Are Apple's business practices a good thing?

Apple insists on total control over it’s hardware and software. Some calm that that is one of their strengths and what makes their products superior to everything else.

But their App Store’s policies are forcing companies out of business and may lead to other problems that may wind up hurting consumers, and possibly even Apple in the long run.

So what I want to know is this; how long can Apple keep operating like this? I’ve seen them do some odd things over the years, but I have also seen them change direction a few times. How long can they go in their current direction without either killing the market, alienating developers, or just cutting their own throats?