If you want to deploy and iOS app, then you definitely have to. So long as Apple is vertically integrated from hardware to OS to marketplace and it's a 100% walled garden, they will effectively be charging developers a tax to do anything. The fact that they charge a tax on top of all that is what I take offense to. Especially since Google lets anyone make Android phones, lets you develop on any platform and install from any source. And access to publish to their app store is a one-time fee of $25.