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Comment by fransje26 | Hacker News Reader

> One could ask, "How is Apple a Monopoly, and do they abuse that position?"

I opened my local configurator to buy a 13" M3 MacBook Air.

   Memory, update from 16GB to 24GB -> +230€

   SSD, update from 256GB to 2TB -> +920€

Textbook monopolistic price gouging.

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Aston Martin charges $1000 to add a six CD changer in the trunk of Vanquish.

Clearly textbook price gouging from the monopolistic auto manufacturer, Aston Martin.

Aston Martin doesn’t sell enough cars to be a problem for society. Apple has pretty high market share. I don’t really think they are a monopoly (because I can’t see the point of view that takes a single Apple Store as “the market”), but I think it is obvious that they have more impact than Aston Martin.

Apple monitor stand: $999

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MWUG2LL/A/pro-stand

Nobody needs an Aston Martin to perform well enough at their job. I've been in multiple situations where being a Linux user put me at a disadvantage because everything else at a company assumes Apple.

Granted, the appropriate response is to demand a Mac from this company, but it still highlights that a Mac isn't a luxury item the same way an Aston Martin is

> Textbook monopolistic price gouging

So they’re a monopoly because you can only buy Apple laptops from them?

Yes they are a monopoly on the MacOS hardware market, which explains this kind of extractive behavior.

By this logic, Ferrari is a monopoly.

That's not a monopoly.

Yes it is, they are the only supplier on the market for MacOS hardware. In the market for Linux or Windows, hardware is priced at a competitive level.

You may argue that the relevant market is for "computers" as a whole, however it can be argued that bundling hardware and software to charge high prices is a classic monopoly behavior nonetheless.

Companies cannot be forced to sell their operating systems distinct from hardware if they choose not to. That's a ridiculous expectation. There is no market for macOS, only Macs, and that market is the broader PC market, which Apple is nowhere near monopoly power

Saying Apple has a "macOS hardware" monopoly is like saying Dyson has a "Dyson motor monopoly"

Companies get to choose what their products are, full stop

> Companies cannot be forced to sell their operating systems distinct from hardware if they choose not to.

Microsoft was forced to unbundle IE, so why would this not be possible?

It is, for that particular market. In the market of MacOS computers, there is only one manufacturer.

MacOS is a brand that Apple owns, so that makes sense? It’s like saying in the market of Tesla cars there is only one manufacturer.

MacOS is also an operating system or a platform. Tesla isn't really a platform.

But... funny you brought up Tesla, because Tesla also had this exact problem! Tesla had the supercharging network, which they own and manufacture. But superchargers aren't just a product, they're a platform.

Tesla had a monopoly on superchargers, until they pre-emptively opened up the network and open sourced the connector. If they hadn't, IMO it was extremely likely they would've been forced, eventually.

Apple makes Apple hardware, yes.

I also have some information about the wetness of water.

You’re free to purchase a Dell, then.

Not if you work for a local council or whatever, and need to develop an iOS app for some reason.

Then you pay, because they basically force you to use their hardware, software, connectors, formats, billing services, etc every step of the way.

Apple has a monopoly on usable trackpads.

No, that's textbook price discrimination, aka standard pricing everywhere. Have you looked at the prices for add-ons for cars? Or even for pizza toppings?

There's no world in which you can tell me Apple has a monopoly on laptops. C'mon.

Related discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42057758

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