From a NY Times Bestseller

[Ben Scott]

On 7/11/06, Chris Linstid <clinstid at gmail.com> wrote:
> Apple's computers haven't really been proprietary for quite a while
> now.  ... it's a combination of the controlled set of
> hardware and software ...

  That's the very definition of "proprietary" in my book.

  As many have pointed out, the reason Apple's stuff "just works" is
that they control everything.  They control the hardware.  They
control the software.  You cannot adjust your television, even if you
want to.  That's why everything "just works".  It's a valid and
accepted and effective design methodology.  Indeed, it's central to
most IT departments.

  (Still, the way "it just works" gets used in marketing and advocacy
irritates me   It isn't because of magical Apple goodness.  It's
because they limit the set of stuff that's advertised as working.  "I
plugged this widget in, and it didn't 'just work'."  "Well, that's
because that widget doesn't work with a Mac.  If you bought a widget
that worked with a Mac, it would just work!"  Amazing, that.  But I
digress...)

  Controlling things so tightly necessarily means the opportunities
for competition are reduced.  That's one contributor to the higher
prices you note.

  Apple's tight control also tends to offend the sensibilities of
many, myself included.  We prefer more control, or at least, the
illusion of more control.  Once reason for my preference for
Linux/FOSS.

  The quote "Unix was not designed to stop its users from doing stupid
things, as that would also stop them from doing clever things" is
somewhat appropriate here.

-- Ben "Stupid more often than clever" Scott