I suppose Apple at the time was assuming that people would just craft web apps. Except that the web of the time wasn't ready and they were forced to open up to

I suppose Apple at the time was assuming that people would just craft web apps. Except that the web of the time wasn't ready and they were forced to open up to be viable (there were half a dozen phones out at the time that could surf the web for less than the $500 Apple original charged for the iPhone). > From where I sit, they gave an inch, and the peanut gallery is demanding a mile. I think Apple would have been better served following a model more closely in line with video game consoles. Instead they tried for a hybrid open platform/licensed developer model (with centralized distribution of the channel). It's a very interesting approach that seems to have worked in terms of developing a large volume of apps and a robust ecosystem of development tools. But it's always seemed to me that what they really wanted was a Nintendo model, because that's how they seem to be behaving. I'm wondering how much Job's distaste for the gaming market figured into the current hybrid model rather than just doing a console licensing model from the start. Not many people complain too loudly about the centralized distribution platform (Nintendo only cartridges), it seems to work pretty well. And until recently, nobody really complained about developing for the platform outside of the app approval process being irreparably broken, but that's not too different from the console model either (Nintendo Seal of Quality). Other things are representative of the console model, profit sharing (licensing costs), by saying "you must use this tool chain" it's not any different then having to use a certain dev kit and starts down the path of approving certain 3rd party development houses for the platforms instead of any ol' body. All Apple has to do is check that last box and they've pretty much managed to recreate the Nintendo licensing model from the 80's and 90's. I'm not saying it's bad, it was extremely profitable for Nintendo, kept the quality reasonably high (unlicensed games for the NES pretty much blow donkey balls). It's just that they should call the model they are using the model they are using. Maybe they are, but most developers seem to be under the mindset that Apple is not following this model and that there is some hope that if they just pull enough the other way, the iP* platforms will open up like Androids.