If you will read this article and others, you would quickly get the idea that this man is a radical Muslim and hates Israel with a passion. People willing to fly airplanes into buildings or otherwise blow themselves up, would not hesitate for one nano-second to use weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear bombs on people they hate. If he or any man who expresses such sentiments again and again should get a hold of nuclear weaponry and the means to deliver them to Israel, he will likely use them to do what he has repeatedly expressed: to wipe Israel off the map.
He also denies that the Holocaust took place. From the quote of the article referenced below:
"The first question is that assuming the Holocaust did happen, where did it exactly happen and who were the perpetrators?..."
...Iran is not trying to build nuclear weapons....
No not much. They have only threatened Israel with extermination on almost a daily basis. They would have a difficult time doing this with conventional weapons but envision that they could accomplish this goal with a nuclear attack. One or two nukes and tiny Israel would be a glowing heap of rubble.
My guess is the opposite in that Iran will attack Israel because their government has repeatedly said that Israel should be exterminated.
(...Be afraid. Be very very afraid....)
When Jesus was asked by his disciples about the end times, here was one of the things he said:
Luke 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Thermonuclear power is of course what keeps the sun and the stars shining. Was Jesus indicating by this that the power of the stars shall be unleashed on earth?
(....Israelis sure don't mind brutally oppressing whole populations for decades...)
Have you never wondered why a few Palestinians cannot find refuge in and among the much larger and more populous Arab countries? They easily could of course, but the Arabs around them are determined not to allow this from ever happening. They have repeatedly launched attacks in Israel in the past, but they have been soundly spanked and defeated each time.
Many of the numerous enemies of Israel have vowed to destroy that tiny nation now resident on a miniscule sliver of real estate. The United States is the only nation that is still on Israel's side, but that will eventually no longer be so. Yet, according to numerous biblical prophecies, Israel will not be exterminated, but will forever remain a nation. The promises God made to their patriarch Abraham, concerning their land and their possession of it are still valid.
....in the face of world indifference and even hostility to its' continued survival,...
Israel's survival is guaranteed by none other than God Jehovah himself. Ancient prophecies foretell that these people, the Jews, would be scattered among the nations of the earth, to be regathered as a nation not too long before the return of Jesus Christ to earth. Innumerable attempts have been made by despots and dictators, both recent and ancient, to exterminate the Jewish people. They have been terribly persecuted and murdered, but God has never allowed their extermination throughout all these centuries. In 1948, the modern state of Israel was re-created and Jews from all over the earth have migrated there.
Israel today is a secular state, but nevertheless protected by God. Israel will not attack Iran or anybody else, but will eventually, once again, be attacked by a confederation of states which includes Iran. Isn't it amazing that such a tiny nation on such a small speck of real estate can make such big waves on the world scene? Doesn't it strike you as amazing, that an inconsequential city, such as Jerusalem, should make recurring headlines the world over?
Except for the backing of the United States, Israel stands alone in the world. Could it be that what Jehovah said about Israel in Deuteronomy 32:8-12 thousands of years ago is still true today?
Which its leaders have said they will use against Israel to wipe them out. Israel is the only nation on earth in existence today, against which other nations or governments have made threats of extermination. Israel's enemies have attempted to do this since its rebirth in 1948. Every attempt so far has failed and will continue to fail, because ancient prophecies from thousands of years ago say that Israel will again be a nation which will never again be destroyed or cast into exile.
The final war on earth, war of Armageddon will be fought over Jerusalem. The valley of Megiddo, north of Jerusalem will be the battleground of the final war of humanity, ushering in the personal rule of Jesus Christ on this planet. We are told that soldiers from EVERY nation on earth will be involved there.
that more often than not has a Wikipedia link on the first page. On controversial things Wikipedia might not be trusted all the time, but on mundane stuff it is usually right on.
It's not only that most religions forbid stealing, but it's also illegal. If you were hauled into court on this confession and corroborative evidence, you would most likely be found guilty and receive some sort of punishment.
..What email do you use that would disobey a judge's order?...
