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Comment by acgourley | Hacker News Reader

Apple wants you to use their 30 pin interface, but that requires going through their MFi program and that lets them control the hardware ecosystem like they do the software ecosystem.

To be fair, there are certain advantages to hardware manufacturers willing to jump those hurdles. You're able to ensure no one can make software for your hardware, for one. Secondly users who plug in your hardware can automatically be taken to the app store to download your software.

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Also the headphone jack is available on all phones and if you develop for 30 pin interface, you have to design different hardware connector for different phones

Is there anyplace online people in the MFi program hang out (forums, usenet, mail lists, etc.)? I've got some very basic questions about the whole process, but it seems like such a black hole (from the outside looking in).

It would be great to use the ipods or ipads for industrial data collection, but we'll need IR and a way to get data on/off without network connectivity.

Not that I've seen, and the NDA you have to accept is pretty strict.

That's what I was afraid of. In the quantities we're looking at, maybe we'd be better off jailbreaking and selling the whole thing as a package.

Or maybe I'll just drag my feet a bit and hope there's a decent Android tablet with USB host and an SD slot coming soon...

You should take a look at Adam from Notion Ink. It's USB host. To me that's the killer feature, for this reason!

So far, it's vapourware. That's something I just can't get over when I consider ordering one.

If it's vapourware then what were they showing at CES 2011?

It's vapourware until you can buy one. A lot of things that are shown at CES do end up being cancelled before they're ever released.

The pre-orders are shipping. Mine will arrive in about two weeks.

And there was video footage of Duke Nukem Forever shown off in 1998.

Thanks, that's an interesting device.

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