[lochlainn]

I think a lot of it stems from an attempt at simplicity in design. At the time, Windows Mobile was offering a fully customizable filesystem, but Apple wanted to go the route of simplicity when they introduced Apps with iOS2. You tap on them and they work, delete them when you don't want them, etc. Everything is so isolated as a result, and combined with the lack of any sort of Downloads or file creation in the traditional sense, it sort of makes you feel like the data of your apps is stored in really remote, weird locations you can't ever access.

Simplicity like that was part of what made people think not just of productivity but also of fun when they looked at a smartphone imo. Still not very fun to deal with. (Never write a document on your phone. It's not worth it)

[api]

Makes me think of a quote from another recent HN front page article on Docker vs. CoreOS and the idea of "simplicity" in the enterprise. I think it's relevant here.

"You can't avoid complexity by pretending it doesn't exist."

There's a lot of complexity and nuance around the handling of files. Mobile likes to pretend it doesn't exist, and the result is file handling choices that treat user data contemptuously and do not allow any kind of workflow whatsoever.

This is one of several very significant reasons mobile in its present form will never displace PC except for low-end use cases.