I'm not sure why he's so surprised that the iPhone is "closed platform". All of Apple's products are on a "closed platform". You have to use thier operating system (unless you really know what you're doing) on the iMac. You can't take you're iTunes purchases to any other portable player than an iPod.

And you have to use Windows on a PC, unless you really know what you're doing. (And, in fact, I don't really know what I'm doing and found it easy to install Windows on my Mac).

Truth is, anybody can write software for a Mac, they don't need Apple's permission. And while I can't play MicroSoft's favorite music formats on my iPod, I can play any mp3 file from any source, including any CD I rip and andy music sold by eMusic.

PalmOS and WindowsMobile devices allow any developer to write code for the platform and to have that code downloaded to the device.

While on one hand this means that someone can potentially send you an attachement that is a virus that kills your mobile device/phone, it also means that there are 1/2 dozen chess programs out there for both devices. In fact Microsoft and Palm go out of their way to make it easier to write code for these devices. In Microsoft's case they do this by allowing desktop apps that have been written for .NET Compact Framework, to run on the PocketPc even though the processors are different.

Apple has announced that there is no mechanism for building 3rd party applications for the iPhone. None, zip, as in nada, as in zero.

IOW the only two organizations that can build and deploy applications on the iPhone are Apple and Wireless From AT&T (note that isn't the same as ATT Wireless). THAT is what makes it a 'closed' platform. Just like Nintendo or Microsoft Xbox, any application has to first be blessed and authorized by Apple before it can appear on the iPhone. And currently Apple has not published any official mechanism for how to even approach Apple Inc to get this sort of blessing.

But Microsoft doesn't make you buy thier hardware as well as thier OS.

And so what? You're free to NOT buy a Mac or an iPod or iPhone. Apparently all three in your case.

Hmmm, a little information about development for the mac and for the PC. 1. Apple includes a software development kit for the mac with every copy of the OS as an optional install. Perhaps you chould check out prices for Microsoft Visual Developer etc. In fact, for $300+ for some versions of Vista, perhaps Microsoft would be kind enough to bundle it with the OS (like apple do for $129). 2. Cocoa apps (or is it carbon) can be written in c using any compiler as long as the user interface is created using the SDK tools provided. 3. OS X 10.4 even includes a widget SDK and leopard will include tools for any users to be able to create their own widgets. 4. With apple scripts and automator, apple actively encourages programming and scripting - not so with microsoft. 5. With real basic, you can create programs for windows, os x and linux using the same code - not closed system at all. 6. the core of the Mac OS is UNIX - this is about as open as you could get (with the exception of linux) I think that is a pretty conclusive argument against the closedness of Mac OS X With respect to your itunes/ipod argument, 1. you can save all you files as mp3s and then just store them on the hard drive (itunes will do this for you) 2. There is absolutely no way that a mac owner can play any song on a Microsoft Zune - thats closed 3. I dont blame apple for making ipod and itunes (including the music store) limited. They want to sell their own products. The music industry make the money from the songs, apple makes money from the player. They loose money over itunes and have to recoupe it from the player as it is a free download. When does anyone have the right to tell you what you can and cant sell in your shop? If you have a car spares shop that only sells chevvy parts, are the other car mfrs going to complain and have someone force you to sell toyota parts? it would never happen so why should the itms be forced to sell music (which it does not make a large profit on) to people who have players from other companies

I can understand the rationale for the closed platform. The Symbian OS (excellent for its time) has TONS and TONS of software for it. Everyone and his pet monkey were writing apps for it. Unfortunately, just like the early Atari gaming systems, most of these apps were cheesy junk, and after a while it gives the consumer a bad taste in the mouth. Basically there is no quality control.

What makes the iPhone (or the Mac) any more "closed" than a PC? Any portable player that plays mp3's can now play the free iTunes downloaded music. (The previous protection on the music was by request of the music companies, not iTunes or the iPod, thus you may be stuck with mp4 or whatever, that does not allow transport. If you have mp3's you can move them to any mp3 player you wish.) I use Virtual PC on my Mac and it runs all PC programs without a hitch. I also run Perl "programs" using the UNIX capabilities of the Mac. I never for an instant thought the iPhone would have that capability - it's like...a phone, not a computer. Although I do see how someone could think of it as a computer, considering all the computer-things it does.

The reasoning (and it is a good reasoning) is that allowing a hand-held computer with Blue-tooth or similar capabilities as well as a completely open source about the entire project *(necessary for allowing open platform development)* would also allow people to program very very malicious software that in previous uses, they may not have been able to.

What I find funny about the naysayers of Apple (and usually I am one, but I play Devil's Advocate) is that the iPhone is still in it's infancy. When the Ipod came out, it was by no means revolutionary. I remember owning a Rio Diamond MP3 Player. The very first. It was no ipod, BUT, it was closer to an ipod than any of the other ugly monstrosities that came around after it.

Just wait about 2 or 3 years; Steve Jobs knows, without question, that they will open platform development in incremental steps, as securities are found and established.

People put all kinds of info on these phones; imagine a phone that digitally stole that information as you walked by them on the street. It's possible, so be thankful that companies have the foresight to actually do something to combat the abuse of their products.