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Originally Posted by
piot 
That says it all really doesn't it? You want a product from a company.... and they don't make it. That's not unethical. That's just bad luck for you.
Maybe but as I say, when you are in a market like the personal computer industry, it has such a huge impact on everyday life that having one company dictate all the rules in all aspects of the chain is anti-competitive.
Put it another way, the only way they are getting away with this is because they don't have a large market share. If they had a 90% share like Microsoft and a whole load of legacy software was tied to their OS for whatever reasons, I'm pretty sure they would be made to give up their hardware control to enable a free market.
Again is it illegal? No but back to the fish analogy, if the minority behaves in a way that adversely affects a majority then measures will be made to keep the system fair for everyone despite there seeming to be no reason why the minority can act however they please.
This is where the stories about Microsoft and IE come in. Was bundling IE with Windows illegal? Of course not so what was the problem? Microsoft used their OS uniquity to gain an unfair browser market share that no 3rd party developer could match and still hasn't matched to this day. Who decides what's fair and unfair? To Microsoft, the move is clearly unfair as they did nothing illegal but to a majority of people wanting an open, free internet, it wasn't in their best interests.
To people wanting an open, free personal computer system, Apple's business model is similarly not in the interests of a majority. Like I say, the fact they don't have a majority share is the only thing that makes their setup acceptable. The bigger it grows, the less fair it becomes as thousands upon thousand of people lose their jobs as a result of not being able to compete.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
piot 
And for good measure, we normally get the statement that there are millions of people demanding the 'missing' systems from Apple, and Apple could make a lot of money from filling the gap. Ironic really when, in the same breath Apple is accused of being greedy.
Greedy for control, not for money. I don't think people care if Apple make a lot of money from it so long as their supply meets consumer demand.
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Originally Posted by sflocal
So you tell me that Psystar is okay because they charge the buyers for the retail copy of OSX (an UPGRADE not FULL LICENSE) and then turn around a few paragraphs later and say they are breaking the EULA?
You said they stole the IP, they didn't if they bought a full copy of Leopard for each system. Breaking the EUA doesn't change that. If it is indeed an upgrade disc then I would agree that's wrong, how do you know this is the case?
Quote:
Originally Posted by sflocal
Just like their Macs, when you buy their iPhone, you're actually buying their ecosystem, not just the phone itself. This model has been hugely successful for them.
It's not that easy to equate every object in different markets and say they work the same way. Mobile phone unlocking is considered fair to a lot of people, phone companies don't think it's a problem tying someone to a network for 18 months. I personally think that practice should be illegal or made 6 months at most. Technology moves on quickly but you are forced into an older system for 1.5 years or else have to pay up the whole amount to buy out of it - subsidies complicate things but still.
If you buy a car, the manufacturer would love to have you get repairs done at the dealership but people tend to go to a local mechanic to get it done for a fraction of the price. This is a fair system.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sflocal
In the beginning, everyone praises Apple for introducing the iPhone and "sticking it to the man" (the wireless industry) and revolutionizing the smartphone market. But after the honeymoon is over, you put Apple over the coals for being "too successful" and scream "monopoly" and "conspiracy". Get over yourselves!
I'm not sure that the same people said the same things but it's not hypocritical to have both opinions at once. Yes it is good that they shook up the industry but you can also observe that they are attempting to monopolize it at the same time. In fact under the same circumstances. Windows mobile and symbian are not exclusive to one device.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sflocal
The truth is that any other person/company would love to be in the position Apple is in and would do everything and anything to keep them at the top just like Jobs has.
That I agree with. Exclusivity is one of the strongest selling points for any given brand, games consoles are one example. No XBox game can ever run on a PS3, you have to buy the hardware in order to run it. It's not illegal but it's unethical. If you pay for a much more expensive PS3 and find that Gears of War only runs on an XBox, it's not a nice experience. I guess a more appropriate example would be owning a cheaper XBox and wanting to play Resistance, which is only available for the more expensive PS3.
Does this mean that you have the right to expect Resistance for the cheaper machine? Not really but it's an anti-competitive practice. Again it's freedom vs control. Sony wants more control over the game market, gamers want the freedom to have ultimate choice of software. In a world where credit card companies who cause financial crises are bailed out by governments during times of financial crisis, who has the right to say what's fair any more?
Do we always allow businesses to dictate whatever terms they like? Imagine if Microsoft suddenly put in their EULA that if you purchase Windows, you can only ever use it with a Microsoft mouse. Is it their right to do that? Or would their market share make that move anti-competitive?