Apple-Twitter Partnership a Win-Win: Why Didn't Facebook Take the Deal? | Fast Company

I suspect “onerous terms,” in this context, means Facebook declined to forever sign away the option of directly tapping into market potential at the intersection of social networking and music-related commerce.  And/or perhaps Mark Zuckerberg read The Master Switch, which includes a stark assessment of Apple’s past, present, and likely future…

But after a reported 18 months of negotiations between Apple and Facebook, the deal crumbled. Why? Because of Facebook's demands for "onerous terms," according to Steve Jobs.

Critics might argue Facebook made the right move. After all, giving Apple access to its half-billion users is a lot to stomach. On the other hand, Mark Zuckerberg and Co. may have lost out on something more valuable: user behavior. Apple, through iTunes, has created a community of very willing customers: Users let Apple store their credit card information, and are eager to buy apps and songs and movies and books. No social network has reached that point, and Apple could be the key.

Apple-Twitter Partnership a Win-Win: Why Didn't Facebook Take the Deal? | Fast Company