Mr. Watson sees Apple’s reliance on Objective C instead of Microsoft’s .NET platform as a drawback for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch because he thinks it limits the applications developers can create and shuts them out of coding for some devices.
“It is a humorous world in how Microsoft is much more open than Apple,” he said.
Mr. Watson added that by not using .NET, coding for the iPad and iPhone OS is far more costly, and that Apple has alienated a large group of programmers because of its programming language decisions.
In a sense, Apple does lock down its iPhone OS-based devices by limiting developers and application buyers to using its App Store instead of using the same model that desktop and laptop computers use: Letting users buy applications anywhere they want, and not requiring an approval process before those applications are available to consumers.
In that sense, Microsoft is no better with its Zune media player and Zune Marketplace. While there are applications available for Zune owners at the Zune Marketplace, the online app center isn’t open yet to third-party developers.
Despite what could be seen as a closed system for third party applications, the iPhone and iPod touch seem to be doing fine for Apple, customers and many developers — and the iPad will likely see the same success.