Apple also made their own operating system, their own programming language, their own external connectors, etc. Have their competitors followed their lead in becoming more vertically integrated in any other way? I’m not really seeing it.
This wouldn’t be the first time Apple used a non-x86 chip in the Mac. Nobody followed them last time.
Yet most things they did weren't original. macOS was mostly made from bits of BSD. Apple's CPUs rely on ARM and in the beginning they were designed with the help of Samsung.
They are mainly polishing things.
>Nobody followed them last time.
Breaking compatibility with software and operating systems and hardware is bad for the consumer.
With x86 I can run any software I need and I can optimize for cost and performance. I can use diverse CPUs, use graphic cards, memory chips, cases, PSUs, SSDs and HDDs from different makers at different price points and performance points.
I can hit exactly the sweet point I need to. And if something breaks, it won't be hard to replace.
This wouldn’t be the first time Apple used a non-x86 chip in the Mac. Nobody followed them last time.