Here’s where I think Apple differs. Like MS of old, Apple has found itself in a near monopoly position (as assertion that is rapidly becoming outdated, but whatever). Like MS, Apple has exploited this monopoly position. Obviously I can’t really fault their business logic, but I think I can fault some of their business ethics. Rather than include relatively loose controls and relinquishing some power at what I think would be little expense, Apple has acted almost exclusively in its own interests and what it perceives to be the interests of its consumers. They’ve done things because they can. In other words, Apple has used its power rather bluntly and has thereby alienated some developers and consumers who feel that it isn’t playing ‘fair’ or according to the real world of capitalism.

Now, I own an iPhone and I’m pretty darn happy with it. On the other hand, as a web-developer and a user of Linux etc, I do feel like the platform could be a little more open, and I can’t really see why Apple couldn’t lay off the curating of my experience. Would Flash inclusion really be such a big deal? Is the only reason I want an more open platform because I want to look at porn? Is that a fair way to characterize the debate? I don’t think so. So while I don’t hate Apple, I’m not a massive admirer of the business culture they seem to be promoting. In any case, even as I write Apple is changing its position and the WSA stores Meyer has talked about are being created by Amazon and Google. Apple will surely follow, and I’ll be more comfortable with their ‘ethics’ again.

BTW, As for the second part of the article (which actually was what I was the most interested in) the solution in my mind to security of WSA’s and the checkout / portability procedure seems pretty simple. Apple, Google, and whoever should essentially just build a native app (a browser really) with which each WSA can be run. That App would handle the duties of authentication etc, not the WSA itself. Since Apple already doesn’t provide a method for side-loading this shouldn’t be so different from the current system. Anyway, this will probably not be a real deal breaker, as a technical hurdle I can’t see this being a real problem.

The WSAs could be an attempt to get there, but face it, they are not the same as native apps. They only work for a subset of applications. A WSA store would have many problems competing with the App Store. There is also the problem of distribution and installation. How do you install the icon onto the phone in a way that you get paid and a naive user gets their app, and the advanced users end up stealing it.

Some other good examples of app repositories are Facebook apps and WordPress plugin apps. I particularly like WordPress because it automatically notifies you when upgrades are available, and it includes automatic upgrade features.

An app store could duplicate that sort of functionality for apps that aren’t hosted remotely.

Careful what you wish for though, right? I do wonder if an easy way to monetize little web apps and tools will only serve to make the web a more closed place. I wonder how such a thing will impact the Web Community.

> Except that’s only true because until now, nobody has launched an alternate store that offers web stack applications (WSAs).

While not a store, Apple does maintain a showcase of web apps at http://apple.com/webapps, and it’s really worth checking out.

“In the desktop computing world, of course, no such control exists. There you find and collect applications wherever you find them, whether in a store or somewhere on the internet. This is much the same as doing your shopping by driving around to garage sales and flea markets. Taken as an aggregate, there’s no quality control, no screening, no organization. It’s catch as catch can. ”

That’s wrong. You can still go to stores to buy software. Brick and Mortar, real stores. You can’t do that with the App Store. At the same time, you can also buy apps from online stores, like Valve.

The desktop world more accurately reflects the real world. The App store more accurately reflects something like the Sears catalog.