Apple lawsuit claims that the company, founded by Steve Jobs, is akin to “Hotel California” where you can check out but never truly leave.

At the center of Thursday’s major US lawsuit against Apple lies the various tactics the company employs to ensure customer loyalty, whether it be through a “walled garden” or an ecosystem.

– Apple vs. PC –

Early in its nearly half-century history, Apple decided that its products should stand out on their own and not be bundled with other companies’ products.

While fans touted its better design and easier interface, Apple’s computers often attracted PC users who equated its products with technical straitjackets, denying users the flexibility to add software and features as they wished.

This ethos never left Apple and speaks volumes for the accusations leveled against Apple: The company Steve Jobs built is like Hotel California, you can check out but you can never leave.

– OS or nothing –

For Apple, hardware is always the center of its universe, and before the iPhone, the pole star was a Mac computer that didn’t run Microsoft’s world-dominating Windows operating system or use a mouse that wasn’t made by Apple.

Apple’s software is designed specifically for its devices and is intended to provide seamless integration. You are simply not allowed to use any operating system other than Apple’s operating system on Apple devices. These two are like one.

The world of Apple often draws comparisons to luxury products rather than technology. To stay in this universe you have to pay a premium and discounts are rare.

– The garden grows –

With the iPhone revolution, which made Apple one of the most profitable companies in history, the ecosystem only grew.

In 2012, headphones only required Apple’s lightning cable, no longer the audio jack that had worked well since the arrival of the Sony Walkman. Apple’s old chargers also became obsolete.

And while you can easily share media and files between iPhones, sharing between iPhone and Android is much more complicated.

Apple’s ecosystem now extends beyond hardware products to include services like iCloud, Apple Music and the App Store — and it’s here that the company has run into hot water with regulators.

Companies like Spotify, Meta and Fortnite creator Epic Games accuse Apple of hindering their growth on the iPhone, as the smartphone is now where most consumer computing happens.

– Changing is never easy –

There’s no doubt that iPhones work well with other Apple devices like Macs and Apple TV.

And according to the company’s estimators, the deeper users integrate into Apple’s ecosystem, the harder it is to switch to competing products or services from other companies.

Switching from an iPhone becomes a bit like losing your wallet: a big hassle that requires heavy reprogramming, new accessories, and a new way to learn how to use your pocket computer.

Give up the iPhone and you’ll have to give up the Apple Watch or accept a world where AirPods are dim, less reliable, and your TV might miss an important update.

This “lock-in effect” is the main point of the US case against Apple – the iPhone maker is blocking exits to raise prices for customers who feel they can’t go anywhere else.

– Danger lurks –

Apple says its universe is part of the company’s unique appeal to consumers who want the reliability, security and ease that a beautifully designed closed system can provide.

For example, the Android world is much more disruptive and prone to malware and bugs, Apple friends claim.

The fees charged to developers and companies are a fair cost of access to this Apple universe, the company says.