Forget Acquisitions: Apple control the Supply Lines

Say what you will about Apple, but if this is true, they are definitely putting their money where their mouth is with respect pushing progress in tech.

Philip Elmer-Dewitt had a better write-up (based on the same Quora post) a couple of weeks ago:<p><a href="http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/07/05/how-apple-became-a-monopsonist/" rel="nofollow">http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/07/05/how-apple-became-a-mo...</a>

They will have retina display iPads and computer monitors 2-3 years before any competitors can do it at similar scale or cost by paying the upfront capital for an ODM to build the factory.<p>And it's basically a proxy for having their own factory, which they directly control (classic Apple), but without their name tied to the negative aspects of it.

Doesn't this article forget Samsung, who themselves manufacture a lot of the major components that make up a modern phone (display, flash memory, camera, etc).

Interesting stuff.<p>However, I disagree completely with the statement that Apple's software is superior. Superior to what? Everything? No.<p>The user experience is excellent in the same manner that McDonald's is. McDonald's at one time provided an "innovative" customer experience, and so did Apple in 2007 with iOS. The McDonald's "UI" is not truly innovative or necessarily superior anymore, but it's always consistent. Same with iOS. Consistent, but not necessarily superior given all the choices.

Reminds me of what I heard about Nolan Bushnell buying up entire production runs of chips from manufacturers to keep Atari's competitors hobbled.

Jobs has had full supply line / vertical integration in mind for decades.<p>NeXT reflects his vision, down to raising a stunning amount of cash to build a factory for the hardware with NeXTs building NeXTs (circa 1986) - beautiful vid of that process <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhfUKEu7sJ0" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhfUKEu7sJ0</a><p>There's a remarkable MacWorld keynote that I just wasted 15 mins trying to find where he lays out, blow-by-blow, his vision for returning to total vertical integration (posted years back) - anybody have that handy?

More propaganda. If they are so much smarter and so far ahead why are they running scared suing their competition?

With all due respect to the author, some editing is in order. The many grammar mistakes in the article make it hard to read. Most of it comes down to the fact that "Apple" is singular, not plural, but there are some general writing level issues there, as well.

Not to be grammar police, but either this guy is allergic to his "s" key or he thinks Apple is plural. The tile of the post, "But Apple make fewer acquisitions", "Apple over-invest in their supply chain", Apple pay a significant portion" makes me think that he thinks the plural for Apple is Apple.