Daniel Eran Dilger on the two waring ideologies behind Google and Apple:

Apple is all about micropayments, voting with your dollars, while Google is all about finding a sponsor to subsidize your services. This results in premium-oriented buyers flocking to Apple (explaining why the company sells the vast majority of all PCs over $1000) and why the freetards can’t stop defending Google, even when its really doing something bad. Sides have been picked, the war is on, and it really all has nothing to do with Apple’s products or Google’s offerings. It’s the division of freetards and those who want to drop cash on things that they deem worth it.

Never looked at it that way, but he’s right. Microsoft will never disappear, but they are certainly on a downhill slope. Google will fill that gap with “good enough” adware. Apple will continue to expand and sell the premium for those of use who are persnickety regarding our technology.