1) iOS devices are effectively general-purpose computers at this point (and the only computing devices owned by a significant number of people).
2) Why shouldn't I be able to write an app for my game console?
2) Why shouldn't I be able to write an app for my game console?
> shouldn’t
I’m simply describing how things are and not making judgments about how they should be. Apple treats iPhones as appliances that have allowed and disallowed purposes, and rules of the road for app distribution. Every iOS developer who makes a living on the platform knows this is the deal. Going on your blog and acting all surprised that this is the case shows that you either don’t have much experience working with the platform or didn’t do your due diligence before getting into the business.
(There's also the other definition of "general purpose", which is that you can install your own OS on it and have full control over what software you run. I think Apple should allow that too, but that's sort of a different issue).