For years and, every time someone would tear into Microsoft for some alleged monopolistic behavior while simultaneously lauding how benevolent Apple is, I've felt compelled to point out to them that deep down, Apple is far more malevolent then Microsoft could be on their best day. Steve Jobs has always been a monopolist, and the company he created thrives on having absolute control over all aspects of the user's experience.
It's ironic that Apple once made a commercial likening themselves to some sort of savior that would topple "Big Brother," 1984's icon of an all knowing and all controlling government. As Apple grows in power, their fist grows tighter, and I keep seeing more and more articles likes these:
Apple has allegedly been pressuring music labels to ditch Amazon MP3's "Daily Deal" promotions, lest they be excluded from being promoted through the iTunes machine. According to anonymous executives speaking to Billboard, Apple has always been uncomfortable with the labels double dipping with both iTunes and Amazon, but the company has ramped up its complaints lately in an attempt to retain its lead in the online music market. Though Apple still remains in the number one spot among all music retailers, the move is indicative that Apple takes competition from Amazon very seriously.Speaking about iTunes, another major label executive told Billboard that "[t]hey are . . . diverting their energy from 'let's make this machine better' to 'let's protect what we got.'"Some of those threats have apparently worked: labels representing Corinne Bailey Rae, Lady Antebellum, and Ke$ha have all reportedly pulled out of Daily Deals consideration in favor of staying on Apple's good side. And, because Apple's distaste for the Daily Deals at Amazon has become widely known in the industry, other labels have decided not to play the game at all by holding back their online offerings on the street date and the day before.
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