Since I administer the domain of e-mail is on and the e-mail server, my provider could delete my e-mail account along with the offending message. However upon discovering this, I could re-create the e-mail account. Of course if I had already read the offending message, it would no longer have been on my e-mail server at all but on my own computers, because my e-mail clients remove all messages from the server after downloading them. Then the bank and their lawyers would have been forced to sic the judge on me, the recipient of their ill-fated message. Since I have no interest in other people's private information, I would erase the message, but I would still have my e-mail account. Google and Hotmail accounts are free and you get what you pay for.
...How far should the law allow a corporation to shut down a real person's life....
As far as their highly paid army lawyers can persuade a judge somewhere. In our society, someone with lots of money can almost always get their way against someone with no money.
..... I open the lid and it resumes with no audio or, worse, a black screen....
You just need to buy a laptop that "just works", such as my MacBook Pro. Apple computers don't have such problems, because Apple is able to test their software and hardware together and thereby prevent such troubles for the user. This may cost more, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
....that's faster than the suspend on my laptop....
I would guess that you just need a better laptop. My MacBook Pro wakes from sleep in about 2 seconds, which is about the time I need to open the lid and position it properly.
...MANY cases, the system doesn't wake up from sleep properly,....
That is relatively rare with Apple's OS X computers, because they test the hardware and the operating system to make sure it all works correctly. Because PC manufacturers have a much harder time doing this, because they do not control the operating system, it is true that many systems do not sleep and wake up properly. Chalk up another advantage to a Mac.
....more people would switch off and stop wasting power....
Why bother switching off your computer? Simply put it to sleep by closing the lid, like I do on my MacBook Pro. The amount of power used in sleep mode is not worth talking about, yet the computer comes back to life almost instantly when the lid is opened. The only time I reboot is for certain system updates. It is usually not necessary to reboot for a normal software update or otherwise installing application programs. Maybe a quick boot time gives Slashdot users some bragging rights, but to me, it is totally irrelevant.
It's just another reason to get a Mac which RELIABLY goes to sleep as soon as you close the lid on a laptop. When the computer is needed again, simply open the lid and by the time you get it fully opened and positioned, everything is just as it was before. Extremely few programs that can be installed on OS X require a reboot. All this means that boot time is not all that important, because it happens so infrequently. For windows computers, sleep or as they call it, hibernate, is much more iffy, because of hardware variability. Unlike other manufacturers, Apple makes the operating system and can test their hardware with their software to make sure it all "just works"every time.
...If Honda was like Apple,... They would definitely void the warranty and not work on a Honda where someone had replaced the engine and transmission with some other brand but they definitely wouldn't do that for the mirror. If you are a techie, you CAN jailbreak the iPhone and install whatever you like on it. Jail breaking the iPhone is more like replacing the drive train, not hanging something on the rearview mirror.
Should have never been past and should be repealed. That will never happen, because the Democrats who passed it are in power and in the pocket of Hollywood.
(...I think you just pissed off the whole OSX segment of home pc users by saying that...) I think it would be great if Apple extended this system they came up with for the iPhone to OS X as well. They should of course still allow the installation of other programs, perhaps with a warning about security each time. It is also necessary for a device that runs only on a battery to have some controls in place over applications that negatively affect battery life and thus the whole user experience. Unlike computer PC manufacturers, Apple cares a lot about system integration and user experience. Apple came up with these devices and their restrictions and they can do what they like with them. It's a free market, and you don't have to buy one if you don't like the walled garden that comes with every iPhone.
(...Yet many of us have absolutely no issue with malware or viruses...) The reason for that is that you're a techie, a Slashdot reader, not some grandma or uncle who clicks on every link that some criminal has sent their way. If Windows computers had as few worms and viruses as a Mac, most so-called security experts would be out of a job. Because Apple built good security into the system, the security companies are not making a penny off of the millions of iPhone users. I am sure that they are more than pissed about that.
