Comment by libertymcateer

Apple is not vertically integrated - Wikipedia entries to the contrary notwithstanding. It is a grossly inaccurate statement. Up until very recently, Apple didn't own a single factory - how can one possibly claim that they are vertically integrated if they don't own their own means of production?

Apple is a fantastically successful software and industrial design company. The vast majority of their production is outsourced. This is not vertical integration.

Additionally, actually, Apple has tremendous amounts of hugely successful and popular software.

Though I dig the underlying point of this article, that product management is hard, I think the examples are less than good.