I think one point in this that people often overlook is that Apple is in a situation of their own making, from the app store submission process to the physical devices. So if they want, they could push out an update to change their situation dramatically. Also they seem to be able to play hardball with carriers to get the features they want to work with their phones.

Android, however, is looking less powerful as a platform because it is only one part of the OS/interface/hardware/carrier system, so they can't stop every Android handset that comes out from having a different UI and features. This is arguably better for the consumer, but I think it's worth realizing that Apple could really change their approach a lot more effectively than their competition.

Adding the Applications menu to the Dock (first icon right of the separator) is the first thing I do on any new Mac I set up. I feel like that is a good solution for an Application launcher, and I think that in itself reflects the flexibility of the Dock. I don't feel like Apple needs to make any drastic changes there, but that might be because I'm so used to it this way.

I also add my Home folder to the Dock as well, as a quick way to get to documents and whatnot. These are actually the only folders in the Dock on my notebook.