Read your iTunes agreement. I think you will find that they already have this.

Apple unofficially accepts responsibility for the AppStore apps. They don't vouch for their quality per se, but they do vouch for the fact that they won't wreck your phone.

The same can't be said for apps on an open platform.

Hackers love open platforms but users flee them because the experience is painful.

Very well said. The developers the app store is designed for are the boring, careful, professional developers who create polished, shiny, dependable apps. And that's what most users want. They want freedom from fear -- freedom to search the App Store and download whatever they find without without worrying about their level of sophistication. They want Disneyland, not a bazaar in Cairo. They want new Times Square, not old Times Square.

As a matter of pride, developers and early adopters refuse to acknowledge this factor. They pride themselves on their savoir faire and their ability to safely navigate an uncontrolled software ecosystem. The image of Apple users is carefree, self-assured, and adventuresome, and consumers can't feel that way in a place that is wild and unpredictable. They need Disneyland.

Apple can continue to charge their 30% cut, they can still be the only gateway to get apps... but at the very least you can submit things and have them available to your users immediately.

From my POV the easiest fix for a situation where lots of dumbass things are being done is simply for people -- in this case, Apple -- to just STOP doing those dumbass things.

Duh! (<-- hyper-intellectual argument I know)

Reminds me of an old Bob Newhart comedy routine about a rather blunt psychotherapist. His patients would come to him and whine about some bad habit they had, etc. And they would ask him, "Doctor, what should I do?"

He would think for a bit and then raise his hand with a friendly smile and say, "Stop it."

The patient: "What?"

Doctor: "Stop it. Stop doing that."

"Uh, I don't understand. Should I---"

"Ok maybe I'm not making myself clear. Sometimes that happens. So I'm going to say this again, very carefully, and I need you to pay attention."

"Yes, Doctor. Go ahead."

Then he would get up and yell, "STOP ITTTTTT! JUST STOP!"

Then hand them the bill and say the session was over.

I would think the same thing would be true for apps. Many users would continue to use the App Store because of the convenience and the added trust that their verication process provides.

Re: the impact on Apple's brand, see the original article for reasons why the current model doesn't ensure quality.

Apple's incentive is long term viability of the platform. Can they make money indefinitely while alienating developers?

They make money off selling the phone. That apps sells the phone, not the other way around.