Not long ago in the pre-download era, Apple hawked its gear with images of iconoclasts and rebels. As much of a sentimental put-on as this was, the ads and portraits in stores were invitations to the clubhouse. They signaled Apple wasn’t, say, Wal-Mart, which did its own clubby signifying (eg, Support Our Troops signs, George Bush’s speeches pumped over the PA system).

Now, when you open the iTunes store, it’s harder to pretend you aren’t shopping in a virtual Wal-Mart with its botoxed culture. You might be after your Coltrane, but you’re going to wade through Britney, Spiderman and 24 first.

If you cater to mass taste, you invite all the hobgoblins of its discontents to the table. Censorship, that great American rite, is sure to follow.

A year later when a hassle came up over another project, I told them to get lost. It wasn’t that hassle, which was minor. It was the anger I still felt about those delayed checks.

Apple is creating the same situation. In a year or two good, talented developers will be deserting and Apple will be asking itself, “Why are they leaving? The issues they raised don’t matter that much.” It won’t be those issues. It’ll be these checks delays.

Apple should pay these developers in two months at the most. An purchase in early January should be paid by the end of March at the latest. Apple has tens of billions in cash reserves. It can afford to pay promptly.