The above is a fascinating post over at Quora with regards to what Apple can do with it's massive stockpile of cash. The anonymous author talks about Apple's strategic investments in manufacturing facilities and how those investments have translated into Apple receiving access to critical pieces of the supply chain for the production of various Apple products. This control over critical components has helped give Apple a literal head start over the competition. For example, Apple's investment in LED screens helped them corner the supply such that other companies couldn't access the same technology for their LED screen needs. Apple literally dominated the market for that technology. Well worth the read.