There’s been plenty of talk about Apple’s decision to restrict certain applications from the iPhone App Store. We even talked about it today on our Minnov8 Gang podcast (one of our team is head of marketing for DoApp, the startup iPhone app developer in Minnesota).

While I’ve observed some of the commentary about previous apps that were rejected after the developer had done the work and submitted the app for review (like this “Pull my Finger” fart one), I was somewhat agitated — but then very agitated — when an app I wanted was rejected (even though I still was able to buy NetShare and download it before it was removed…probably permanently).

Then at the end of the week, I had a jaw-dropping surprise over the rejection of an iPhone application from the app store called “Podcaster” (You can see a video of Podcaster, and/or order the application, here).

Now I fear that Apple is making moves which will give pause to the ecosystem and either ensure that the killer app is on Google’s Android vs. the iPhone, or at the very least slow development of applications as the developer ecosystem waits to see if the control-freak Apple attitude toward the iPhone persists.

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Over the past few years, I’ve been in numerous discussions about how social media (and blogging in specific) is driving a new level of transparency in marketing, public relations and corporate communications, while also providing unprecedented opportunity for thought leaders to carve out a niche in new and powerful ways.

In my consulting engagements when talk comes around to discussing crowdsourcing and ways to spark creativity and innovation through social media means, Apple often is brought up as an example of how to innovate: "We’ve got to create an iPod" is often brought up as a successful innovation.

Often this occurs without much talk of how Apple really succeeded with it by focusing on the entire value chain. Nailing the value chain was the secret sauce in delivering a three-tiered value chain offering by tying that iPod to a desktop application (iTunes) so people could rip their CD’s and manage their music, alongside that same application (iTunes) acting as a Web hosted application (iTunes connected to an iTunes Store). Then they offered this whole package up to an industry on its knees as its product (music) was being stolen out from underneath them.

But then I’m quizzed by clients. "Hey, wait just a dang minute Borsch. You’re promoting and pushing us to be transparent and let employees blog when a company you laud, worked for and own stock in is polar opposite?" Apple is a different beast that needed to be opaque since they were close to being out of business in the 1990′s, but the problem is they haven’t changed direction about their lack of transparency now that they’re a resounding success.

I’ve been troubled by that paradox until just now.

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Ever since Mac OS X Server shipped in 1999 and the desktop version in early 2001, many Apple and enterprise I.T. watchers have pontificated about Apple possibly moving into enterprise sales in a big way and making it a focus of effort.

On a scale of 1-10 (with “10″ being hyperfocused on a strategic market), I believe Apple’s interest in the enterprise is a “2″.

My friend, Graeme Thickins (blog; business), sent a few of us an eWeek article today entitled, “Apple Goes Enterprise.” The authors premise? That enterprise I.T. is clueless unless they seriously consider Mac OS X Server and Apple’s Xserve or Xsan hardware for their server room due to the world-class aspects of these products and his argument was on the merits of what Apple offers.

I’d agree they’re worth a serious look, but I see one huge caveat to this article from the point of view of someone who was a manufacturer’s rep for Apple in the early 1980′s, worked again for the company after Jobs came back in 1996 for three years, was in leadership positions in the enteprise software space (e.g., Vignette; Lawson Software) and have thought long and hard about what Apple is up to while simultaneously knowing what it takes to kowtow to and please enterprise I.T. folks.

The enterprise wants every conceivable feature and typically places their bets on technology momentum, a new class of product or a vendor if they deliver a corresponding support infrastructure (i.e., a vendor that invests in support for enterprises specifically) or demand is off-the-charts high. Currently Apple’s support for the enterprise is modest…at best…and many of Apple’s former resellers (who could support the enterprise) are gone due to the Apple Store juggernaut.

In a January 2000 Fortune magazine interview, Jobs said this about Apple’s new directions — including any sort of focus on enterprise sales — in response to a line of questioning about why they wouldn’t pursue the enterprise after Apple’s reenergized and growing sales as well as the then well accepted “jelly bean shaped” iMac:

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Today’s Macworld "Stevenote" was interesting and brought back memories. In the Spring of 1984, I was in San Francisco for the Apple II Forever rollout of the Apple IIc, a small desktop machine which was quite compact but still needed its little green screen monitor (I was with a manufacturer’s rep firm out of college and Apple was our major line…and this was before they hired their own direct sales force).

Though some are already pointing out some of the Macbook Air’s shortcomings (e.g., non-user replaceable battery; only one USB port) I still have to admit to being amazed at the power we have in our hands compared to what I’ve lived with as the personal computer industry has evolved.

My biggest pump today? The iPhone’s new software. I’ve already bookmarked some Google Maps locations and created two screens of oft-used web sites that I’ve "clipped" and made into icons to instantly go to a page…and the exact part of a page all zoomed in and so forth (see the demo here).

Take a walk down memory lane and watch this video from the Apple II Forever event in San Francisco in April, 1984 and you’ll see that all the cool stuff announced today is but a milestone on the way as we walk into our technology future.

After posting yesterday on the “Top Five Reasons that Leopard will be Apple’s tipping point“, it just reinforced in me that the depth of passion on the various sides of the computing table still exists (Windows; Mac; Linux).

You know what I think is happening that’s actually accelerating fanboy-dom and compelled so many people to comment? Those of us on the ‘net, and extensively using computers, have our faces in them for more total hours than ever before. With the explosion in laptop sales — most of which have Wifi cards in them — these tools are being schlepped all over the place and used as the general purpose devices they’re meant to be. All day, every day we’re accessing Web 2.0 sites, using applications, editing video and audio, communicating through Skype and webcams and much more.

So people naturally invest dollars and then themselves emotionally in their chosen computing platform. Most of us customize our device with wallpaper, sounds, applications and — because of ever larger hard drives and our extensive use spawning more digital files than ever — we structure and archive our digital lives with these devices. So it stands to reason we all have heightened awareness of our time investment as well as being intellectually invested in learning how our computers work and where stuff is located. Having anyone intimate that your choice is wrong and that you’re a schnub for choosing your computing platform is like whacking at a hornet’s nest.

As I write this I’ve had 60,000 pageviews of that post, nearly 80 comments under it and more than 500 comments on the Digg submission. Too many to address individually (and many are trolls being anonymous and nasty and are not due a response).

Windows and Linux have many, many compelling features and attractive aspects and run on cheaper hardware. But to me the obstacles and barriers to using them as productively as I do the Mac are too high (and, in fact, I have Ubuntu Linux and WinXP on this Macbook Pro now). Using these other OS’es cause me to spend a lot more time “twiddling bits” than being creative and productive.

I’m pleased with the platform I’ve chosen (Mac) and the result is I’ve invested many thousands of dollars in dozens of machines, applications, training and knowledge. Having used all three platforms extensively for many years, my chosen one allows my staff and I to be more productive and our output is remarkable ranging from color print to ebooks; video; audio; and much more. Our tech support need and hours invested in twiddling bits is now 10% of what it was when we were running Windows. The bonus is no adware. No spyware. No viruses.