Today's computer marketplace has many diverse driving forces. Innovation, manufacturing and consumer desires all have their place in the scheme of things.
Computer companies are in it for the money.
And we mean money as opposed to profit, because the profit margins of today are nowhere near the dizzying heights they attained in the late 1980's so therefor money, in volume, is the key to success. It really boils down to how many products a manufacturer has to sell to stay in business. These days, that number keeps increasing, which is why you see a lot of companies merging or disappearing all together. The markets continue to grow and manufacturers keep selling more product, but the margins have been so eroded that many companies must grow just to keep their doors open. It's an old adage that you sell the sizzle and not the steak, and that is surely the case today.