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How much do you consider an OS? Because right now Apple could say “fine”, create “The Darwin and XNU Foundation”, and just keep their closed source window manag
by easton 6y ago
How much do you consider an OS? Because right now Apple could say “fine”, create “The Darwin and XNU Foundation”, and just keep their closed source window manager / core apps (SpringBoard/Finder calendar, mail, App Store). As long as they donated enough to the foundation to keep open builds coming for other platforms (even if you just get a shell with really old coreutils, although I bet it’d be better than that), the antitrust suit you’re suggesting would probably be covered.
- toyg 6y agoNope, the definition of OS would have to cover at least the window manager and the equivalent of win32/cocoa libs, so that developers can build first-class “windowed applications”. I know it wouldn’t be a trivial effort to define it in legal terms, but even in imprecise terms it would lay the foundation for a body of law that could keep OS developers honest.
- zepto 6y agoOk, so now the government regulates user interfaces forever. No thanks.
- thu2111 6y agoAh great, so now smartphones never happen at all because regulations say general purpose computers must allow windowed applications? You seem to have a remarkable faith in government regulations! All the attempts to regulate tech I've directly had experience with were disaster zones of unintended consequences.