On its 18th birthday, Google is more indispensable than ever

I’ve been thinking lately about how easy it is to live without Apple products. Sure, they’re the best in the world in each category Apple competes in, but unless you’re already locked into the Cupertino ecosystem, they’re honestly optional technology. You can listen to music on the move, play movies in bed, take your office on the road with you, and concentrate your entire life into a smartphone all without an iPod, iPad, MacBook, or iPhone. There are alternatives. Not so