I think you might be going a little overboard here Telstar. The reason Apple could get away with making the app store the only way to get apps for the iPhone, is because there was only a small existing base of apps and few developers to complain. If Apple, for some sick reason, decided to make the app store the only way to get apps for the mac, there would be thousands of developers instantaneously infuriated, probably to the point where they would no longer develop apps for the mac. The mac would instantly and indisputably become the "idiot's" computer, a title it already carries somewhat.
One plus side of this proposed app store is that it will reach a lot of users who otherwise don't give a darn about third-party applications. Most mac users (and computer users in general) just use the internet and word-processing. I think many shareware developers will welcome this opportunity to increase their revenue.
