There are no less than five apps to turn my iPhone into a flashlight, yet I can’t turn it into a 3G-powered Wi-Fi hotspot. Why? Because the SDK has more restrictions than Guantanamo-devs can’t integrate with the OS and have to steer way, way clear of copyright and trademark issues-so the most innovative, game-changing apps might not ever make it to your squeaky clean iPhone.” An editorial by Gizmodo. Many kinds of apps (from multi-IM apps running on the background, to copy/paste) require the level of system integration that either is not possible via the existing official API, or that Apple artificially limits via lawyers.
Why We Still Need the iPhone App Black Market
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
as Cocoa Touch evolves and more APIs are exposed to low level functionality.
You’re missing the point entirely. The 3G Wifi Hotspot was a perfect example.
All you apple fan boys love paying for shit twice don’t you? You pay AT&T $30 a month for an unlimited data plan so you can have lightning fast internet access anywhere in the US. Then you go and pay your ISP another monthly fee to get it on your computer in your house? Are you mental?
You guys love doing it with music too.
See http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/ringtones.html
“99 cents + 99 cents = ringtone bliss”
Wait a second, you mean I get to pay you twice for the same shit? Sign me up!
What the hell is wrong with you people? If you paid for an iPod, you just paid for what Apple keeps saying “runs the same OSX as a mac”. You have a computer in your pocket you dumbass!
On your overpriced shiny mac with a 1 button mouse…would you accept it if apple charged you $0.99 to change your wallpaper?
No?…then why the f–k do you accept the fact that they charge you $0.99 to take a full song that you paid for and cut it up and make it a ring tone?
Why do you accept that when you buy an iMac, after 4 years when you want a new computer your nice 20″ monitor is useless because Apple conveniently left out an input jack?
Why do you accept the fact that they don’t let you use your unlimited AT&T data plan to bring internet to the rest of your house?
Why do you accept the fact that they won’t let you develop a VOIP app for iPhone?
You have unlimited data, yet you have limited text, and minutes?…does that make sense?
Sheep!…you’re all Sheep!
Disclaimer: I own Apple stock. Not as part of a mutual fund…I outright own pure Apple stock. Keep doing what you’re doing. Keep paying for the same stuff over and over again…please.
First off: I doubt that all owners or Apple-products neccererly agree with everything Apple does. I know let’s see… none that buys anything at all from iTunes.
Oh, the mouse have 4 buttons. You have the normal one that can be triggered either by pressing the whole mouse, or only the left side. Then you have the right click, just like normal mouses. Middle click, and “side click”. So that’s flat out wrong(unless your talking about old macs.)
Aren’t iPods selling out Macs by far? I was a Windows-user when I got my first iPod. I didn’t care or know about what OS the iPod ran. I think that could be said for most that buy them. They where simply better than most MP3-players.
“Why do you accept that when you buy an iMac, after 4 years when you want a new computer your nice 20″ monitor is useless because Apple conveniently left out an input jack?”
Because it’s practical(the all-in-one computer concept.). Because in 4 years I’d want a new better screen anyway. Also: My Mac will probably be usable in 4 years too. Not like Windows-based computers where the newest OS don’t run well on older hardware *at all*. (Note: this doesen’t apply for Linux of course.)
I guess it depends on whether you want to change your hardware or not. I never buy components, but I buy new computers. I think this applies to a lot of people, they buy a new computer anyway. Including screen.
That being said there are a hell lot of sheepish mac users. I’ve pissed off a good half of a Mac-forum I was on when trying to explain that the mac was simply “a PC” and not god’s gift to the world.
“You have unlimited data, yet you have limited text, and minutes?…does that make sense? ”
Just like most carriers. I don’t have an iPhone, but I have unlimited data outside working-hours. (Sounds like a weird deal, but it was quite cheap. 99,- NOK a month.)
Aside from the ringtones I think you fail at pointing out Apples annoying flaws. I would say insanely expensive memory, locked iPhones, the-not-really-cheap-at-all Mac Mini with outdated hardware are worse than anything you’ve mentioned.
