In an article critical of the closure of the Apple iPhone, Marc Hedlund summarizes the arguments for open platforms, and gives concrete examples for each.

“An open platform allows developers to implement functionality the platform provider hasn’t gotten around to yet.

An open platform allows developers to reimplement and replace functionality the platform provider has gotten around to, but has failed to do well.

An open platform allows developers to meet needs that scare the platform provider, and allows consumers to have those needs met where otherwise the platform provider would block a capability.

An open platform allows its users to get far more done, and latches them to that platform far more tightly as a result.”