I didn't figure you would find it ridiculous, but I think looking at the expectations most people have of devices that are just as much computers but don't look

I didn't figure you would find it ridiculous, but I think looking at the expectations most people have of devices that are just as much computers but don't look as much like computers is instructive. I'm sure (a) would be feasible in the way you describe, or some other. I see the problem as (b) and that would trump (a). The place where I differ with all the people saying Apple is so evil/closed/whatever is that I've seen Apple, from the beginning as far as I can tell, be obsessive about their reputation. And it’s hurt them along the way. It may end up hurting them in the end. But I’ve also seen Windows get a bad rap for things that weren’t actually their fault. That’s the cost of being so open and unless Google does a lot of testing they are going to feel this pain on Android at some point (unless it just never gets enough users).