Also: it’s about needs. For someone that just wants to surf on the net, chat and do office-stuff I’d without thinking recommend a computer with Ubuntu. For a gamer: Windows.
Personally I do graphic design. I’ve tried all the major plattforms and this is the one that performs best for this use.
“Right tool for the right job.”
EDIT: Agree on the 3G-Wifi-spot thing though. There are allready apps like that for the HTC TyTn II / Tilt.
Edited 2008-07-24 08:32 UTC
(Note: this doesen’t apply for Linux of course.)
Doesn’t apply how? That is are isn’t usable on 4 year old hardware? That totally depends on the hardware and what distro. Vista can run OK on 4 year old hardware with enough ram and a good video card, so can ubuntu or another heavy distro. But if you haven’t upgraded your 4 year old machine past 4 year old defaults.. then you are screwed in the heavy desktop linux and windows realm unless you bought a hell of a machine back then
Could you tell me what’s wrong with paying if you can actually afford it? I personally could care less about spending $.99 more or $99 more if it provides a convenient environment. Not everyone is cheap and if you are I suggest you start researching ways into making more money so that you won’t go foaming at the mouth and calling everyone who considers buying ringtones “sheep”.
Same for iMacs – some people just don’t give a shit about cost -they could buy several computers right now and throw them away. 4 years is so distant it doesn’t even exist.
It’s a shame really – use what you want, buy a $100 computer with FreeDOS preinstalled or whatever. But generalisations like that never work. It’s like calling all Linux users ‘nerds’ because their OS has a selection of great shells by default.
Letting others not rip you off is not called cheap, it’s smart. If everyone with enough money thought the way you did things would become even more expensive making it even harder for those without enough money.
It would be more moral to just buy stuff at the price it’s worth, and if you have so much, why not give the rest to some charity, it’s better of there then in the hands of some filthy rich businessman.
Sorry, but this is just stupid.
People are always willing to pay for convenience. Sure, you might be able to get a $100 computer running Linux. But how much time would you spend researching to find the right components, and then how much time will you spend configuring the system to your liking? Money comes and goes and for some money is less of an issue. Time on the other hand is finite and you can never get it back.
If you’re tight fisted, that’s fine. But to call people who pay for convenience immoral is just plain ignorance at best.
I was not talking about convenience, but about letting your self get ripped off. If something is too expensive in the country where I lived people just don’t buy it. The prices there are somewhat stable. Where I live now people easily pay 60 euros for fake gym shoos worth 10 at most. Those shoos cost 40 € only one year ago. (very small village)
People ask whatever others are willing to give for it, and if a lot of ignorant people are not critical, prices raise, most incomes do not, that way the rich get richer and the poor more poor.
it’s like “you’ve purchased it, but you don’t own it”
Did you not read my disclaimer? I own AAPL stock. I love the fact that people like you would be willing to pay $0.99 to change your desktop wallpaper. I love the fact that you pay the price of a full song for a clip of song that you already bought. I love it. Keep it up sheep.
Don’t you realize that they introduce artificial limitations for the sole purpose of nickel and dimeing you? You can expect this from the cell phone industry, but now it is making its way into the computer industry as your iPhone IS a computer. Expecting that type of behavior is okay, accepting it is not.
I don’t give a damn what stock you own. If you had half a brain you would have replied to my post intelligently and not regurgitated your nonsense.
The last I checked the iPhone was a cellphone and AT&T required a contract. When Apple starts doing that on a Mac let me know. Until then keep your ignorance to your self.
Edited 2008-07-24 15:55 UTC
No you must be if you think a 3G phone is going to replace my 5 Mbps
DSL. My Tivo and other devices use the network 24-7 to update things. I can’t leave my phone on 24-7. What happens when I have to leave my house? Duh!
Second cellular networks have horrible latency.
