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> Textbook monopolistic price gouging So they’re a monopoly because you can only buy Apple laptops from them?
by PapaPalpatine 2y ago
> Textbook monopolistic price gouging
So they’re a monopoly because you can only buy Apple laptops from them?
- Saline9515 2y agoYes they are a monopoly on the MacOS hardware market, which explains this kind of extractive behavior.
- baggy_trough 2y agoThat's not a monopoly.
- Saline9515 2y agoYes it is, they are the only supplier on the market for MacOS hardware. In the market for Linux or Windows, hardware is priced at a competitive level. You may argue that the relevant market is for "computers" as a whole, however it can be argued that bundling hardware and software to charge high prices is a classic monopoly behavior nonetheless.
- DrBenCarson 2y agoCompanies cannot be forced to sell their operating systems distinct from hardware if they choose not to. That's a ridiculous expectation. There is no market for macOS, only Macs, and that market is the broader PC market, which Apple is nowhere near monopoly power Saying Apple has a "macOS hardware" monopoly is like saying Dyson has a "Dyson motor monopoly" Companies get to choose what their products are, full stop
- tristan957 2y ago> Companies cannot be forced to sell their operating systems distinct from hardware if they choose not to. Microsoft was forced to unbundle IE, so why would this not be possible?
- consteval 2y agoIt is, for that particular market. In the market of MacOS computers, there is only one manufacturer.
- meursault 2y agoMacOS is a brand that Apple owns, so that makes sense? It’s like saying in the market of Tesla cars there is only one manufacturer.
- consteval 2y agoMacOS is also an operating system or a platform. Tesla isn't really a platform. But... funny you brought up Tesla, because Tesla also had this exact problem! Tesla had the supercharging network, which they own and manufacture. But superchargers aren't just a product, they're a platform. Tesla had a monopoly on superchargers, until they pre-emptively opened up the network and open sourced the connector. If they hadn't, IMO it was extremely likely they would've been forced, eventually.
- DrBenCarson 2y ago[flagged]
- consteval 2y agoMore like, "why does the software I'm required to use mean there's only one hardware manufacturer I can buy from?" Or, "why does the part I need to repair my tractor only get provided by one manufacturer?"
- hightrix 2y agoBy this logic, Ferrari is a monopoly.
- paulddraper 2y agoApple makes Apple hardware, yes. I also have some information about the wetness of water.