A platform as closed as iOS is a devil&#x27;s bargain. You get cleanliness, ease of use, simplicity, and in many ways improved security. But in exchange you give up freedom, control of your own property, and ultimately the potential for any innovation beyond the imagination or agenda of the platform&#x27;s benevolent dictators.<p>The same, I think, is true for closed proprietary cloud platforms like those offered by Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. They&#x27;re the enterprise version of iOS, and the trade is very much the same: do things our way and get a clean experience, but give up the opportunity to ever leave or to ever do anything in any way other than ours.