I said I’d stop writing about Apple for a minute, but this is a really good post over at Daring Fireball:

Essential to the Mac’s continuing relevance is that it is continuously evolving. Much has changed since 2010, and much will surely change between now and the Mac’s 50th anniversary in 2034. But one thing that can’t change without destroying it is its openness to software outside Apple’s control.

I agree that Apple isn’t likely to force a 27% fee on all purchases from Mac apps outside the store. Just the idea that they could — with the same legal justification as iOS — is concerning.

@manton shhh all the big companies will have have secret agreements with special terms.

@manton it’s never been more possible for them to clamp down on the Mac.

@everson I hadn't thought of it that way before, I guess because iOS is so full of games. It reminds me of all the little hacks the Mac used to have, though… Like eyeballs in the menu bar that would follow your cursor around. Openness enables new things, sometimes silly things.

@everson @manton I love this perspective. So true. This sort of playfulness is what brings technology to life. Apple’s aggressive stance toward developers is killing some of that playfulness and, in turn, strangling the future of the platform.