[metacontent]

Apple established a lucrative unix based desktop by giving it away for free with cool looking hardware, but only after they made it big with the iphone.

If it wasn't for the iphone Apples "unix based desktop" would still be a blip, and probably a smaller blip than Ubuntu.

[simonh]

Apple was already the most profitable PC manufacturer when the iPhone launched. All the other PC manufacturers know how to make hardware and could up their game to match Apple if they wanted to. The one thing they can't compete on is the OS and software.

Ask actual Mac users why they use Macs and I think you'll find the main reason is the OS and applications that run on it. For me it's things like Time Machine, iPhoto and iMovie and back when I switched in 2007, the lack of viruses. In my opinion, and that of enough other people to matter, there are no good replacements for those on Windows.

[tobylane]

OS X was out for a whole decade before the iPhone. I can't measure a blip, but I expect Apple were passed that within a year, eg the bondi blue iMac.