4 ms·

I couldn't disagree more, and this feels very tired. Antitrust does not mean literal monopoly, and 57-70% share is certainly big enough to exert anti-competiti

I couldn't disagree more, and this feels very tired. Antitrust does not mean literal monopoly, and 57-70% share is certainly big enough to exert anti-competitive pressures, which are detailed in the antitrust suit. It's also not like the government is trying to break Apple into multiple companies, like Standard Oil. Moreover, the author himself then goes on to detail for most of an article some of the ways that Apple doesn't play nicely with others (of which there are many many others) and how their own reasoning for why they need to be this way doesn't hold up (all those fake Sora apps), but then comes to the conclusion that it's not bad enough for him (who happens to be inside the Apple ecosystem). The author does not address people who are pressured to be in the Apple ecosystem (see teens & the green bubble), but just says they didn't feel any pressure. He doesn't even seem against the EU restrictions, but he still, without listing any concrete repercussions, doesn't want the government to make choices for Apple. Overall, it was a pretty unhelpful article to me, with a kinda odd stance of yes they do bad stuff but I like my iPhone so the government shouldn't try to make them play nicely.

paholg 3y ago
> It's also not like the government is trying to break Apple into multiple companies, like Standard Oil. If only.
- drivingmenuts 3y ago
  Oh, that would be a goddamn security nightmare. Trying to get them all on the same page at the same time would be impossible and someone would always be slowing everyone else down. Consumers wouldn't know who to trust.
  - paholg 3y ago
    It's too bad we have no evidence of products from different companies working together. I can't imagine how we would get, say, software from one company to work on hardware from another. Or a device from one manufacturer to communicate with one from another through some kind of standardized protocol.
    - true_religion 3y ago
      Exactly. What separation of software and hardware is impossible to achieve by human means. Perhaps in true far future, some kind of Android will exist to create this ecosystem, but that kind of tech is at least a googol or so years away.
      - drivingmenuts 3y ago
        How many distros of Android are there? And are they all current? Not bleeding edge, but at least up-to-date with current developments? Might want to see about that.
zer00eyz 3y ago
>> The author does not address people who are pressured to be in the Apple ecosystem (see teens & the green bubble), See women in fashion, see teens and card and clothing and Jordan's and... This is a weak argument. >>> Antitrust does not mean literal monopoly, and 57-70% share is certainly big enough to exert anti-competitive pressures, " Likewise, the Third Circuit stated that "a share significantly larger than 55% has been required to establish prima facie market power" and held that a market share between seventy-five percent and eighty percent of sales is "more than adequate to establish a prima facie case of power." From: https://www.justice.gov/archives/atr/competition-and-monopoly-single-firm-conduct-under-section-2-sherman-act-chapter-2 https://www.justice.gov/archives/atr/competition-and-monopol... At 60 percent the DOJ's case is just over the practical limits. Its going to make the case that they seem to be wanting to present really tough. Using the watch as a form of lockin... is dumb. And the green bubbles thing is going to come up.. guess what that's about A) security and B) MMS being a 20 year old dumpster fire (the carriers not apple) ... Their tech working around the short comings of a protocol is going to be an easy argument to move them out of Market Power and into "Innovation". The DOJ has ONE very narrow case they can make... that would be around blocking of MMS/Texting alternatives. With signal no longer in the market (mms) there is going to be an argument that "there isnt a viable alternative with security first principals". I contend that the DOJ brought this case, and knows dam well its going to loose. Apple gets a day in court, wins and then every EU/china action after gets shouted down as Nationalism and anti free market by all of DC.
hellisothers 3y ago
The (a) problem here is what the 57-70% is, it’s something like “performance mobile device in the US”…. It’s not some smoking gun of “all mobile phones globally”, or even in the us, or even all mobile phones.
snapplebobapple 3y ago
They should pretty obviously break up apple, microsoft,amazon, facebook, etc. Though. I am very free market and libertarian leaning but that seems completely obvious to me. The amount of market abuse from those guys is staggering.

paholg 3y ago

> It's also not like the government is trying to break Apple into multiple companies, like Standard Oil. If only.

drivingmenuts 3y ago
Oh, that would be a goddamn security nightmare. Trying to get them all on the same page at the same time would be impossible and someone would always be slowing everyone else down. Consumers wouldn't know who to trust.
- paholg 3y ago
  It's too bad we have no evidence of products from different companies working together. I can't imagine how we would get, say, software from one company to work on hardware from another. Or a device from one manufacturer to communicate with one from another through some kind of standardized protocol.
  - true_religion 3y ago
    Exactly. What separation of software and hardware is impossible to achieve by human means. Perhaps in true far future, some kind of Android will exist to create this ecosystem, but that kind of tech is at least a googol or so years away.
    - drivingmenuts 3y ago
      How many distros of Android are there? And are they all current? Not bleeding edge, but at least up-to-date with current developments? Might want to see about that.

zer00eyz 3y ago

>> The author does not address people who are pressured to be in the Apple ecosystem (see teens & the green bubble), See women in fashion, see teens and card and clothing and Jordan's and... This is a weak argument. >>> Antitrust does not mean literal monopoly, and 57-70% share is certainly big enough to exert anti-competitive pressures, " Likewise, the Third Circuit stated that "a share significantly larger than 55% has been required to establish prima facie market power" and held that a market share between seventy-five percent and eighty percent of sales is "more than adequate to establish a prima facie case of power." From: https://www.justice.gov/archives/atr/competition-and-monopoly-single-firm-conduct-under-section-2-sherman-act-chapter-2 https://www.justice.gov/archives/atr/competition-and-monopol... At 60 percent the DOJ's case is just over the practical limits. Its going to make the case that they seem to be wanting to present really tough. Using the watch as a form of lockin... is dumb. And the green bubbles thing is going to come up.. guess what that's about A) security and B) MMS being a 20 year old dumpster fire (the carriers not apple) ... Their tech working around the short comings of a protocol is going to be an easy argument to move them out of Market Power and into "Innovation". The DOJ has ONE very narrow case they can make... that would be around blocking of MMS/Texting alternatives. With signal no longer in the market (mms) there is going to be an argument that "there isnt a viable alternative with security first principals". I contend that the DOJ brought this case, and knows dam well its going to loose. Apple gets a day in court, wins and then every EU/china action after gets shouted down as Nationalism and anti free market by all of DC.

hellisothers 3y ago

The (a) problem here is what the 57-70% is, it’s something like “performance mobile device in the US”…. It’s not some smoking gun of “all mobile phones globally”, or even in the us, or even all mobile phones.

snapplebobapple 3y ago

They should pretty obviously break up apple, microsoft,amazon, facebook, etc. Though. I am very free market and libertarian leaning but that seems completely obvious to me. The amount of market abuse from those guys is staggering.