What has dismayed me so much is Apple's recent decision regarding e-book reader apps: In September last year such that, without major economic and functional changes in third party apps from the likes of Amazon and Barnes and Noble, the only book reader app left after June 30th this year will be Apple's own iBook.

Now Apple has always been rather eccentric in what software they allowed in the App Store. Some of the apps they denied seem inexplicable (for example, Apple does not allow apps that involve prizes or competitions) while others are curiously restrictive (no beta software), or overly prudish (anything that's even slightly risqué won't make it into the App Store).

On the other hand, Apple's high mindedness goes out the window when they allow apps such as "STD-Virus Scanner Gag" which "scans" a finger placed on an iOS device (of course, it doesn't really do so) and produces one of a number of spoken fake diagnoses that include herpes, extraterrestrial virus, gonorrhea and chlamydia (this pathetic attempt at humor can be yours for only $0.99 ... which is $0.9999999 too much).

Anyway, the e-reader issue has a bigger potential impact than any of the other controlled categories of software because of its impact on both publishers and users.

The impact on publishers is enormous because, while Apple has always required that apps that provide in-app purchasing for any product use the iTunes purchasing system (which takes a cut of the proceeds), Apple is now requiring that apps that send users to an external Web site for purchasing must instead offer the option of in-app purchasing via the iTunes purchasing system.