You are not being the devil's advocate here.
Whatever MS, Google or Facebook do its the end of the world (as it should), but apparently for the HN crowd, Apple can do whatever they want.
This monopoly over our digital life will have severe consequences in the future. People here are so smart, but when its about Apple, their sentimental reasoning start triggering.
Actions like this one, as many others, are some of the reasons why i never use anything from Apple. Its like a car factory being able to decide where you cannot go with "their" car (Its yours). Or the clothing company choosing the places i can use "their" clothes.
The hacker spirit here ends when is anything related to Apple, when in doubt just read the top comments here in this thread. Its not a 'benevolent ditactor hacker' sort of social contract.. its a company which need to raise their profits so their shares keep being valuable to the stock market. If consumers and developers let them, they will own our digital life, and lock us with them.
We have no legal framework, and no State to intervene in our interests as it should be.. States and democracies are a dying species, and we are the ones to blame.. we, as in the general population, just want the next shiny gadget.
But i bet we will miss the things we have, but dont give much value now. Lets not forget the share of our lives that are constantly being transfered to the digital dimension, and how important they are now.