Apple might be on to something...

Before I get to the link, let me get into a debate I have been having with myself, often at the expense of those around me...

Apple has done an amazing thing with the iPhone/iPod touch, by making a device that is just amazingly intuitive, with amazing hardware, software, and a fan base that will never let it fail.   They continued that success with a great app store, which allows a person to expand the functionality of their already amazing phone.   They then carried those inovations, and many others into the iPad.  

Poor naming aside, I think the iPad is an amazing product for a select group of people.   Finally, students and profesionals can find a home in the Apple sub-notebook environment (I am including handhelds in that catagory for the purposes of this discussion).   The iPad trully is better than a netbook in every way that it was designed.

My conclusion here is that Apple has built a device that is trully amazing.  It seems to be the perfect combination of software and hardware.   Finally, what makes it such is the wild success of the app store.

However, Apple is very tyranical in how they run the app store.   Sure, they want to make sure all the software in their store works to their standards and maintains their philosophies.   To that end, they are entitled.   On the other hand, there are those of us that want to be able to install anything we want, and Apple won't allow us to.   We must resort to jailbreaking to get back the control Apple has taken.

This brings me to the article.   Steve Jobs is right, Apple has the right to make any mandates on their store that they feel is correct.   Ryan Tate is ALSO correct in that users deserve the right to run software they want, weather it meets Apple's standards or not;  Further, developers deserve the right to market to those who do not share Apple's beliefs.  And thus is the debate...

The debate might be a small one on a device like the iPhone or iPad.   They are, afterall, merely advanced handheld devices.   No one expects anything more than what's in Apple's walled garden.   However, rumor has it that some future version of Mac OS will have a similar App Store.   And I have to say that I agree such a move is likely.  

The App store is brilliant for most of the people out there.   It provides easy, one stop access to all the available software titles, and it keeps them up to date easily, forever.   Linux distrobutions have software management systems that are similar to that end, and I defend them tooth and nail.   The entire system is simply brilliant.  

However, where Apple's app store diverges from the software management systems on Linux is simple, but vitally important:   Even though a linux distribution has it's own repositories, with the software they have tested and recommend, it is still possible to add OTHER software sources.   Apple has their source, and that is it.  

I can't morally suggest that Apple should release the control they have over the app store.   It provides a great solution for the mass majority of the people who use their devices, and it keeps all software on the device up to date.   But before I can endorse further advancement of the App store into the mac world, I have to see the ability to add other sources.  I would be happy if it was hidden, difficult to enable, and came with a warning that says "Adding other sources is not recommended, and may give you access to software that may void your warranty, please proceed at your own risk"...  As long as it IS there, and it is official.  

This is the solution I envision to the debate that Mr Jobs and Mr Tate had in that email thread, and if they hope to release the app store to full sized computers, I suggest that it is the ONLY solution that will save Apple.   

I only hope that if ANY system gets an app store with third party repositories, that they ALL do.