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Comment by foljs | Hacker News Reader

> But if we are to follow precedence set by other Apple products, the Mac will become more closed than ever, with the Web as our only option to access the outside world. Much like the iPhone and the iPad. As a Mac owner, the writing is on the wall, a closed computer is my future.

Em, the "other Apple products" mentioned were never open to begin with. And they are not general purpose computers.

The Mac, on the other hand, always had XCode built-in. I don't see a "closed computer" in the near future...

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I strongly disagree. The App Store does not impose any DRM or copy protection on the software. Apps are free to implement their own methods of copy protection and there is a cryptographically signed receipt in every App that paid apps are supposed to check. That way, an app can verify that it was legally bought with an Apple ID that is present on the computer. As recent events have shown, Apple does not even check the apps for doing so, though.

However, there is no built-in way to prevent copying of the apps (other than in iOS, there is no DRM!). In fact, free apps aren't even supposed to check for the receipt and you are explicitly free to install your bought apps on as many computers as you own.

Moreover, Apple has officially touted the App Store to be one of many distribution channels and Apple in no way prevents you from using different channels such as packet managers, regular online distribution, self compiled source downloads, shop-bought boxed software, or whatever you like.

So, the App Store in no way restricts your right to use or install software on your Mac. I don't see how this makes the Mac 'more closed'.

Em, the "other Apple products" mentioned were never open to begin with.

Right, which indicates that Steve's preference is for closed systems. Every argument Apple makes in favor of locking down iOS devices applies equally well to Macs.

And they are not general purpose computers.

Only because of artificial limitations.

I don't see a "closed computer" in the near future...

I believe with 60% probability that by the end of 2015, Apple won't sell any consumer-targeted products that allow root access or installation of arbitrary software.

There's one aspect of the iOS situation that doesn't apply on the Mac: Apple can't get away with it on the Mac, and they know it. It's much easier to open platforms that are closed than to close platforms that are open. If they locked down the Mac as much as iOS, you wouldn't even be able to install another operating system, which I think is fairly common among Mac users. Even if it's not common, they've used the ability to do it as a big part of their push for people switching.

Even if there are a lot of users that wouldn't object to the Mac being a closed platform, developers would. Developers want root access to their development machine. Apple doesn't want to lose developer support, because they know that it is the lifeblood of the platform.

I'd make the exact opposite prediction. I think it's more likely that iOS will allow sideloading than that Mac OS will forbid installation of software other than through the App Store. On the other hand, I can see both platforms moving toward a system where it is locked down by default, but it is trivial, and officially supported, for the user to allow installing software through unapproved sources.

In my experience, developers are the most passionate group of evangelists for Apple products. Cutting root access from the Mac would make it unusable for many types of developers, if not all. I don't think Apple can afford to lose that base of customers and evangelists.

> Only because of artificial limitations.

No, because of a design tradeoff: ease of use and mind vs openess.

Apple would still get to sell their iOS devices and iTunes content even if they allowed shell access and arbitrary installation of programs on them.

>I believe with 60% probability that by the end of 2015, Apple won't sell any consumer-targeted products that allow root access or installation of arbitrary software.

2015? Not a chance. Although the industry WILL move towards more auto-managable OSs...

XCode is not built-in. You have to download it. It is free but you still have to make that effort.

Actually, it ships on the Mac OS X install media. I have been pleasantly surprised that this is still true. It comes as cold comfort when you find that you have to download a new XCode anyway because the one on your DVD is way too old, but still, it is there.

Obviously they don't install it by default: For 99.5% of Mac customers all it would do is take up space and add risk of confusion.

Last I checked, XCode shipped with every Mac and copy of Mac OS X. It is an optional install from the DVD's like X11.

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