Then don’t use it. I have paid exactly 0 for my ringtone.
This makes no sense.
The problem here isn’t Apple. It’s the RIAA. Feel free to sue them if you want.
Most All-in-ones suffer the same fate not just Macs. Case in point Dell XPS one. The iMac is not a 20″inch monitor not anymore than a laptop is a 15 inch monitor with a keyboard. That whole argument is as silly as “You can’t reuse the keyboard on laptop after it dies because they conveniently remove the cable”. What is wrong with you?
Because it makes 0 sense. See Above.
Because that’s not Apple’s call but AT&T. Think about that for a second.
Again not Apple’s fault. Email on the iPhone is free. The AIM App can be used to SMS for free too. AT&T will sell you an unlimited voice plan for $99. The GSM and DATA antennas are different and use different technologies. Do you understand how this stuff actually works or are you just and Anti-Apple sheep.
So are you just the Anti-Apple and Anti-Common Sense kind. You just blindly follow all the Anti-Apple rants and regurgitated it here without thinking twice about it. Look like a sheep to me.
Edited 2008-07-24 12:10 UTC
it’s a pretty accessible article for everyone that explains some of the down sides of vendor lock-in.
You can even send the link to your mamas and papas.
I’ll point out one inaccuracy in the article though: Cydia is not the replacement for Installer.app, rather it is an alternative that is based on Debian apt. I won’t say one is any better than the other as they both work very well for me.
Otherwise, I’d agree the article is a good summary of the current developer woes regarding the official SDK.
The article is flawed – while the possibility to add new functionality via jailbreak *is* there, it brings with it major headaches for developers.
For one, you MUST use the open toolchain to compile a jailbreak app, you cannot use Xcode’s one that is part of the iPhone SDK.
Your apps also can’t be uninstalled from SpingBoard or backed up through iTunes and synced to other devices.
The OS icon system for jailbroken and SDK apps is different – you have to manually draw every part of the icon for jailbreak, whereas with the SDK icons are given a fitting shadow and optional gloss.
Not to mention making a wireless 3G hotspot is against AT&T’s iPhone contract bigtime, although dunno about other carriers. Could find massive bills or have your contract cut.
Apple test all App Store applications heavily by hand, and make sure that all bugs they find are squashed before they allow a release. In contrast, on a jailbroken phone you have no such testing process, and jailbroken apps can have root access to everything on your phone and can modify or interfere with any other apps or system components.
Also the “Apple limits app testing to five devices, so there is basically is no beta testing.” line is completely wrong. The limit is 100 devices per provisioning profile and has been for some time, and Ad Hoc distribution (i.e. emailing or IMing an app to someone) is completely supported.
EDIT: Yes I am an iPhone developer. And the SDK is really sweet in what it *does* allow you to do
Edited 2008-07-24 02:52 UTC
So here’s what I’ve been wondering since the keynote that announced the official development process: would it not be possible for official SDK apps to sidestep the app store completely just by distributing the program as source (in this case, an XCode project)? Or is there a clause somewhere forbidding mass distribution, as in putting iPhone apps on a public site might trigger a cease and desist? Or yet again, is there a limit on the number of “beta” apps that can be on the phone at once?
As far as I know, anything and everything is covered under NDA at the moment, meaning you’re not allowed provide your source to the public as it would expose Apple’s methods.
Can’t answer that officially
http://www.f–kingnda.com/
fill in the dashes
Edited 2008-07-24 04:39 UTC
I think AppStore is fine. It’s a great idea to give people a fairly secure way og getting their apps. In fact, I would say it is great.
But locking people to ONLY get stuff from that?
Why couldn’t they have AppStore *and* let people get stuff on the phone by other means if they want to.
or maybe, MAYBE we dont use the worst piece of garbage ever created, aka pooPhone.
http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/5-reasons-to-avoid-iphone-3g
I wanted to try at porting some apps, but I’m not sure I really want to start developping for iphone and help Apple impose DRM and other crap onto users…