Microsoft to file antitrust charges against Google, LOL!
What a difference a decade makes. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Microsoft will file antitrust charges against Google in Brussels today. Just about a decade ago circumstances were reversed as Microsoft was the 800-pound gorilla in the operating system world. Today Google is the monster of search and all things related to [...]
What is the iPhone’s Market Share?
After my last post on the iPhone, there are still a lot of people arguing that Apple doesn’t have nearly the market share of a monopolist. I’ll get to that, but first, there are also a fair number of fans who are hurt that Apple may in some way be “penalized” or taken to task for [...]
Is the iPhone a Monopoly or Not?
In the Flash Wars between Apple and Adobe, many commentators have said that there is no anti-trust case because iPhone only has a 25% share. Larry Dignan has written along those lines, for example. Yet, I have to ask, a 25% share of what? What is this market definition that they only have 25% of? [...]
Apple, Adobe, Punctuated Equilibrium, and Commoditization
Lots of kerfluffle around Apple’s refusal and downright blocking of Flash on its platforms. Developers like John Gruber are stating the obvious in explaining why Apple is behaving this way. Techcrunch is piling on, since Steve Jobs is referring people to Gruber. BFD, I explained all this years ago and in more than one post. It [...]
Travel Tuesday: The Supply Risk of Market Consolidation and Air Travel – US Airways and United
As I got ready for a trip to Philadelphia this week and investigated my travel options, three choices emerged with any regular frequency — United, US Airways and Southwest. All the tickets, about a week in advance, were about $500 and change, or roughly 2X what I’ve paid in the not-so-distant past (a sign certain [...]
The economics of Google Reader, and the $250K Mac
This post from Austin Frakt at The Incidental Economist looks at the producer and consumer surplus of Google Reader, and makes an important point (albeit using made-up numbers) about how value can be created on both sides of a transaction, even for a f…
