[BugBrother]

I reluctantly don't jailbreak my iPhone/iPad despite that I of course want shell, emacs, Perl, etc on all my devices.

This is because I want to feel safe with my i.* things while using my bank applications and buying stuff from iTunes.

[MichaelGG]

If the Jailbreak exists, doesn't that mean there is an unpatched security hole in your version of iOS?

[BugBrother]

Not really.

I'm no expert (as I wrote), but afaik the app install process (iTunes style) is sidetracked by running a program to install an App on your trusted computer.

Then you run the app.

I only use iTunes when I update the music on the iPhone, not programs. I assume most people do the same these days. (iOS 5?)

(But certainly, there is a possibility here -- maybe iTunes might tell the iDevice to update an application without informing the user? I can't say, Objective C was too much like Java for me. :-) I don't keep music on the iPad, so that is no problem.)

[Karunamon]

I'm unclear how jailbreaking impacts your device security in a meaningful fashion. All it does is give you the possibility to install something that could cause you trouble, but absolutely nothing on its own.

Most of the jailbreak apps are open source anyways. (MobileSubstrate and the majority of things that use them, for instance)

Pointing at any kind of positive to the locked-down-ness that Apple strives for, regardless of its truth, personally makes me feel very wrong as someone who values openness.

Edit: I love how asking a question is grounds for being downvoted into the negatives now.

[ceejayoz]

It removes the sandboxing that would prevent a seemingly innocuous app from silently accessing stuff it shouldn't.