IPhone question...sorry. Why do you need Wi-Fi to connect to iTunes on the iPhone? Why can't you just use Safari?

well, the reason i can think of is that it would have been super slow on the EDGE network, and the other reason is that it probably has to do with AT&T not wanting tons of data used on the itunes store hogging their servers or whatnot. but i may be wrong

The simple answer is that you simply couldn’t feasibly download something over EDGE so why would Apple give you access to something somewhere they know they won’t make to moneys. Possibly.

You don’t get at the iTunes Store via Safari on any platform; it’s a beast unto itself, accessible through the iTunes software.

Some possible reasons for not utilizing web browser (http) protocols and the EDGE network:

-The user authentication for iTunes is not based in https; Python is the underpinning and the primary programming language for iTunes app, and the iTunes store’s authentication mechanism is not http: compliant. Whenever you click on links from http web browsers on a computer, they are scripts that open iTunes app, so the same would apply for mobile implementations of iTunes;

-Another possible reason is that the download packet size limit for Safari on iPhone is capped at 8MB; most files and packets in iTunes exceed that maximum;

-GPRS and EDGE are too prone to errors and packet loss for high-bandwidth files, especially when the files are only downloaded a single time in a given transaction. The iTunes servers are optimized for robust delivery of files/media so as to make the traffic as efficient and cost-efficient as possible.

-Lastly the DRM mechanism needs to be delivered/encrypted over a secure protocol, and http is to susceptible to hacking.

These are my best guesses, but a more programmer-type of flutherer may correct me on some of these points (feel free btw).

Edit: too susceptible…