Apple: Inside the cult

Can the App Store survive its rivals?

People say that Apple is a company obsessed with control, and they're right. The iPhone is a perfect example of Apple's dream device. Unlike Symbian and Windows Mobile phones, where you can access content in disparate ways and install who knows what onto it from your computer, iPhones contain applications that Apple approves -- and only that Apple approves. And, more to the point, when you buy those applications, Apple takes a cut -- you pay your fee for the privilege of participating in the highly controlled iPhone ecosystem.

"But wait!" you say. Yes, I'm talking about you, techie geeky guy. "I've jailbroken my iPhone! I can install what I want on it! I don't bow to Steve Jobs's tyranny!"

Well, good for you -- and I'm not saying that sarcastically. I do think that people have the right to tinker with the gadgets they buy, and as long as everybody involved understands that you can't complain to Apple if your fiddling permanently borks up your phone, it's all in good fun. You'll note that Apple hasn't pulled out its legal eagles to persecute the jailbreakers, and for good reason: it would be messy, and no matter how loudly they crow about their modification, they'll only ever represent a tiny portion of iPhone users. Most people aren't tech-enabled enough to do it, and even many of those who are (your blogger included) just don't want to introduce the potential uncertainty into a device that already works great for them, thanks.

But if there's one thing that is guaranteed to get Apple to take notice, it's making money -- specifically, other people making money. And that's what the makers of the Cydia app are threatening, essentially planning to create an alternate App Store of jailbroken apps. Apple has visions of the App Store being a nice little monopoly cash cow, and I can't help but think that this move will stir its wrath. Seth Weintraub thinks that Apple should respond by by absorbing Cydia's offerings into its own store, and adding porn to boot; I suspect that the actual response will involve subpoenas instead.

This fight may be about more than just the iPhone. There are more rumors about a potential Apple netbook -- and these rumors are based on sources within the Apple supply chain, and are thus slightly more reliable than analysts bloviating about what they see as Apple's next must-make product. As I've said here repeatedly, I suspect such a product will be a built-up iPhone rather than a stripped-down Mac, and will run a version of the iPhone OS; if that's the case, the App Store will be selling productivity apps at presumably higher price points than the stuff there today. That's a future revenue stream Apple will be especially paranoid about protecting.

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