it's possible they meant "AirTags" in the way that you or I would say "Hoover" or "Marmite" or "Polaroid" - not to refer to Apple's specific product, but to internet-connected tags in general.
  - breakfastduck 5y ago
    Because people can't comprehend the difference between 'doing it better than everyone else' and 'being a monopoly'

breakfastduck 5y ago

How on earth is that a monopoly? It's their product. That's like saying MS have a monopoly on Windows. Or VW have a monopoly on the Golf. There's literally nothing stopping anyone else from developing an AirTag competitor.

tommit 5y ago
Especially since an AirTag competitor existed prior to AirTags. Turns out if you have an existing network of billions of devices, you can offer a better working product.

least 5y ago

It's more like... Apple doesn't really have much reason to open up their technology here to third parties and it doesn't make sense to, either. It's not whether or not other people can design applications for something like a gigantic mesh network other than Apple, just that in order for such a thing to be useful it has to be opt out, which means that the application would have to be developed in conjunction with Apple or by Apple. If you allow third party applications utilize the tech but require an opt-in, it's effectively useless. If you allow third party applications to do so without an opt-in, it's dangerous.

hellotomyrars 5y ago

I think this particular usage of monopoly is suspect/leading. Tile has a monopoly on Tile devices. Ford has a monopoly on F-150s. Yes a company has a monopoly on its products in many/most cases. That doesn’t mean they have a monopoly on the market though.

samhw 5y ago
To be charitable, it's possible they meant "AirTags" in the way that you or I would say "Hoover" or "Marmite" or "Polaroid" - not to refer to Apple's specific product, but to internet-connected tags in general.
- breakfastduck 5y ago
  Because people can't comprehend the difference between 'doing it better than everyone else' and 'being a monopoly'