This is just ludicrous:
> Microsoft may have destroyed Netscape, and Digital Research, and dozens of other companies, with illegal abuse of their monopoly powers. But nothing they did threatened to bring the industry to a shuddering halt, ceasing all development of new and better ways of doing things. Microsoft never made Haskell illegal.
Yes, they strongarmed every OEM within an inch of their lives -- and they actually stifled competition -- meanwhile Apple just won't let you crosscompile apps for their phone.
Yikes.
No arrow keys on the first Mac KB. No Floppy in the iMac. No BluRay now.
Again, Apple is ok with using power to leave off features that they don't 'see' the point of. Microsoft is ok with using power to leave off competition.
Google Voice / Android is Google gunning for Apple [1]. You've got the roles reversed.
[1] http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=531...
All you young people crying "monopoly!" and "anti-competitive practices!" could really use a dose of history.
Just like a blogger removing your comments is not censorship; just like Apple refusing your app is not censorship; Apple refusing to accept cross-compiled apps is not censorship, anti-competitive, or monopolistic.
Apple does not have a monopoly.
There are many, many other smart phones you can use and develop for. Apple does not control them at all, in any way, and has no agreements with their manufacturers. Apple has no exclusivity agreements with telcos, either, as to which phones the telcos will sell in addition to the iPhone.
Apple has nothing to do with twisting the arms of third-party companies who sell computers. There is no illegal monopolistic action going on, like charging OEMs for Windows licenses per computer sold - regardless of whether Windows is loaded on the device. Safari can easily be deleted and replaced with any browser you like on the Mac.
If you want to look at a company that is gunning for Microsoft-type monopoly, look at Google with their Android and their questionable licensing scheme for OEMs.
Blocking programming languages is not the same thing as blocking a competing browser.
Apple does not have a product that competes with Flash in the world. They are only disallowing it on their platform. That is their prerogative, and completely legal and ethical in every way considerable.
Furthermore, Apple and Adobe do not compete head-to-head on the products in question. Don't tell me "They would compete if you could use Flash apps on the iPhone!" because that argument holds no water at all. You'd still be using the iPhone, is the point.
If you don't like it, you are free to vote with your wallet and your code. Develop for Palm Pre. Develop for Windows Mobile. Develop for whatever the hell Blackberry runs. Develop for Android. Or how about Symbian?
Did I miss any?
This choice, by the way, is how you can tell it's not a monopoly.
Just because you WANT in, on your terms, and Apple says no, doesn't make it a monopoly. Just because it inconveniences you doesn't make it wrong. And just because it's happening to you doesn't make it important.