Prediction: Apple will eventually dominate the tech industry

So you've probably been told by numerous Apple zealots that their favorite company is the greatest in the world. And while they're all wrong for believing it, their company will eventually become the most dominant in the tech industry. Sorry to break it to you, but it's true.

So why will that happen? Believe it or not, it's not the stretch some may think it is. Let's face it -- Microsoft dominated the industry for years through sheer power and control along with a little business know-how thrown in. And although some like to believe that Bill Gates and company walked in one day and took the industry over, it didn't happen that way. Instead, it took years and a slew of deals to propel Microsoft to the top -- something Apple is working on now.

Now I know what you're saying -- "will this be an Apple fanboy rant about the wonders of Steve Jobs?" Hardly. The fact of the matter is Apple is poised to become the most powerful company in technology and along the way it'll definitely court its share of individuals who will despise its every move. And let's face it -- a company doesn't become the most dominant by being the nicest on the block.

An interesting study was recently conducted by Morgan Stanley. The investment firm surveyed US college students to see what their plans were after graduation and what computer they planned on buying. Amazingly, almost 40 percent of those surveyed said they would buy a Mac.

And while some would scoff and say that that means Windows will have a 60 percent market share, they should first consult the numbers. As it stands, Apple only commands about 15 percent of the higher education demographic, but now that 40 percent are ready and willing to buy a Mac, that statistic has been dropped on its head. Aside from that, Macs have become the computer of choice for college students and have supplanted Dell as the most popular brand.

What does that say about the future of the computing market? Sure, Windows machines are still more popular in other demographics, but if 40 percent of the world's next leaders leave college and decide to enter the world of Mac, how much longer can we expect Microsoft to maintain its stranglehold on the industry?

Aside from that, Macs are gaining ground each month and although Apple still commands an extremely small portion of the worldwide market --about 3 percent -- things may change sooner than you think.

But let's not forget that Apple is a multi-faceted company. Instead of selling just Macs, Apple is the worldwide leader in the MP3 player market, has an extremely popular smartphone, is the world's second largest music retailer and is well on its way to becoming the largest.

Knowing that, Apple is very much in the driver's seat as it enters the next decade. Sure, quite a few things can happen between then and now, but Apple's position in the market is second to none.

So far, Apple is widely considered to be the "cool" brand that offers the best looking computers, the best music players, the slickest cell phone and a great library of songs, movies and podcasts on its iTunes store. In essence, it controls your entertainment and communication.

But it looks like it's not done yet. Now that the Apple TV has inched its way into relevance, the company may be able to control almost everything you do in the home and out on the town. If it can, what more can it dominate?

Going forward, there's no debating the fact that Google will control the online world and Microsoft will slowly sink into irrelevance while it brings in its $1 billion per quarter. But in the consumer division where hardware still reigns supreme, I simply don't see any company competing with Apple.

Of course, Apple's dominance won't come over night and chances are, it probably won't happen for a few years, but rest assured that the chances of any other company supplanting Apple as the heir apparent to the tech throne are slim. If anything, look for Google to control the online world and Apple to control hardware and entertainment.