[lotsofpulp]

I am not clear which switch Apple can flip to put Facebook out of business. I assume Apple can delete Facebook from the App Store, but that would be just as consequential to Apple as to Facebook.

Also, it would seem self evident that Apple’s ability to influence Facebook comes from having a novel product, that people like to use compared to the alternatives.

[echelon]

> Also, it would seem self evident that Apple’s ability to influence Facebook comes from having a novel product, that people like to use compared to the alternatives.

Apple controls 50+% of American computing. At this point it isn't just a "novel product". They own the American internet interface and it takes a nation state level of effort to compete. Facebook can't even keep up.

Android is a fragmented 40% and relies on advertising. Google locks it down so hard with their Play Store Services stranglehold (no YouTube/Maps/Gmail if you disobey), that there's no room for real competition to emerge and make any money doing something unique.

None of this is healthy for the world. Both companies need a hard slap from the DOJ.

[dylan604]

>Apple controls 50+% of American computing.

Wait, what? If you want to say that Apple controls 50% of mobile compute, then I might be willing to go along with that. But the blanket computing alone is laughable.

You've suddenly just ignored all of the data centers in the US that have very little Apple products seeing as Apple doesn't make a server product. Sure some niche data centers have popped up with racks full of Minis, but those are primarily for people making apps for those mobile devices mentioned earlier.

[echelon]

And to whom are those bytes being served? Who owns the edge?

[dylan604]

What the wha? Just because consumers are using Apple devices does not equate to being more compute devices than the devices creating the data to be consumed.

What a strange strange twist of logic.

[echelon]

Instead of insisting my logic is flawed, look at the interface where communication and commerce are happening. Apple owns most of it. Google the rest.

[dylan604]

>Apple controls 50+% of American computing.

then

>look at the interface where communication and commerce are happening. Apple owns most of it. Google the rest.

These are not even close to being the same, and you moving the conversation. Or, you're using words in a manner that the rest of us are not following.

Again, maybe saying something like 50% of American consumer computing or something, but the blanket statement as written and unqualified is just wrong.

[CaptainZapp]

> Apple controls 50+% of American computing.

Do you have a source for this assertion?

That Apple controls more than 50% of American computing seems, well, a bit on the high side.

[cehrlich]

If you measure it by browser market share, which is obviously not a flawless metric but the best one I can think of, Apple controls 37%.

https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/all/united-s...

OS market share is higher than that as some Mac users will use Chrome or Firefox, but no users of other platforms use Safari.

[9935c101ab17a66]

So, by a metric you yourself admit is flawed (and I assume it is flawed, I couldn't find any methodology from statcounter), the initial claims were off by 15%, which is a huge mistake and significantly weakens any 'monopoly' argument.

> OS market share is higher than that as some Mac users will use Chrome or Firefox, but no users of other platforms use Safari.

No, and the source you initially provide show this not to be the case: https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/all/united-states...

OS marketshare is actually lower than browser marketshare. Mac users using Chrome or Firefox have nothing to do with it, since the heuristic statcounter relies on, the User Agent, contains clear information about which OS is being used.

[CaptainZapp]

Thanks.

50% still seems a bit excessive, but no question that Apple is very widely used.