(...reboot your device back to stock settings in the event of an infection....) Some malware is incredibly hard to get rid of without wiping the hard drive completely clean of starting from scratch. Hopefully, data and settings can be backed up, without also backing up the malware. In most things, and here also, prevention is a lot better than cure. You, from a techie viewpoint, have no trouble reinstalling an operating system and then copying everything back, to restore your system. Your grandma or uncle likely do not have the skills that you do in this. It is from the non-technical users of this world, that Apple makes its money and they are in the majority by far. That has everything to do with popularity.
....They may drop it in the toilet or down stairs as well....
Except that when they do that, it usually does no further damage besides possibly more likely breaking the device. However, criminals these days are not out to break people's computers, but to steal the money by getting private information. They also like to send lots of spam. Therefore, Apple is justified in taking whatever measure it takes to make it as difficult as possible for the criminals. Neither Apple nor Honda make it impossible for an expert to make modifications.
(...be legitimately forced to allow practically anything that isn't malware or crashy into the App Store even if they don't like it....)
I bet, if you were to take a survey, only techie users, such as found on Slashdot, a very small percentage of all iPhone buyers, care about jail breaking or installing any and all programs available from anywhere on the Internet or elsewhere. Currently, there are over 60,000 programs available that have been checked by Apple and are guaranteed to be free of viruses, worms and other uncleanness. Apple should make it take at least as much effort to install non-approved software into the iPhone, as it would to install a Ford engine and transmission into Honda. Both are difficult but not impossible. A smart techie like you, can still jail break the iPhone, install whatever you want and a really good mechanic could put a Ford engine and transmission into a Honda. However, don't expect to take a modified Honda to a Honda dealer for repairs and don't expect Apple to fix your jail broken iPhone.
...just allow the owner of an iPhone to freely install whatever they want from wherever they want....
Yes, just like a PC allows a user to install every Trojan, worm, virus and other crap software that criminals from Russia and elsewhere choose to put on the Internet. There is nothing to stop another manufacturer to come up with a phone that allows dumb users to install anything and everything on their device. Apple chose to produce gadgets that make it very difficult for dumb users to damage them and then blame Apple when they doesn't work right anymore. It is highly unlikely that another manufacturer will see much money from the exceedingly small minority of techies, like those on/., who would like to see an open free-for-all phone. It is not like the other phones on the market right now don't have their own walled garden.
(...why should Apple be allowed to restrict who can sell apps for the iPhone...)
The obligatory car analogy would go something like this: why should Honda allow the the EASY installation of somebody else's engine and transmission in their vehicles? It can be done, but you have to be a good mechanic to do it. The iPhone can be jail broken, but you also have to have the know-how in order to do it. Just like the engine and transmission are the heart of the automobile, so also is the software the heart of the iPhone. Its hardware is not much different from the Pre.
Judging from the sales of iPhones and the iPod touch, ordinary users, voting with their wallets, have enthusiastically embraced the walled garden of the iPhone/iTunes/app store, that other manufacturers would love to have entrance to. All this talk about forcing Apple to open their closed system is nothing more than sour grapes by those who missed out, are now envious of their success.
There is a valid reasons to have a single registered source for programs for a device and that is to keep malware out. If the iPhone were open like a normal PC, you would have the same problem with it, in that criminals would be infest it worms and viruses, as they have done with Windows computers. There is no reason someone couldn't come out with a handheld open computer. You could be the first customer.
The iPhone is sold as a phone and the iTouch is sold as a music player. Both of them can function as a computer, but that is not their primary purpose. Apparently, the vast majority of the users of these devices disagree with you in that they are quite happy to have a safe gadget that is not infested with crap such as a PC often is. Security and openness are opposites. It would be so much nicer if we didn't need locks, but because there are thieves and crooks we do.
But who says you have to be an iPhone owner? You can buy a Pre or other similar phones because nobody forces you to buy an iPhone. The iPhone is not sold as a solitary gadget, but it comes with a walled garden which is there to keep predators out and protect Apple's business model. If you don't like Apple's walled garden, buy another phone in someone else's walled garden, because all phones come with some restrictions. Before Apple came along with the iPhone, handset manufacturers had little or no say in either design or marketing of their devices, because that was all dictated by their network providers. Apple single-handedly broke the stranglehold that network providers had on the smart cell phone market.
