I do not understand the developer’s rant at all. It is possible - though tricky - to support older devices and iOS versions. Especially if you don’t do heavy stuff and keep away from cool new features you might not really need for your app.
The user’s comment below has been addressed by Apple, as older versions of the software can be downloaded if your device doesn’t support the newer one.
With regards to software: iOS is only a couple of weeks old and has a share of over 50%. iOS 6 had an adoption rate of well over 90%.
And yes, I know people who are stuck on older iOS with their iPhone 3gs.
Did you ever compare the difference in specs between the old and current models? Those 4 years difference are easily 4 to 5 times the generation gap in PC years.
