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> ... the software is either sitting still or actively regressing The software isn't just bundled applications, you know. It's the OS APIs and what 3rd party a

> ... the software is either sitting still or actively regressing The software isn't just bundled applications, you know. It's the OS APIs and what 3rd party application developers can do. iOS 5 and 6 are both great leaps for iOS. It still lacks many features, like "intents", but calling iOS 5 or 6 "actively regressing" is more than hyperbole.

potatolicious 14y ago
The "actively regressing" part I can only presume is a jab at Maps - which honestly is a huge capability regression for the end user. And as an iOS dev I'd argue that the API advancements between iOS5 and 6 are fairly minor in comparison to the pace that Google is moving at. I'm an iOS user, and my living comes from Apple's platform dominance, and even I will gladly admit that Apple has lost the initiative. Google now leads the pack in unearthing the next step in the smartphone evolution.
- cageface 14y ago
  I will gladly admit that Apple has lost the initiative. Yep, as unlikely as that seemed even a year ago. I've been doing iOS dev for the last 1.5 years too but I'm cross-training on Android now because the momentum there is just too huge to ignore.
  - rimantas 14y ago
    > I've been doing iOS dev for the last 1.5 years I very much doubt this, but if it is true I am glad you are moving to Android—I wouldn't want to use any app developed by a person who hates Apple that much.
    - cageface 14y ago
      Easily verified from app store links on my site: http://www.plastaq.com http://www.plastaq.com People like you are truly puzzling. Apple is just a business, not a religion. If Apple drops these patent suits and starts allowing opt-in side loading of apps I'll happily come back.
    - kalleboo 14y ago
      I hope you never eat fast food either, because I'm half the employees ther hate the company that pays their bills too.
  - Firehed 14y ago
    Android had market-share, but will you get paying customers? Every article I've ever read on the subject is that iOS customers are far more willing to pay for apps than android users. Of course, if you're making a companion app for some other service which makes money it's largely irrelevant, but numbers alone don't tell the whole story.
    - cageface 14y ago
      I don't care about paying customers. Hardly anybody makes real money from app sales now. My apps are really just a portfolio. I make my money doing freelance dev for other people and I charge the same rate for Android as iOS.
    - potatolicious 14y ago
      > "Android had market-share, but will you get paying customers?" The age of direct app sales being profitable enough to float a startup are long over. iOS users are still massively outspending Android users, but overall profitability has sunk like a brick on both platforms over time. Like you said, "companion apps" and games are pretty much the only viable routes now. Direct app sales at this point in the market's lifetime is a great way to make a modest pittance and then be committed to support forever.
- pooriaazimi 14y ago
  Certainly. Comparing with Android, iOS is not moving that fast. But they're improving iOS as well, not rapidly, but steadily. ARC, storyboards, better and easier core data support (now with iCloud), new CoreImage APIs, etc. are all nice additions. And, being able to customize the look and feel without a million lines of code (Appearance framework) is certainly a major improvement. Life is quite good if you want to support only iOS 5 and 6! (Again: I'm not arguing that you're wrong, you and I are both in an understanding! I just wanted to point these out in case someone who isn't an iOS programmer gets the impression that as cageface was implying (in humor, as you said) that the APIs are really regressing)
- rimantas 14y ago
  > Maps - which honestly is a huge capability regression > for the end user. Oh no, on the contrary: with iOS 6 I got turn-by-turn navigation, and not a bad one.
- lloeki 14y ago
  > The "actively regressing" part I can only presume is a jab at Maps - which honestly is a huge capability regression for the end user. Here I can finally have detailed, reliable and readable traffic information. Google Maps one was hard to read, and often simply wrong, while now I get much better coverage in all of time, space, and information (not only traffic jams but road work and accidents). Also now the official city's app for transit will be able to plug itself into Maps.app. I'm still looking into what I have lost. Now, if you're willing to talk about the iTunes Match mess that came to be in Music.app, well yes, this is a huge regression. For those that missed it, Match is now stream+cache, and optionally download — really, force cache — whole albums, and can't delete anything except by obliterating the whole music library at once, or disabling Match. Previously it was brilliant and missed just the ability to stream without downloading. Now I might just as well stick with Spotify.

