[mattlutze]

For what it's worth, the author of the rebuttal does address your point (from "Conclusion"):

> But I don’t think Ben Thompson is actually arguing that it would be great if Apple created a new services division. I think he’s arguing that Apple should create a new services division if they want Services to be great. Ben Thompson is doing what good analysts do. He’s not giving us the right answer. He’s asking us the right question.

The rebuttal does a nice job of expanding the discussion around that question.

[perseusprime11]

I think Thompson is walking back from his blog. His blog and podcast do not align. I would expect him to use the givens (Apple product culture) and come up with a strong theory around why Apple should not venture into Services.