... let the fools develop the Opera for iPhone, just like Google Voice, and then when the curtail is to be raised they say NOPE! It's replicating the features of iPhoneTouchWhatEver, sorry guys and gals of Opera.

Why? This might be the devious plan by Apple, just to waste developer hours of their competitors on something that never sees the light of day.

On more serious note I wish there were some laws against kind of software market monopoly Apple is managing... Even though it's their hardware, but people have bought it -- not rented it -- to my knowledge.

There is already a third party browser on the app store, Mercury, it is reasonable as far as mobile browsers go, but it shows that Apple have loosened the restrictions as far as browsers go.

In answer to your question, no. The refresh rate is incredibly slow (between Windows Mobile and Windows XP with the latest VNC, at least). To suggest that it is an alternative to having Flash on the device is somewhat ridiculous.

Also, there is no way Apple will allow a third party browser to be installed. How will Jobs take over the world if he allows his competitors any edge?? Surely he will crush them in his god-like hands for their insolence??

Apparently.

We hear and assume that Apple is extraordinarily unlikely to have any truck with RealNetworks. That was the position when, I think I recall, RealNetworks found a way to handle files from iTunes and Apple promptly updated iTunes to prevent that, and it's the position now, I think.

But to most computer users, Real means RealNetworks RealPlayer, not RealVNC.

It's been a while since I used VNC, I generally use Remote Desktop as I found it to be faster. Have speeds improved enough to be able to view Flash over VNC?

Last time I tried this the speeds were terrible (and this was over a LAN). I would be pleasantly surprised if it's improved enough to be usable, I would definitely consider switching to it, as the iPhone's RDP client is very slow.