...the only thing stopping them abusing a monopoly is competing devices....
There are plenty of those out there and more coming all the time aren't there? I'm glad there is competition to Apple, because it keeps them on their toes, not resting on their laurels or the big head start in the market.
(...or open up their app store...) It's about as open as it can get without allowing the placement of malicious software by criminals from Russia and elsewhere. That said, I think they should allow any program on there, that does not compromise their brand or operation of the device. Ultimately the app store is their walled garden, where they can decide who gets to enter, based on whatever criteria they wish. Phones are not general purpose computers, but phones that also can do a few things that computers do. If you do not like the walled garden that comes with the iPhone, there are plenty of alternatives, each of which has their own version of a walled garden.
....Apple now has a semi-illegal monopoly on their iphones...
Apple's iPhone is only one of many phones that you can buy. If the iPhone was the only phone or nearly the only phone available, then Apple would have a true monopoly. Even then, monopolies in themselves are not illegal and unlike Microsoft, Apple did not use any illegal methods.
When you buy an iPhone, it comes complete with a walled garden constructed around it, which you also have to accept. If you don't like such a walled garden, don't buy the iPhone that comes with it. There are plenty of other devices out there, which of course come with their own version of a walled garden. Before Apple came along with the iPhone, the overwhelming majority of phones were sold by the various carriers and they were locked to that particular carrier that sold you the phone.
Slashdot Mirror
....Try and back that up with an actual direct reference....
If you will Google for "ahmadinejad quotes", you will find lots of material. Here is one of them:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1145961353170&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
If you will read this article and others, you would quickly get the idea that this man is a radical Muslim and hates Israel with a passion. People willing to fly airplanes into buildings or otherwise blow themselves up, would not hesitate for one nano-second to use weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear bombs on people they hate. If he or any man who expresses such sentiments again and again should get a hold of nuclear weaponry and the means to deliver them to Israel, he will likely use them to do what he has repeatedly expressed: to wipe Israel off the map.
He also denies that the Holocaust took place. From the quote of the article referenced below:
"The first question is that assuming the Holocaust did happen, where did it exactly happen and who were the perpetrators?..."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g0Y9-OC0R0qjZu-yysssZBQkGouAD9ASSH3G0
His blind hatred of Israel causes him to deny extremely well documented history.
....Either that, or get people to realize that religion is stupid....
Do you really think that humans who have been religious for thousands of years will suddenly give up their religion? I must say you are a dreamer.
...Iran is not trying to build nuclear weapons....
No not much. They have only threatened Israel with extermination on almost a daily basis. They would have a difficult time doing this with conventional weapons but envision that they could accomplish this goal with a nuclear attack. One or two nukes and tiny Israel would be a glowing heap of rubble.
....My guess is Israel will attack Iran....
My guess is the opposite in that Iran will attack Israel because their government has repeatedly said that Israel should be exterminated.
(...Be afraid. Be very very afraid....)
When Jesus was asked by his disciples about the end times, here was one of the things he said:
Luke 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Thermonuclear power is of course what keeps the sun and the stars shining. Was Jesus indicating by this that the power of the stars shall be unleashed on earth?
(....Israelis sure don't mind brutally oppressing whole populations for decades...)
Have you never wondered why a few Palestinians cannot find refuge in and among the much larger and more populous Arab countries? They easily could of course, but the Arabs around them are determined not to allow this from ever happening. They have repeatedly launched attacks in Israel in the past, but they have been soundly spanked and defeated each time.
Many of the numerous enemies of Israel have vowed to destroy that tiny nation now resident on a miniscule sliver of real estate. The United States is the only nation that is still on Israel's side, but that will eventually no longer be so. Yet, according to numerous biblical prophecies, Israel will not be exterminated, but will forever remain a nation. The promises God made to their patriarch Abraham, concerning their land and their possession of it are still valid.
