My understanding is that Android apps are sandboxed (a la Java or Flash applets) and need to request permissions for sensitive operations. This may help prevent obvious abuses and allow carriers to restrict problematic operations post-launch.

And Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and Palm devices (and PCs) allow users to install arbitrary applications that they get off the internet, and their world has not collapsed yet. The Android Market might even be considered an improvement over these software ecosystems because it provides a de facto central location for flagging problem apps.

Almost every phone on the market besides the iPhone can run an app without walled garden approval. I think it will be OK. I don't want my desktop apps being filtered any more than I want my mobile apps to be filtered.

disagree because i've heard many reasons why apps are being declined outside of the complaints of nazi-ism that hit the wire. a number of apps have caused significant problems for iphone testers, and thus problems for Apple customer service (bottom line) on supporting user-created issues. It's easier to put a filter on it before hand... and scale up as the base software improves.

AAPL is positioned to be a barrier from the headaches of open computing. And that's what I love about them.

A filter for their store is not objectionable. My objection is that they require all apps to go through their store. It should be like Mac apps and anyone could make one (and distribute it), but not anyone gets listed on Apple's downloads page.

If Apple or Microsoft tried to pull this shit on the desktop they would be massacred. I would stop using OS X immediately.