I think there's some connection between your comment: For example, if outside developers had more capability to explore different ways... ...and these 2 sente

I think there's some connection between your comment: For example, if outside developers had more capability to explore different ways... ...and these 2 sentences from the article: For the sake of this argument, let’s posit that there exist tens of millions — perhaps 100 million — users who love the iPad for what it is. People who feel empowered, not hamstrung, by how it works, and who have no or very little need for a computer that exposes the complexity of a desktop OS like MacOS or Windows. And that there exist tens of millions more people who enjoy having an iPad to complement, not replace, their desktop computer. If someone did come up with an iPad competitor that had all of the ease of use, UX simplicity, and ecosystem benefits, but also better enabled power users with something nearer a desktop replacement, then this would simply kill the iPad. The fact that Apple seems reticent to do this themselves, indicates that there is a kind of organizational blind spot there, driven by self interest. Either that, or there are typical Apple long term plans that we're not fully aware of, and they're taking their own sweet time.