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Comment by hn_throwaway_99 | Hacker News Reader

I'm curious as to why you included Apple. All of the other companies bought up a bunch of potential competitors so they wouldn't get outcompeted, e.g:

Facebook: Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus

Google: DoubleClick, YouTube, Android, Waze, Deep mind

Amazon: Whole Foods, Audible, Zappos, Ring, One Medical

Arguably, I think things would be better if a bunch of these acquisitions were never allowed in the first place. But most of Apple's acquisitions have been of the "acquihire" type where they got specific technologies to enhance their products - Beats is the only one I can think of off the top of my head that has basically remained separate.

I'm not saying acquisitions are the only benchmark for breaking up big tech, but to me it feels like the places where Apple is anti-competitive (e.g. App Store) can be remedied with much smaller changes than a full break up. With the other 3 it seems easier to identify places to "cleave".

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Apple has operating systems, hardware, and software. Maybe Apple should spinoff OSX into its own company? They clearly abuse their positions with OS X and their hardware to push Apple specific software that only they benefit from.

If they had to separate their operating systems into another company, they would have to freely compete to put their app stores on their devices.

Or even better, spin off their hardware divisions if you want.

Either way Apple shouldn't be able to control their operating systems or their hardware unless they open up their devices and allow consumers easier ways to both repair their devices and install alternative operating systems on them.

I think it's not that hard of an argument to make that OS and hardware should go together - heck, Apple got praise for decades that their products worked better because they were "the seamless integration of hardware and software".

I think it's a much harder argument to make that Apple should get to control all application software used on a device, and furthermore that they have a right to a cut of all revenue of app software sold for a particular device.

I disagree, I own Apple hardware. I should be able to easily install and repair it without voiding the warranty. The fact that they make this nearly impossible is what makes their practices despicable.

It's why I added they should be legally compelled by a consent decree to provide parts, schematics, and the ability to change operating systems seamlessly if they want to keep their monopoly.

Vertical integration is not monopolistic. A dairy farm can make great ice cream, like McConnell’s or Strauss. Apple’s acquisition of Beats is maybe the one that shouldn’t have been allowed since they were in competition for headphones. Most of their other acquisitions are pretty small companies with specific integrations into Apple products or services.

Ah yes the humble dairy farmer is obviously equivalent to the trillion dollar transnational corporation. Here I am thinking that since Apple makes it harder to repair their devices or install other operating systems on them that they are in a position to abuse their marketplace, silly me!

What completed or competes with YouTube?

Now I feel old. You must be too young to remember Google Video: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Video

TikTok, Vimeo, DailyMotion, various social networks.

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