[barumrho]

I don't think that analogy really works because there is not much distinction between "Apple developers" and other developers. There is no barrier to start developing on Apple platforms and there probably won't be for the next big platform. Low barrier to entry is one key factor of a platform's success.

[ryanhuff]

Sure there are barriers. A few that come to mind include the $99 per year Apple developer program fee, which is necessary to distribute apps, the Mac OS requirement, and the objective c hurdle. These may seem more like inconvenience barriers, but they do keep people away from the development pool.

[steve-howard]

I'm sure as hell not buying a Mac just to write for Apple's walled gardens. Inconvenience is an understatement.

[ryanhuff]

While not ideal, some people have been able to run mac os on other operating systems using virtualization.