Let's not forget that Apple is revolutionizing the world. Even if their products are bad for consumers in that they restrict with DRM, have higher costs, use proprietary technology, etc... they are sparking a huge huge change in the world of technology. Android is a great example of this.
This is the good ol' military industrial complex but in a consumer electronics sense. Companies are competing and innovating, and we have to thank Apple for much of that. In the end we are the people who will benefit, with lower cost devies and better software. Even the carriers are attacking each other now on prices for the best 3G network (VZW & ATT).
Even though I don't own any Apple products, I'm still glad they are around for this reason. More competition in the marketplace is good for me, the consumer, which should go without saying.
However, I'm not sure Android is a good example of your point. I think Android had been in the works for many years before the iphone was released (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)#Hist...). In fact, Apple multi-touch patents are holding it back at the moment.
This is the good ol' military industrial complex but in a consumer electronics sense. Companies are competing and innovating, and we have to thank Apple for much of that. In the end we are the people who will benefit, with lower cost devies and better software. Even the carriers are attacking each other now on prices for the best 3G network (VZW & ATT).