> It is this prescient and necessarily restrained motivation that reveals the true reason why Apple has closed up tighter over the last few years: it’s not to take control of the world. It’s specifically to separate themselves from a pack of companies they *need* as their competitors but *want* relegated to the lower margin areas of the market. Apple will stay closed as long as being closed is a net positive to their business. Until people either start abandoning their products because of this or the do the opposite and adopt their products at a rate which creates a monopoly, they will continue operating at their current clip: high innovation, high profits, and high control.
via [mikeindustries.com](http://www.mikeindustries.com/blog/archive/2010/05/a-good-problem-to-have)
Great article on Apple. Specifically, why Apple’s sudden success won’t lead to another Microsoft Monopoly.
I agree that Apple not only doesn’t have a monopoly, but is actively trying to avoid becoming a monopoly. Not only to stay out of anti-trust issues, but more importantly because Apple sees itself as an elite brand. They don’t want cheap people with bad taste to buy their products.