potatolicious 14y ago

The "actively regressing" part I can only presume is a jab at Maps - which honestly is a huge capability regression for the end user. And as an iOS dev I'd argue that the API advancements between iOS5 and 6 are fairly minor in comparison to the pace that Google is moving at. I'm an iOS user, and my living comes from Apple's platform dominance, and even I will gladly admit that Apple has lost the initiative. Google now leads the pack in unearthing the next step in the smartphone evolution.

cageface 14y ago
I will gladly admit that Apple has lost the initiative. Yep, as unlikely as that seemed even a year ago. I've been doing iOS dev for the last 1.5 years too but I'm cross-training on Android now because the momentum there is just too huge to ignore.
- rimantas 14y ago
  > I've been doing iOS dev for the last 1.5 years I very much doubt this, but if it is true I am glad you are moving to Android—I wouldn't want to use any app developed by a person who hates Apple that much.
  - cageface 14y ago
    Easily verified from app store links on my site: http://www.plastaq.com http://www.plastaq.com People like you are truly puzzling. Apple is just a business, not a religion. If Apple drops these patent suits and starts allowing opt-in side loading of apps I'll happily come back.
  - kalleboo 14y ago
    I hope you never eat fast food either, because I'm half the employees ther hate the company that pays their bills too.
- Firehed 14y ago
  Android had market-share, but will you get paying customers? Every article I've ever read on the subject is that iOS customers are far more willing to pay for apps than android users. Of course, if you're making a companion app for some other service which makes money it's largely irrelevant, but numbers alone don't tell the whole story.
  - cageface 14y ago
    I don't care about paying customers. Hardly anybody makes real money from app sales now. My apps are really just a portfolio. I make my money doing freelance dev for other people and I charge the same rate for Android as iOS.
  - potatolicious 14y ago
    > "Android had market-share, but will you get paying customers?" The age of direct app sales being profitable enough to float a startup are long over. iOS users are still massively outspending Android users, but overall profitability has sunk like a brick on both platforms over time. Like you said, "companion apps" and games are pretty much the only viable routes now. Direct app sales at this point in the market's lifetime is a great way to make a modest pittance and then be committed to support forever.
pooriaazimi 14y ago
Certainly. Comparing with Android, iOS is not moving that fast. But they're improving iOS as well, not rapidly, but steadily. ARC, storyboards, better and easier core data support (now with iCloud), new CoreImage APIs, etc. are all nice additions. And, being able to customize the look and feel without a million lines of code (Appearance framework) is certainly a major improvement. Life is quite good if you want to support only iOS 5 and 6! (Again: I'm not arguing that you're wrong, you and I are both in an understanding! I just wanted to point these out in case someone who isn't an iOS programmer gets the impression that as cageface was implying (in humor, as you said) that the APIs are really regressing)
rimantas 14y ago
> Maps - which honestly is a huge capability regression > for the end user. Oh no, on the contrary: with iOS 6 I got turn-by-turn navigation, and not a bad one.
lloeki 14y ago
> The "actively regressing" part I can only presume is a jab at Maps - which honestly is a huge capability regression for the end user. Here I can finally have detailed, reliable and readable traffic information. Google Maps one was hard to read, and often simply wrong, while now I get much better coverage in all of time, space, and information (not only traffic jams but road work and accidents). Also now the official city's app for transit will be able to plug itself into Maps.app. I'm still looking into what I have lost. Now, if you're willing to talk about the iTunes Match mess that came to be in Music.app, well yes, this is a huge regression. For those that missed it, Match is now stream+cache, and optionally download — really, force cache — whole albums, and can't delete anything except by obliterating the whole music library at once, or disabling Match. Previously it was brilliant and missed just the ability to stream without downloading. Now I might just as well stick with Spotify.