....in the face of world indifference and even hostility to its' continued survival,...
Israel's survival is guaranteed by none other than God Jehovah himself. Ancient prophecies foretell that these people, the Jews, would be scattered among the nations of the earth, to be regathered as a nation not too long before the return of Jesus Christ to earth. Innumerable attempts have been made by despots and dictators, both recent and ancient, to exterminate the Jewish people. They have been terribly persecuted and murdered, but God has never allowed their extermination throughout all these centuries. In 1948, the modern state of Israel was re-created and Jews from all over the earth have migrated there.
Israel today is a secular state, but nevertheless protected by God. Israel will not attack Iran or anybody else, but will eventually, once again, be attacked by a confederation of states which includes Iran. Isn't it amazing that such a tiny nation on such a small speck of real estate can make such big waves on the world scene? Doesn't it strike you as amazing, that an inconsequential city, such as Jerusalem, should make recurring headlines the world over?
Except for the backing of the United States, Israel stands alone in the world. Could it be that what Jehovah said about Israel in Deuteronomy 32:8-12 thousands of years ago is still true today?
...Iran gets nuclear weapons....
Which its leaders have said they will use against Israel to wipe them out. Israel is the only nation on earth in existence today, against which other nations or governments have made threats of extermination. Israel's enemies have attempted to do this since its rebirth in 1948. Every attempt so far has failed and will continue to fail, because ancient prophecies from thousands of years ago say that Israel will again be a nation which will never again be destroyed or cast into exile.
The final war on earth, war of Armageddon will be fought over Jerusalem. The valley of Megiddo, north of Jerusalem will be the battleground of the final war of humanity, ushering in the personal rule of Jesus Christ on this planet. We are told that soldiers from EVERY nation on earth will be involved there.
...Google is a search engine...
that more often than not has a Wikipedia link on the first page. On controversial things Wikipedia might not be trusted all the time, but on mundane stuff it is usually right on.
.....religion alert on slashdot....
It's not only that most religions forbid stealing, but it's also illegal. If you were hauled into court on this confession and corroborative evidence, you would most likely be found guilty and receive some sort of punishment.
....It's not real property....
I assume you printed your brochures and flyers or whatever on virtual paper. Last time I looked, real paper and ink costs real money.
..What email do you use that would disobey a judge's order?...
Since I administer the domain of e-mail is on and the e-mail server, my provider could delete my e-mail account along with the offending message. However upon discovering this, I could re-create the e-mail account. Of course if I had already read the offending message, it would no longer have been on my e-mail server at all but on my own computers, because my e-mail clients remove all messages from the server after downloading them. Then the bank and their lawyers would have been forced to sic the judge on me, the recipient of their ill-fated message. Since I have no interest in other people's private information, I would erase the message, but I would still have my e-mail account. Google and Hotmail accounts are free and you get what you pay for.
...How far should the law allow a corporation to shut down a real person's life....
As far as their highly paid army lawyers can persuade a judge somewhere. In our society, someone with lots of money can almost always get their way against someone with no money.
..a decent analogy...
involving automobiles is what is needed.
..... I open the lid and it resumes with no audio or, worse, a black screen....
You just need to buy a laptop that "just works", such as my MacBook Pro. Apple computers don't have such problems, because Apple is able to test their software and hardware together and thereby prevent such troubles for the user. This may cost more, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.
....that's faster than the suspend on my laptop....
I would guess that you just need a better laptop. My MacBook Pro wakes from sleep in about 2 seconds, which is about the time I need to open the lid and position it properly.
...MANY cases, the system doesn't wake up from sleep properly,....
That is relatively rare with Apple's OS X computers, because they test the hardware and the operating system to make sure it all works correctly. Because PC manufacturers have a much harder time doing this, because they do not control the operating system, it is true that many systems do not sleep and wake up properly. Chalk up another advantage to a Mac.
....more people would switch off and stop wasting power....
