Apple Invasion? (Premium)

With me switching to an iPhone, one might naturally wonder if a Mac is next. Put simply, no. But you’re looking in the wrong place.

I’ll get to the specifics of that below. But at a higher level, it’s useful to think of Apple’s offerings like those from Google, Microsoft, and other platform makers, in terms of ecosystem. That is, each of these firms offers an ecosystem of products and services that work together where possible and offer better value, in terms of usability and cost, to those who adopt many of them.

Apple, of course, is infamous for using its ecosystems to lock-in customers. It’s a smart strategy, and I think the reason we associate the term “lock-in” with Apple so strongly is that it just does a better job at this than its competitors. Apple has delivered enough value over the years that its customers tend to be very loyal. They also tend to be more affluent, or at least more willing to spend money.

But there’s a dark side to lock-in, of course. Those who, in this case, never consider options from companies not named Apple may miss out on functionality offered by the competition. For example, Spotify offers certain advantages over Apple Music, as does Google Photos over Apple Photos/iCloud. And Apple’s offerings---with a few exceptions---also tend to exist only on Apple’s hardware, further limiting choice.

That said, I understand why people go Apple and never look back: there’s something to be said for solutions that just work. But I can’t do it. I feel very strongly about the advantages of diversity, where you choose the very best products and services, no matter which company creates them. And when I went into my iPhone experiment knowing full well that I could be ditching the Pixel after several years of frustrating loyalty to that product line, that I could suddenly become an iPhone user again. But I also did this knowing the dangers of lock-in, and with open eyes about which Apple products and services I might adopt and which I’d ignore.

And on that note, I’ve been multi-platform for many, many years. I’ve used various Android handsets for the past several years, Apple iPads, and various Windows PCs. I use Microsoft products and services, Apple products and services, and Google products and services. And I use some third-party alternatives where I feel that those solutions offer the best value. The right tool for the job and so on.

But I’ve always been fascinated by ecosystems, too, where some combination of products and services from the same company provide unique synergy. That might be as simple as using Google Pixel Buds A-Series earbuds with a Pixel handset. Or as complex as going all-in on, say, Apple’s entertainment offerings. Or whatever.

Because I just moved to an iPhone, I am of course thinking more broadly about what Apple offers across the board. And there are a few I could see adopting. And many I cannot.

So here’s a quick overview of the various ...