GNUStep's Objective-C framework makes it easy to port desktop apps written in Obj-C over to other systems, and includes newer features like ARC, so I wouldn't s

GNUStep's Objective-C framework makes it easy to port desktop apps written in Obj-C over to other systems, and includes newer features like ARC, so I wouldn't say Obj-C locks you into AppleLand at all, at least for desktop apps. From a slightly different angle, I personally think Obj-C is a very neat alternative to C++, and that it would flourish outside of the context of Apple's frameworks if more folks started to use it as such. While I'm happy that iOS development will be a little less difficult now thanks to Swift, it makes me sad to think that Obj-C might not get as much attention from newer developers who like the way the language extends C with Smalltalk-style OO and message passing.