Why bother switching off your computer? Simply put it to sleep by closing the lid, like I do on my MacBook Pro. The amount of power used in sleep mode is not worth talking about, yet the computer comes back to life almost instantly when the lid is opened. The only time I reboot is for certain system updates. It is usually not necessary to reboot for a normal software update or otherwise installing application programs. Maybe a quick boot time gives Slashdot users some bragging rights, but to me, it is totally irrelevant.
....People have to sit through "Shut down".....
It's just another reason to get a Mac which RELIABLY goes to sleep as soon as you close the lid on a laptop. When the computer is needed again, simply open the lid and by the time you get it fully opened and positioned, everything is just as it was before. Extremely few programs that can be installed on OS X require a reboot. All this means that boot time is not all that important, because it happens so infrequently. For windows computers, sleep or as they call it, hibernate, is much more iffy, because of hardware variability. Unlike other manufacturers, Apple makes the operating system and can test their hardware with their software to make sure it all "just works"every time.
...If Honda was like Apple,...
They would definitely void the warranty and not work on a Honda where someone had replaced the engine and transmission with some other brand but they definitely wouldn't do that for the mirror. If you are a techie, you CAN jailbreak the iPhone and install whatever you like on it. Jail breaking the iPhone is more like replacing the drive train, not hanging something on the rearview mirror.
...the DMCA...
Should have never been past and should be repealed. That will never happen, because the Democrats who passed it are in power and in the pocket of Hollywood.
(...I think you just pissed off the whole OSX segment of home pc users by saying that...)
I think it would be great if Apple extended this system they came up with for the iPhone to OS X as well. They should of course still allow the installation of other programs, perhaps with a warning about security each time. It is also necessary for a device that runs only on a battery to have some controls in place over applications that negatively affect battery life and thus the whole user experience. Unlike computer PC manufacturers, Apple cares a lot about system integration and user experience. Apple came up with these devices and their restrictions and they can do what they like with them. It's a free market, and you don't have to buy one if you don't like the walled garden that comes with every iPhone.
(...Yet many of us have absolutely no issue with malware or viruses...)
The reason for that is that you're a techie, a Slashdot reader, not some grandma or uncle who clicks on every link that some criminal has sent their way. If Windows computers had as few worms and viruses as a Mac, most so-called security experts would be out of a job. Because Apple built good security into the system, the security companies are not making a penny off of the millions of iPhone users. I am sure that they are more than pissed about that.
(...reboot your device back to stock settings in the event of an infection....)
Some malware is incredibly hard to get rid of without wiping the hard drive completely clean of starting from scratch. Hopefully, data and settings can be backed up, without also backing up the malware. In most things, and here also, prevention is a lot better than cure. You, from a techie viewpoint, have no trouble reinstalling an operating system and then copying everything back, to restore your system. Your grandma or uncle likely do not have the skills that you do in this. It is from the non-technical users of this world, that Apple makes its money and they are in the majority by far. That has everything to do with popularity.
....They may drop it in the toilet or down stairs as well....
Except that when they do that, it usually does no further damage besides possibly more likely breaking the device. However, criminals these days are not out to break people's computers, but to steal the money by getting private information. They also like to send lots of spam. Therefore, Apple is justified in taking whatever measure it takes to make it as difficult as possible for the criminals. Neither Apple nor Honda make it impossible for an expert to make modifications.
(...be legitimately forced to allow practically anything that isn't malware or crashy into the App Store even if they don't like it....)
I bet, if you were to take a survey, only techie users, such as found on Slashdot, a very small percentage of all iPhone buyers, care about jail breaking or installing any and all programs available from anywhere on the Internet or elsewhere. Currently, there are over 60,000 programs available that have been checked by Apple and are guaranteed to be free of viruses, worms and other uncleanness. Apple should make it take at least as much effort to install non-approved software into the iPhone, as it would to install a Ford engine and transmission into Honda. Both are difficult but not impossible. A smart techie like you, can still jail break the iPhone, install whatever you want and a really good mechanic could put a Ford engine and transmission into a Honda. However, don't expect to take a modified Honda to a Honda dealer for repairs and don't expect Apple to fix your jail broken iPhone.
