15 ms·
Because iPhones are general-purpose computers, not video game consoles. And they are the property of their owners, not of Apple. Independent developers have not
by dreamcompiler 6y ago
Because iPhones are general-purpose computers, not video game consoles. And they are the property of their owners, not of Apple. Independent developers have not just a right but a God-given right to write code for general-purpose user-owned computers without interference from Apple, and the fact that they cannot do so means Apple is violating that right and they (Apple) should receive the pointy end of a stick until they change their ways or be legislated out of existence.
- ineptech 6y agoIphones try very hard to look like general purpose computers; that's why everyone was so pissed when they pushed that U2 album, it pierced the veil.
- oriolid 6y agoIn my opinion they're not trying very hard. It's called "phone", not "computer" to start with.
- zepto 6y agoApple explicitly markets that the iPhone is locked down. How is that ‘trying hard’ to look like a general purpose computer?
- ineptech 6y agoBroadly speaking, a general purpose computer is one that can do anything (like an Apple IIe) and the opposite is one that is constrained to do a few specific things (like an ATM). Whether an iphone (or a wintel computer with UEFI, or an Android phone locked by the hardware manufacturer, or etc etc) qualifies is a matter of semantics, and not interesting to argue about; I elided this distinction because (I imagined) the kind of people posting here would be familiar with it and know what I meant. A more nitpick-proof way to phrase my point would be that an iphone is a general purpose computer controlled by Apple, and it tries very hard to look like a general purpose computer controlled by the person that bought it. The customers want to have their cake and eat it too; they want the power of a general purpose computer, and the security of a locked-down appliance. You can't have both, but Apple's size and popularity is a testament to how close they have managed to get.
- kortilla 6y agoThe distinction you’re trying to make between an iPhone and a game console isn’t very clear.
- StavrosK 6y agoAgreed; all of them should be general-purpose computers, neither should be subsidized by software sales and neither should be locked down.
- dreamcompiler 6y agoDevelopers have been conditioned to know they cannot develop games for consoles without the manufacturer's permission, but we expect to be able to develop applications for general-purpose computers freely. And the iPhone is clearly in the latter category regardless of what Apple calls it, because of the range of things it can do.
- f6v 6y ago> Because iPhones are general-purpose computers, not video game consoles. You just pulled that of a thin air. I mean, a latest Samsung fridge is a general-purpose computer as well, so... > And they are the property of their owners, not of Apple. You know what you're buying, so just stop buying it. Pinephone ships in April.
- dreamcompiler 6y agoA Samsung fridge ought to be user-programmable too. And I do plan to buy an unencumbered phone when one of them becomes stable enough for daily use.