Hello Apple,First off I want to be clear...I love the iPhone, but I am growing increasingly disgusted with you and AT&T. You created the device I wished for, then you made it better, hell you even added cut and paste. You brought us the app store and promised the moon with your slogan "There's an app for just about everything". You teased me with the hope of a place where ideas could be shared and people could make a buck or two.
I am personally responsible for getting at least ten of my friends and family to switch over to an iPhone. I ranked you right up there with Google on trust. But you tricked me, and your unethical and legally dubious actions (imho) of late have made me completely reconsider. Right now your starting to approach the trust level I had for Microsoft after the release of Windows ME.
Why have you strayed? You were once like Google, who says "You can make money without doing evil", but unfortunately you have ignored their wisdom. Today you screwed over some hard working developers of iPhone applications. All for the most asinine reason that could be given, "this category of applications (E-Book reader) is often used for the purpose of infringing upon third party rights. We have chosen to not publish this type of application to the App Store." The same argument was used in the 1974 lawsuit aimed at blocking the sale of VCR's and was rejected by the supreme court. More recently the RIAA tried to use this arguement to block the sale of MP3 players and it again FAILED!
Could your reasons be more sinister/profit oriented? It wouldn't be the first time you have killed applications that compete with services provided by your partners. Your recent rejection of Google Voice has once again illustrated your disregard for your customers and thankfully has attracted the attention of the FCC, who will put an end to these shenanigans... I hope...
Yet, we haven't even gotten to the most screwed up part of your system, your return policy. A developer pays $100 to be allowed to develop apps, invests hundreds if not thousands of hours developing their app and you take 30% to cover the costs of hosting/distributing it. That would be fair if not for your amazingly fsked up return policy. If a user decides they want a refund, the developer must return 100% of the sale price, and cover your 30% share. WTF? This brings my desire to develop an app to slightly above getting a prostrate exam.
Have you forgotten where you were a scant decade ago? You were losing a billion dollars a year, were forced into taking investment from Microsoft in order to stay alive! Yet now you enjoy a four billion dollar profit, thanks mostly to the iPod/iPhone. They made your company relevant again and opened amazing doors for your products... But if you continue to beat, stab, strangle and violate your golden goose it's going to die along with your chances of staying relevant to the mass market.
