The default search on the default browser on the default operating system on every PC...
... is not Google. Yes they have the mobile market mostly stitched up, but that happened long after they were established as far-and-away the best search option.
What do you imagine will happen if Apple are forced to stop accepting Google's placement coin for search defaults? I'd expect that the _only_ effect will be that apple has to raise that extra revenue elsewhere, by putting up their prices: almost everyone will choose Google themselves, given the choice, because the alternatives are worse.
Worst outcome, I expect, will be the death of Firefox, which lives entirely on the income of that default search placement.
I remember the days of Yahoo! curated links and AltaVista. I'll choose Google any day.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
