In the 1980s, Apple earned loyal followers and accolades for its innovative product lines& but found itself outpaced by Microsoft, which embraced a strategy of negotiating with manufacturers to port Windows onto their machines. By the time Apple decided to clone its OS out to other manufacturers, it was too late. When Steve Jobs returned to his company as CEO in the ’90s, he immediately killed the cloning program and instituted a philosophy of tight control over Apple’s hardware and software products. As a result, Apple may be facing its ’80s nightmare all over again. The iPhone 4 shows off Apple’s devotion to well-engineered hardware and software, but the company’s refusal to license its OS to other smartphone manufacturers may prove detrimental, with Google taking a page from Microsoft and opening its own Android OS to a variety of device manufacturers. As Android gains users, can the iPhone maintain its strong position with consumers and businesses? – …