[vasi]

While it's possible that Apple could ban non-App Store programs, I don't see this as the likely threat. More plausible to me is that new APIs in OS X will, like iCloud, become available only to App Store apps.

Eventually anything that's not in the App Store will feel like the most ancient Carbon apps feel now. Why prompt an exodus of users over a mass ban of apps, when you can just slowly and surely take over the market instead?

[fpgeek]

Indeed. Apple's become very, very good at boiling frogs slowly. And I believe there are already at least a few APIs that are only for App Store apps.