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Apple is there to make money, and give users what they want. Not developers. When people own computers, they want applications available -- the more the better

Apple is there to make money, and give users what they want. Not developers. When people own computers, they want applications available -- the more the better. Remember the "10,000 programs" television ad for the Apple II? http://www.google.com/search?q=%22apple+ii%22+%2210%2C000+programs%22 http://www.google.com/search?q=%22apple+ii%22+%2210%2C000+pr... The decision to buy a computer is mainly based on the size of the application-base. The early-adopters are anticipating rapid application-base growth. To grow the application base, one needs developers. As Steve Balmer said: http://www.google.com/search?q=steve+balmer+developers http://www.google.com/search?q=steve+balmer+developers

axod 18y ago
The iPhone has one of the best browsers available, with a pretty fast javascript engine. You can run whatever you like. I disagree about people wanting native installable apps. I don't think they particularly do any more. I'd be really surprised if anyone bought the iPhone because of a certain app in the app store.
- DabAsteroid 18y ago
  I'd be really surprised if anyone bought the iPhone because of a certain app in the app store. So would I, which is why I said that people want the availability of a wide variety of applications, not any particular application.
- JeffJenkins 18y ago
  A significant portion of my purchase decision was that OmniFocus was releasing a portable version of their program. The trouble with browser-based iPhone apps -- around here, anyway -- is that you can't use them on the subway. The GMail client on my old blackberry was like that and it was totally worthless during most of the time I was mobile. I do think that web apps with the HTML 5 database ( http://www.w3.org/html/wg/html5/#sql http://www.w3.org/html/wg/html5/#sql ) and clever caching would cover most use-cases. It does still leave email-outbox style functionality out of apps, but a simple message-passing service in the API would solve that.
- nonrecursive 18y ago
  I also bought the iphone because OmniFocus was going to be available for it
- radley 18y ago
  It's not the JS engine speed - it's the connection/download speed that matters, especially for iPhone v1. Apps were essential even before the app store opened. Jailbreaking, yo, remember?
  - axod 18y ago
    The answer to that thought would be to demand better carriers, more wifi, etc if they are not present in your country.

axod 18y ago

The iPhone has one of the best browsers available, with a pretty fast javascript engine. You can run whatever you like. I disagree about people wanting native installable apps. I don't think they particularly do any more. I'd be really surprised if anyone bought the iPhone because of a certain app in the app store.

DabAsteroid 18y ago
I'd be really surprised if anyone bought the iPhone because of a certain app in the app store. So would I, which is why I said that people want the availability of a wide variety of applications, not any particular application.
JeffJenkins 18y ago
A significant portion of my purchase decision was that OmniFocus was releasing a portable version of their program. The trouble with browser-based iPhone apps -- around here, anyway -- is that you can't use them on the subway. The GMail client on my old blackberry was like that and it was totally worthless during most of the time I was mobile. I do think that web apps with the HTML 5 database ( http://www.w3.org/html/wg/html5/#sql http://www.w3.org/html/wg/html5/#sql ) and clever caching would cover most use-cases. It does still leave email-outbox style functionality out of apps, but a simple message-passing service in the API would solve that.
nonrecursive 18y ago
I also bought the iphone because OmniFocus was going to be available for it
radley 18y ago
It's not the JS engine speed - it's the connection/download speed that matters, especially for iPhone v1. Apps were essential even before the app store opened. Jailbreaking, yo, remember?
- axod 18y ago
  The answer to that thought would be to demand better carriers, more wifi, etc if they are not present in your country.