A recent article details How Google Is ‘Closed’, Just Like Apple I have to disagree. They may both have aspects that are closed, but they are definitely not ‘just like’ each other. Apple sells a product that is closed, Google sells a service that is closed. The difference is crucial, and should be obvious to anyone who has taken business 101. Some companies make money on a product some on a service. A closed service is nothing new, and doesn’t offend me (though it may entrap me). A closed product is a new concept. It is offensive because it restricts me in new ways that I am not accustomed to evidenced by new laws that have to be created to enforce the restrictions. I would add that if these restrictions actually were justifiable we wouldn’t need new laws to enforce them and thus wouldn’t feel offended. Apple has plenty of closed services as well by the way, so they may qualify as doubly closed, or maybe closed squared?
2020 update
Closed services that are also monopolies have their own unique terrible-ness. I did not anticipate this was where the internet was headed when I wrote this post originally, but maybe I should have as it was well on its way by then.