Apple doesn't support aspects of the product they don't want to support. Consumers get what they want from another business. That business gets, well, business. Sounds like win/win/win!
Well it's easy to forget though, that Apple used to have a long running policy of not allowing any apps that compete with built in software. They've softened on that, but it's still often the case that third party software on Apple devices is very much second class citizens. I'm a relatively happy Apple user, but there's a lot of software they provide that is imo awful, but can't reasonably be substituted (I'm glaring at you, iTunes). So I don't think you can really argue what Apple does is a win for for customers.
I don't know about "rapidly". From what I can tell, there is a committed bunch of us who will carry on as long as our devices continue to work. Just because they're no longer being sold, doesn't mean they don't continue to be used. The demand for a relatively cheap high-capacity portable music player hasn't just disappeared into thin air.
The bad actor is the company whose product grows too wide for them to support. Trimming back is a good actor.
Apple is a bad actor for letting iTunes become a bloated piece of shit. They'd be a good actor if they cut all the crap and released a new product, or products, with fewer features but more focus.
> The bad actor is the company whose product grows too wide for them to support. Trimming back is a good actor
You're reframing the argument in an Apple-friendly way. Screaming isn't a sign of a win, it's a sign that Apple doesn't know what to trim ahead of time - that is in no way a win for the customer.
Sounds like a reasonable method to ensure you focus on the 5% that's most imortant. http://venturebeat.com/2016/01/05/evernotes-5-problem-offers...