Apple Rejects iPhone App As Competitive To iTunes 375
DaveyJJ sends news of yet another rejection of an iPhone app by Apple, with perhaps a chilling twist for potential developers of productivity or utility apps. John Gruber of Daring Fireball writes: "Let's be clear: forbidding 'duplication of functionality' is forbidding competition. The point of competition is to do the same thing, but better." Paul Kafasis (co-founder of Rogue Amoeba Software) makes the point that this action by Apple will scare talented developers away from the iPhone platform. And Dave Weiner argues that the iPhone isn't a "platform" at all: "The idea that it's a platform should mean no individual or company has the power to turn you off."
Re:One Can Hope (Score:5, Funny)
As an iPhone developer, I hope it will too. Less competition for me. :-)
Re:Well, yeah (Score:4, Funny)
I'm on an iPhone so take this as you will.
my phone, their app store. no one is bitching about not being able to buy windows vista or a Zen at an apple retail location.
Openmoko (Score:4, Funny)
Come on in, the water's fine in the Openmoko pool! A truly free platform, and anything compiled for Linux on an ARM CPU will run (assuming the dependencies are also present).
Re:Well, yeah (Score:3, Funny)
It wouldn't be a problem if anyone could set up their own app store to distribute software to iPhone users.
I'm also an iPhone owner, people and companies are already doing this.
A vast amount of iPhone users have their phones jailbroken (if this poll posted earlier today [engadget.com] is any indication, it would seem the majority do) thanks to the iphone-dev team. Cydia is a GUI application installed which uses apt at the backend, just like debian/ubuntu, for installing third party software. Pretty much anyone can get an app listed in the default sources, or you could make your own repository.
Re:WHY?! (Score:0, Funny)
There's competition licking at their recovery from injury? I'm trying to picture that and my imagination keeps coming up with some truly weird shit.
Nono, they should! (Score:3, Funny)
They should allow it, and sell zunes in the apple store.
Re:One Can Hope (Score:1, Funny)
Only asshats post as AC
Re:WHY?! (Score:3, Funny)
The competition honesty isn't up to scratch yet.
Not up to scratch?? Well... I guess it depends on your POV.
But I fully agree, that "The iPhone is a piece of shit, and [thebestpag...iverse.net] :D
so is your face."!
Re:Developers, Developers, Developers (Score:3, Funny)
Exactly... The iPhone app store is Apple's first attempt at NOT treating third party developers with utter contempt. They're having growing pains. I bet in a few years, they'll be much better. They might even stop poisoning 3rd party developers' food and kicking their dogs.