I hardly think Apple can be considered to have cornered the PC market, Steve :-)
That said, to me, it is simple. If someone makes a product I believe they have a right to sell it on their terms. If the terms suck, the market won't buy it (really, there's NO way you can contend that Apple has a monopoly on the PC side of things, so that doesn't come into it).
Leaving aside my opinion, the matter of whether a EULA can be enforced or not is not 100% clear in general terms (each needs to be reviewed and even then it's not going to be 100% clear). On that basis, if you consider business management as an exercise in risk management (and you should) then risking the potential impact on your reputation, (because let's be honest, Apple isn't going to sue you), due to someone pointing out that you're happy to breach an agreement, isn't worth it. There's nothing OS X can do on a hackintosh compared to Windows or OS X on a Mac that brings that risk weighting to an acceptable level. It's just bad for merchants of IP to disrespect the wishes of other merchants of IP with regard to how you handle their IP.
Don't like it? Don't buy it. Want something more? Tell them. They won't produce it? Get something else or make do.
Enjoy Thailand - my meeting was pretty mundane - hate it when work interferes :-)
1. Either was Microsoft corning a PC market, they were restricting the growth of private vendors on their specific platform. The anti-trust rulings are standard case law exercises in MBA courses and are interesting enough even for private individuals to read.
2. Well.. if you simplify something too much you risk creating an environment where discussion of any type is discouraged. Discourage discussion and you discourage growth and innovation. For all we know Apple is about to do something smart and bring "OSx For PC's Version 1" to market.. that would never happen without these types of discussions.
3. I'm don't think most people really understand risk management as it relates to actually running a business and the growth of that business. With that considered, most would be shocked to learn that Apple (and Microsoft) have broken more EULA's, copyrights, patents, and contracts than we could hope to break in 100 lifetimes as small business owners. They don't choose to do or not do something based on ethics or right/wrong.. they do it based on their chances of getting away with it for an anticipated period of time during which they hope to achieve benefits such as actual profit, market share, name recognition, and more.
Okay, I'll be honest.. seems no one else is going to say it. Apple and Microsoft are the financial pirates of modern times who spend more time in courtrooms than the boardrooms. They've perfected the fine art of 'skinning' the last layer of profit. They're also perfected brand loyalty (brainwashing) to the point where the customers they rip off, actually defend their own antics as a side benefit.
Ethics are pie in the sky nice.. but most have an ideal notion of what ethics are really about gleaned from Sesame Street and/or Mr. Rogers neighborhood. I suspect most business professors keep a defib hidden out of sight during their ethics lectures lest someone goes into cardiac arrest after learning the nice guy driving the ice cream truck was actually harvesting body parts from living recipients.. Maybe I'm over doing it a bit.. but probably not. Ask anyone who's taken an actual ethics class.
4. I think we all try to do that at a base level, but as consumers we have a responsibility to ourselves and our chosen brands to provide more feedback.
5. Thanks. Surprisingly it's much the same as when I left it last year..
As soon as my internal clock catches up with my stomach I'll get to work..