It's strange that ms got busted partly for their handling of internet explorer, but at least on windows there was never any restrictions on what 3rd party software was allowed and no obligation to pay Microsoft a 30% tax on sales. Meanwhile Apple has 50 pages of App Store Review guidelines, routinely rejects apps for political reasons. And collects taxes on everything.
In the 90's Windows had > 90% marketshare of the desktop market and Internet Explorer had > 90% browser marketshare. Globally, iOS is < 25% marketshare. So while Apple holds an app store monopoly on their own phone, you have a comparable alternatives available. Microsoft lost because, "The Court has already found, based on the evidence in this record, that there are currently no products - and that there are not likely to be any in the near future - that a significant percentage of computer users worldwide could substitute for Intel-compatible PC operating systems without incurring substantial costs." In retrospect, that looks questionable, but at the time Windows dominance looked pretty unstoppable.
Microsoft suits were not global. There is no global government. In the USA Apple is 50% +/- 5% in Mobile. Samsung is #2 at 24%, Lg 6%, Motorola 4%
On top of which Microsoft suit specifically calls out "Intel compatible PC operating systems"
From the ruling
> The District Court determined that Microsoft had maintained a monopoly in the market for Intel compatible PC operating systems in violation of 2; attempted to gain a monopoly in the market for internet browsers in violation of 2; and illegally tied two purportedly separate products, Windows and Internet Explorer ("IE"), in violation of 1.
In other words, Apple's market on Power PC machines at the time was not even taken into consideration.
Using the same logic we Apple has 100% market share on A-series based processors. ARM is not hardware it's a spec that any company can build hardware around and Apple is building their own.
Apple dictate the browser engine to 1.3billion devices. They use that monopoly to force browser standards since by disallowing browser engine competition on iOS they are able to lord those 1.3billion users over the any standard they want/don't want since other browsers are iOS are not allowed to provide their own engines and therefore can't support newer standards and so Apple prevents and real competition in browsers on iOS.
Similar issues are coming up with Apple being the only store and only way to get software on iOS. Those issues are in the courts now in both the USA and EU.
On top of which Microsoft suit specifically calls out "Intel compatible PC operating systems"
They are talking about Companies like Dell, Gateway, Compaq, HP, who made intel hardware. What choices did those companies have for an OS for their computers? Windows effectively had a 100% monopoly. They aren't talking about consumer alternatives, where you could by a Mac.
55% isn't a monopoly, Android is a very good substitute, so not really comparable to the 90s where you needed a desktop and Office to get work done and Windows controlled 90-95% of the market.
Maybe because some people on HN don't like to be reminded that their bias against Apple doesn't play out in what the law actually states about monopolies, and the factual market across the globe.
