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You can read more about the anti-trust law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Trust_Law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Trust_Law. From what I understand, Mic

You can read more about the anti-trust law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Trust_Law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Trust_Law. From what I understand, Microsoft was sued because of its anti-competitive behavior with Netscape. It lost the case because there was enough evidence against Microsoft - in that it tried to squeeze Netscape out of the consumer market by deliberate force, leveraging the power they had over the OS market. Apple hasn't done anything like that. If Apple tries to engage in any anti-competitive behavior, then it may become target of the Anti-Trust division of US DoJ.

jacquesm 17y ago
I think they crossed that line when they kept google off the iphone.
- InclinedPlane 17y ago
  Apple is not a nice company. They make some nice products (or at least some very pretty and shiny products) but they are not friendly to consumers, developers, or competitors. If Apple had won out over Microsoft back in the day we would all be in a much worse position. Apple today is very much like IBM was 30 or 40 years ago. Only, Apple is far more hip and savvy than IBM ever was, which is rather scary. Regardless, the iPhone is not yet a monopoly, though it may well be soon enough.
  - roc 17y ago
    No company is 'nice' or 'friendly'. They are always in it for themselves. Their best interests are not the same as their consumers or developers. People need to stop anthropomorphizing these entities into friends and enemies.
    - InclinedPlane 17y ago
      Sure, all companies are ultimately in it for the profit. But some companies treat their customers well, and they make a profit by making products their customers enjoy. In a real sense their best interests are closely aligned to their customers' best interests (building better products). But some companies try their damnedest to abuse and rip off their customers. Apple's history lies just shy of abuse. They revel in proprietary systems, are very anti-competitive, and they demand outrageous profit margins. If Microsoft behaved the same way they would have been destroyed or broken up by government regulation long ago. Yet because Apple is able to design and execute much better than the industry average many people give them a pass on all of these things. But they shouldn't. Apple's anti-competitive and anti-consumer behavior is cute when viewed in the context of, say, their tiny share of the PC market. But there may come a day when Apple dominates a market (it's certainly looking that way for smartphones) and when that day comes people will almost certainly regret not having payed more attention to Apple's dark side.
      - roc 17y ago
        I disagree. Any alignment in interests is temporary at best. Inasfar as the alignment exists and results in a good product, people should stick to that alone: "this is a good product". It's a mistake to generalize or extend that sentiment to "therefore the company is a good company". Given the opportunity Microsoft would absolutely erect a walled garden ecosystem of DRM'd media and 'blessed' hardware. Hell, they tried. Several times (with varying levels of success). Even in the midst of their anti-trust problems. And given the opportunity, Apple absolutely would lean on its partners and conspire against standards the way Microsoft has in the past. They also have tried (with varying levels of success). Several times. The only difference between Apple and Microsoft is that they can only afford to put their interests ahead of their customers in the fields they dominate, which, by definition, are different fields.
- teej 17y ago
  Everyone can agree that Apple participates in some anti-competitive behavior, but that isn't an antitrust violation unless they are using their monopoly in a -market- to push out competitors in another. Apple doesn't have anywhere near a monopoly in the mobile space.

jacquesm 17y ago

I think they crossed that line when they kept google off the iphone.

InclinedPlane 17y ago
Apple is not a nice company. They make some nice products (or at least some very pretty and shiny products) but they are not friendly to consumers, developers, or competitors. If Apple had won out over Microsoft back in the day we would all be in a much worse position. Apple today is very much like IBM was 30 or 40 years ago. Only, Apple is far more hip and savvy than IBM ever was, which is rather scary. Regardless, the iPhone is not yet a monopoly, though it may well be soon enough.
- roc 17y ago
  No company is 'nice' or 'friendly'. They are always in it for themselves. Their best interests are not the same as their consumers or developers. People need to stop anthropomorphizing these entities into friends and enemies.
  - InclinedPlane 17y ago
    Sure, all companies are ultimately in it for the profit. But some companies treat their customers well, and they make a profit by making products their customers enjoy. In a real sense their best interests are closely aligned to their customers' best interests (building better products). But some companies try their damnedest to abuse and rip off their customers. Apple's history lies just shy of abuse. They revel in proprietary systems, are very anti-competitive, and they demand outrageous profit margins. If Microsoft behaved the same way they would have been destroyed or broken up by government regulation long ago. Yet because Apple is able to design and execute much better than the industry average many people give them a pass on all of these things. But they shouldn't. Apple's anti-competitive and anti-consumer behavior is cute when viewed in the context of, say, their tiny share of the PC market. But there may come a day when Apple dominates a market (it's certainly looking that way for smartphones) and when that day comes people will almost certainly regret not having payed more attention to Apple's dark side.
    - roc 17y ago
      I disagree. Any alignment in interests is temporary at best. Inasfar as the alignment exists and results in a good product, people should stick to that alone: "this is a good product". It's a mistake to generalize or extend that sentiment to "therefore the company is a good company". Given the opportunity Microsoft would absolutely erect a walled garden ecosystem of DRM'd media and 'blessed' hardware. Hell, they tried. Several times (with varying levels of success). Even in the midst of their anti-trust problems. And given the opportunity, Apple absolutely would lean on its partners and conspire against standards the way Microsoft has in the past. They also have tried (with varying levels of success). Several times. The only difference between Apple and Microsoft is that they can only afford to put their interests ahead of their customers in the fields they dominate, which, by definition, are different fields.
teej 17y ago
Everyone can agree that Apple participates in some anti-competitive behavior, but that isn't an antitrust violation unless they are using their monopoly in a -market- to push out competitors in another. Apple doesn't have anywhere near a monopoly in the mobile space.