Mobile cross platform died with Apple and the iPhone

Yesterday Apple launched the 4.0 release of their operating system for for the iPhone.
A great update to the popular mobile phone enabling multitasking and other new features.
However, nobody seemed to notice the small, but significant change in the license agreement section 3.1.1.

Previously the line read:
3.3.1 — Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs.

The line now reads:
3.3.1 — Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs. Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited).

So why the buzz.? Basically the one major reason mobile development is so tricky, is you have to create one unique application for almost each phone on the marked. So it is nothing like developing applications for the browser, where you can create one application and that will work in most browsers.
The mobile developers have to create a brand new application from scratch for almost every type of mobile phone out there. Both time consuming, expensive and just plain stupid.
And naturally software vendors around the globe started facilitating tools for developers that allows you to create one mobile application that will work on several mobile phones. A great initiative for everybody, both developers, clients, technology and world peace. :-)

However, Apple seems to disagree. With the new OS for the iPhone the conditions has changed. Apple insists that applications for the iPhone have to be specifically made to the Apple platform.

This will without a doubt result in furious 3.party software houses that overnight loses their entire business, and it is a serious breach in the ecosystem that binds the application community together.

But Apple must be thinking they can effort it. Cutting off the 3.party ecosystem, also means cutting off potential new clients and new projects. The Apple app store is overfilled with software, however only a few of the applications has actual value. One of the most downloaded apps from the app store is still the “flashlight” that turns your iPhone into a flashlight by lighting up the display. Hardly an application we can’t live without.

My point is, we are only in the beginning of the new mobile age, and Apple already thinks they own the thing. It is crucial for everybody in the business, to keep the ecosystem intact, despite the challenges and fight for marked shares. Maybe today apple has the most successful app store. But it is most unlikely that the rest of the industry will sit on their hand doing nothing about it.
What Apple thinks is a clever shortcut to maintaining their marked shares, can easily be a foolish short sighted act. You just can’t build a new ecosystem overnight, and burning your bridges once, causing the 3.party vendors tremendous pain, does not go unforgotten.
I sincerely hope Apple will change this section 3.1.1 back to the original conditions. It’s shortsighted, and it will haunt Apple forever forward.