Apple to iPhone Developers: Don't Compete With Us | Hacker News Reader

Apple to iPhone Developers: Don't Compete With Us

technologizer.com

37 pointstechnologizer10 comments

The question that keeps on hitting me when I see posts along those lines is whether or not these highly publicized instances are remotely representative of the way apps submitted to the app store get treated.

Could someone clarify this? If this is just a corner that keeps on getting highly publicized, well the app store hasn't really been around that long as yet, so is it really that unreasonable?

I think that they are interesting & telling in & of themselves. Apple is pissing off developers. And it isn't being met with 'get out of it.'

It isn't so much about how often it happens as it is about the fact that it happens at all. No, 90% of apps aren't being turned away for competing with the iPhone's built-in apps, but if any application is turned away not because it sucks, but because it's too good, that's a problem and it will discourage innovation.

"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that..."

The 5 real reasons to avoid iPhone 3G:

    * iPhone completely blocks free software. Developers must pay a tax to Apple, who becomes the sole authority over what can and can't be on everyone's phones.
    * iPhone endorses and supports Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) technology.
    * iPhone exposes your whereabouts and provides ways for others to track you without your knowledge.
    * iPhone won't play patent- and DRM-free formats like Ogg Vorbis and Theora.
    * iPhone is not the only option. There are better alternatives on the horizon that respect your freedom, don't spy on you, play free media formats, and let you use free software -- like the FreeRunner.

http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/why-free-software-and-app...

The sad reality is that Windows Mobile is the most open readily-available phone platform right now.

OpenMoko is nice (and I own a Neo), but for some reason they decided to write all the applications in C. This makes developing for it a real pain in the ass. Do I really want to set up a cross compiler and emulator just to change a few lines of code? No, and that's why I haven't. :)

Maybe I will write a CL-based "desktop" for mobile phones some time in the future.

Someone proposed to start something like "iphone developer's trade union" for collective bargaining.

Locked-down APIs are one thing, but if Apple keeps up with their app-removal policies, NDAs and lack of communication on important issues, it will come to unionization and they will not be happy.

Has collective bargaining ever, ever, ever succeeded in the computer industry?

People usually don't care enough about it - for employee/employer relationship it's employee's market anyways as good coders are never out of work and its easier to vote with your feet.

Now if App Store were to monopolize the mobile app market (in terms of revenue prospects) then it could be a different story - people might start caring.

Not that I can remember, but class action lawsuits have.

That would require some sort of law being broken, or some sort of right to be violated. I'm pretty sure all rights have been signed over to Apple in SDK agreement so that one wouldn't go very far. The only law I can think of would be anti-trust, but there are couple of problems with that:

1. Apple is not a monopoly in any traditional sense of the word

2. Anti-trust is moving very very slow. Look at Microsoft.

If majority of app developers pulled their apps for a week from the app store, that could get Apple's attention. Until the non-members jump in and start filling in the void... yeah, well I guess this idea won't work - you can't really prevent the strikebreakers from moving in.

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