When it comes down to their ‘us vs. the world’ patent-battle, Apple seems to be unable to do any wrong (or so it seems based upon how the courts around the world have pretty consistently ruled in their favor).
Fast forward: let’s say (for purely hypothetical reasons) Apple did / does actually win all of their lawsuits and they shut-out all of their competition from releasing their (smartphone / tablet, etc.) products for commercial sale. Towards that end; art would essentially imitate life in and as far as their 1984 ad (as we’d be dealing with a mono-technological experience akin to what they were bashing Microsoft about / for). Granted, it is just a thought (however, far-fetched) yet; Apple (like every other company is no different in that they too want to be in control of what’s available for / to the general public). And, no matter how ‘cool’ their products are now (or they will be in the near future… which longer-term has been called into question in light of Steve Jobs’ death) that would just be ‘uncool.’
(Source) The Register UK: http://goo.gl/IXyiU