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I don't think he was using the term Death Star to connote evil (or anything like that). He was using it to connote 'Awesomely powerful', which, looking at all of the data he provided in the article, is quite apt.
The article is commentary, and the point of it is to illustrate just how astonishing what Apple has achieved is in the business landscape. I think you mistook the tone of the article. The author is obviously a very impressed fan of Apple and what it has accomplished. Words like 'stole' don't have moral connotations for business people taking in terms of market share, and shouldn't be taken to imply morality or invite judgment. Paul Kedrosky is actually one of the most creative-minded data-driven writers on finance & markets imo. I've read his blog, Infectious Greed, for a while now.