Huh, didn't we kind of try this before with teh Microsoft?

Yes.

Also, Hewitt quit iOS development BECAUSE a single entity was controlling it, to his dissatisfaction:

http://techcrunch.com/2009/11/11/joe-hewitt-developer-of-facebooks-massively-popular-iphone-app-quits-the-project/

The major browsers are all still innovating with HTML5 and CSS3. I'm not sure why Hewitt thinks it would be better to give all the power & responsibility to a single organization.

The current way of each browser doing non-standard shit and then seeing what sticks seems to be working out fairly well overall. Webdevs can have their ideologies and gripes about the lack of standards at the cutting edge, but eventually things converge & unify.

I'd rather have the chaos of multiple entities innovating and breaking shit rather than allowing Apple to be the next Microsoft.

I agree with you. We know how wrong things can go when one entity controls the platform, and so does Joe.

The chaos is The Web's advantage over everyone else.