...just allow the owner of an iPhone to freely install whatever they want from wherever they want....
Yes, just like a PC allows a user to install every Trojan, worm, virus and other crap software that criminals from Russia and elsewhere choose to put on the Internet. /., who would like to see an open free-for-all phone. It is not like the other phones on the market right now don't have their own walled garden.
There is nothing to stop another manufacturer to come up with a phone that allows dumb users to install anything and everything on their device. Apple chose to produce gadgets that make it very difficult for dumb users to damage them and then blame Apple when they doesn't work right anymore. It is highly unlikely that another manufacturer will see much money from the exceedingly small minority of techies, like those on
(...why should Apple be allowed to restrict who can sell apps for the iPhone...)
The obligatory car analogy would go something like this: why should Honda allow the the EASY installation of somebody else's engine and transmission in their vehicles? It can be done, but you have to be a good mechanic to do it. The iPhone can be jail broken, but you also have to have the know-how in order to do it. Just like the engine and transmission are the heart of the automobile, so also is the software the heart of the iPhone. Its hardware is not much different from the Pre.
Judging from the sales of iPhones and the iPod touch, ordinary users, voting with their wallets, have enthusiastically embraced the walled garden of the iPhone/iTunes/app store, that other manufacturers would love to have entrance to. All this talk about forcing Apple to open their closed system is nothing more than sour grapes by those who missed out, are now envious of their success.
.... its artificial with no valid reason....
There is a valid reasons to have a single registered source for programs for a device and that is to keep malware out. If the iPhone were open like a normal PC, you would have the same problem with it, in that criminals would be infest it worms and viruses, as they have done with Windows computers. There is no reason someone couldn't come out with a handheld open computer. You could be the first customer.
The iPhone is sold as a phone and the iTouch is sold as a music player. Both of them can function as a computer, but that is not their primary purpose. Apparently, the vast majority of the users of these devices disagree with you in that they are quite happy to have a safe gadget that is not infested with crap such as a PC often is. Security and openness are opposites. It would be so much nicer if we didn't need locks, but because there are thieves and crooks we do.
...to iPhone owners...
But who says you have to be an iPhone owner? You can buy a Pre or other similar phones because nobody forces you to buy an iPhone. The iPhone is not sold as a solitary gadget, but it comes with a walled garden which is there to keep predators out and protect Apple's business model. If you don't like Apple's walled garden, buy another phone in someone else's walled garden, because all phones come with some restrictions. Before Apple came along with the iPhone, handset manufacturers had little or no say in either design or marketing of their devices, because that was all dictated by their network providers. Apple single-handedly broke the stranglehold that network providers had on the smart cell phone market.
...the only thing stopping them abusing a monopoly is competing devices....
There are plenty of those out there and more coming all the time aren't there? I'm glad there is competition to Apple, because it keeps them on their toes, not resting on their laurels or the big head start in the market.
(...or open up their app store...)
It's about as open as it can get without allowing the placement of malicious software by criminals from Russia and elsewhere. That said, I think they should allow any program on there, that does not compromise their brand or operation of the device. Ultimately the app store is their walled garden, where they can decide who gets to enter, based on whatever criteria they wish. Phones are not general purpose computers, but phones that also can do a few things that computers do. If you do not like the walled garden that comes with the iPhone, there are plenty of alternatives, each of which has their own version of a walled garden.
....Apple now has a semi-illegal monopoly on their iphones...
Apple's iPhone is only one of many phones that you can buy. If the iPhone was the only phone or nearly the only phone available, then Apple would have a true monopoly. Even then, monopolies in themselves are not illegal and unlike Microsoft, Apple did not use any illegal methods.
When you buy an iPhone, it comes complete with a walled garden constructed around it, which you also have to accept. If you don't like such a walled garden, don't buy the iPhone that comes with it. There are plenty of other devices out there, which of course come with their own version of a walled garden. Before Apple came along with the iPhone, the overwhelming majority of phones were sold by the various carriers and they were locked to that particular carrier that sold you the phone.