> We love to complain about Apple, but I don’t see many old timer Mac users now extolling the virtues of Windows.

This might be true, but macOS in general is not what made Apple one of the largest companies on the planet.

That's not about complaining, it's about correlation and causation. It's like saying Apple's Wi-Fi routers must be the best because Apple became one of the largest companies on the planet.

I'd say without the iOS ecosystem they would be a well-respected company in the premium tier of their industry, like Dyson or B&O.