&#62; <i>If that perception continues, Apple loses recruiting access to a lot of the best developers.</i><p>I certainly consider Google to be a more ethical company than Apple. Currently, I own neither an iPhone or an Android phone; if I did get one it would be the Android because it is more open. If I did have an Android, it's quite likely I would develop software on it.<p>On the desktop, I currently use a Linux box. I've considered getting a Mac; several of my friends have them. But the locked-down nature of the iPhone and iPad deter me from buying any of their products.<p>So Apple has certainly lost me as a potential customer, due to my perception of them being evil. Do they care? Probably not. However, if lots of programmers think like me, the software ecosystem around their product will suffer.