[ergo98]

When debating the openness of platforms, an example oft mentioned is consoles: Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony each own their respective console market, taking a tithe from every transaction occurring on the device. Such an example has frequently been used to justify various of Apple's actions.

I don't buy it, though.

My xbox is just a toy, in essence. It's an entertainment device that I could discard with little loss. A general computing device, which is what I think both smartphones and tablets are, however, are not game consoles. They are not merely entertaining frills. This sort of "landholder" gatekeeper model cannot and will not fly.

[bad_user]

      Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony each own their respective 
      console market, taking a tithe from every transaction occurring 
      on the device

That's why I never owned a console and played games on my computer: consoles and the provided game titles are way too expensive for the value provided, not to mention "features" like multiplayer over the network have been in PC games like Doom since the early '90 or even earlier.

The right comparison should really be versus Microsoft and Windows.

As much as I hated Microsoft's iron hand over the years, seeing Apple in action makes Microsoft look like saints interested in interoperability, openness and innovation for the greater good; the fuck? :-)