not worth the legal hassle
That's not the Steve Jobs I read about. Like him or not, he was a man of principle.
He was also pragmatic enough to pick the right battles. That,s a prerequisite for success in any business.
Again, not the Steve Jobs I've read about.
Having your factory retool weeks before you launch an unproven product because you don't like the glass? Not very pragmatic.
I think pushing your suppliers hard to correct a serious flaw in a key product is pragmatic.
"serious flaw" == hyperbole
I think the lesson of Apple's recent success is that such things matter.
Principles must have come to him later in life because I'm sure his first daughter would have something to say about that.
Being principled does not necessarily mean they are principles you agree with!
I suppose that's true.
I can imagine that U.S. companies wouldn't do anything, but European companies would be much more motivated for transition. As we speak, the top managers in Europe do try to find an alternative and everybody likes the easy way out. At the moment, baring some other potential compromising evidence, Apple would be such a way was it not on the Prism slide. Transitioning to big the powerful non-compromised Apple would be probably valued as less pain than transitioning to your in-company-made Linux distribution.
Barely any change at all, I'd bet. And not worth the legal hassle they could have been up against if it came to a knock-down, drag-out battle with the US Government over <spins the dial>.