>>> THE APPLE SOFTWARE IS NOT INTENDED FOR USE IN THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES, AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION OR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS, LIFE SUPPORT MACHINES OR OTHER EQUIPMENT IN WHICH THE FAILURE OF THE APPLE SOFTWARE COULD LEAD TO DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY, OR SEVERE PHYSICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE. <<<
This is a standard practice with all electronics manufacturers. I've been seeing it for decades at the end of component datasheets from Fairchild, National Semiconductors etc, even for things as trivial as discrete transistors, 555s and 741s. I think its primarily due to the possibility of contributory liability. And it also allows them to price discriminate and sell defense grade components at ~ 4-10x the price.
That's too simplistic a view and, I believe, simply incorrect.
The very existence of Malware has shown that the software business has been broken for years. The more non-technical people bought and used computers the worse it got. The cry of most developers has been that the users are stupid and lazy - "they should simply stop clicking it!"
You could argue that developers have been proven to be untrustworthy and unhelpful and deserve what they got.
The App Store exists because it was needed. It's phenomenal success shows that Apple were right and have gone a long way towards solving the real problems of selling safe software.
We developers need to just take the medicine and stop moaning. It was a long-time coming and it isn't going away.
By bitching we are still serving an injustice to our users. We may not need an App Store - but they do.
