Separate the hardware from the software. The devices:phones or consoles, as hardware ARE general purpose computing capable. The software limitations is where t

Separate the hardware from the software. The devices:phones or consoles, as hardware ARE general purpose computing capable. The software limitations is where the arbitrary restrictions come in. But as you say there is no legal requirement for "user-installable apps". But there ARE laws about anti-competitive behaviour. Whether they apply? The courts will decide soon I guess. I can see it from the point where Apple makes Apps and yet also profits from their competitors Apps. Mind you, I can also see a reasoning that by keeping an App in the market Apple can set a base minimum for quality, hence setting a floor for the experience for end users. But they could do that via their gatekeeping anyway too...