[djgreedo]

Originally Posted by stustaff

isnt that weird in fact more apps than for any other equivalent device or in fact all other devices added together.

Android has about 30,000 apps (not counting apps available outside the app store), Windows Mobile 40,000-50,000 (estimated, since the apps are not all available from a single store), Blackberry '10's of thousands', and Nokia '10's of thousands'.

And that's not taking into account that the iPhone is notorious for having app spam (which Apple indirectly encourages, obviously so they can roll out big numbers), whereas other platforms don't suffer from that as much. Does 100 identical farting apps really count as 100 apps?

No one has to buy an iPhone or program for the iPhone if people were unhappy enough then they would do neither and apple would start making more open devices.

The problem here is the amount of free press the iPhone (and its apps) gets.

Unfortunately the general public seems to think that the iPhone is the only phone available that has a touch screen and apps because the iPhone gets all the press. When people see my phone (Motorola Milestone) they are generally amazed that it has a much nicer screen than an iPhone and a physical keyboard, tonnes of apps, etc. People generally aren't aware that there are several phones on the market that are better than the iPhone in every way, which is understandable (but sad).

Apple will not make any open devices until Steve Jobs leaves. He is well known to be a 'control freak', and what many people don't understand about Jobs is that he is at heart a luddite. He has a 'style over substance' attitude. He wants customers to be wowed by a shiny exterior. Look at all the advertising for Apple products. They never focus on what the technology can do, only how the product looks and feels.

However the market and apples success seems to say that as far as the majority are concerned tehy couldnt care less about walled gardens.

Not necessarily. I think ignorance is more the key. I've come across lots of people who are surprised to hear that Apple can prevent an application from being sold on their phones without prior warning or providing any reason. People don't understand the implications of closed systems, but I think that will change as people become more tech savvy in general (ironically largely due to the success of the iPhone).