Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_quark
The problem with this is that when one company dominates any given market it becomes a monopoly or near-monopoly, and this has the effect of choking off competition. This is bad for everyone because it severely reduces the number of choices that consumers have when they go shopping for phones or whatever device. I might want an Android phone, you might want an iPhone, but we both should be presented with a wide array of choices when we go looking for a new phone. An Apple monopoly would lead to fewer choices and higher prices. It does affect you, and it's something you should care about.
Another problem with companies that grow too large and too influential is that they *will* abuse their power and take advantage of consumers, their employees and even influence politics, to benefit themselves. This is why companies should be regulated so they don't become too large and power-hungry.
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This is 100% true. The fact that Apple owns the rights to any rectangular device with rounded corners (I know I know, I keep mentioning this same thing) means that no other phone manufacturing company can make a rectangular phone with rounded corners. We're gonna see much less variety in phones, and if you want some basic feature that Apple has a patent for, you have to pay the ridiculous price tag for an iPhone.
Also, despite Googles size and revenue, they arent at all like Apple in terms of being power and money hungry. Every company is out to make money. But Google gives out its Android OS for FREE to phone companies, so Google doesnt really have that same money crazy appearance as Apple who overprices for their products.