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Not exactly. The console market was already closed. The mobile market was opening up. Windows Mobile, Palm, J2ME devices lead the way of openness by allowing u

Not exactly. The console market was already closed. The mobile market was opening up. Windows Mobile, Palm, J2ME devices lead the way of openness by allowing users to install new application on their devices as they did on PC. This was quite step forward given the fact that service providers wanted to charge for everything. And here we go, Apple with their cute bouncing pixels comes and tells us that we need to live in a world where only one organization can decide what application we can use. And while everybody argue about applications should have been approved or not, nobody is asking the right question "do we want a gate keeper or not?". This is a huge step backward in the software industry. But somehow, people think that innovation is about flying pixels and forget that the ecosystem around a product is as important as the product in itself.

tjogin 17y ago
Do you seriously think that "cute bouncing pixels" is what made the iPhone the fastest selling piece of consumer electronic of all time? No, of course not! That's just silly. Clearly, the iPhone has a number of very attractive attributes, as is evident not only from the fact that it's selling unprecedentedly well, but also from the fact that it's changed the direction of the entire industry. Apple made a number of choices with the iPhone, and certainly they can't be all that bad, given the phenomenal success they've had. Even if you just limit the argument to the AppStore, the fact that they've also had unprecedented success in bringing developers on board should give you a hint or two that it's not as one-sided as you make it out to be. Before you can bring anything constructive to a discussion on this subject, you really need to stop lying to yourself. Take a sober look at the choices Apple has made, and realize that each of them has both advantages and disadvantages.
- jeremychone 17y ago
  Ok, not only "cute bouncing pixels." I think that 3 things made Apple the kind of the smart phone market: 1) Great product ahead of any other existing product at the time (not anymore though). 2) Understand that the mobile market value chain was vastly different than the PC one and architected a platform that would be attracting existing market players while creating a exclusive new market for themselves (this was so bold and smart). 3) Steve Jobs genius. Now, the only thing that scares me is that they did it in the most proprietary way that any software companies have ever dare doing. Apple is the living proof that openness is not a required ingredient to create new technology based markets. So, again, kudos to Apple to revolutionize a market that have been frozen for years. However, they are doing it in such as way that it could set a very bad precedence to the software industry. I do not want to have to go through a iMicrosoftStore to publish my Windows application, a iGoogleStore to publish a Web Site, a iAndroidStore to publish a mobile application. I have nothing against software stores, but they should be optional not required.
  - tjogin 17y ago
    > I have nothing against software stores, but they should be optional not required. I agree completely. My hope is that AppStore will become optional, rather than the exclusive way to get apps on the iPhone. But I do think it was a wise decision to start out with the AppStore as the one exclusive way to get on it, and judging from their phenomenal success in both sales and attracting developers, it was probably a smart choice. Lest not forget, the AppStore makes it extraordinarily easy to buy and download apps. Only by making it the exclusive way to get apps on the iPhone were they able to make sure that users found the experience of buying and downloading apps so effortless that it makes impulse purchases super simple. And, safe! iPhone users do not worry about anything on the AppStore containing viruses or malware. Now, as what they refer to as a "power user", I'd like to be able to just download any app from anywhere and take my chances. But I understand that Apple has to take more than just my preferences into consideration. I believe it is actually not in their best interest to do that — even though it would suit me better. If I were Apple, I'd keep the AppStore the exclusive way to get apps on the AppStore. I'd work on continuously improving the experience and interaction with developers, of course, but I'd keep it a walled garden, approval process and all. Pleasing power users such as you and me simply doesn't make sense in the big picture, because it would fracture the developer community. Some apps would be on the app store, some on the web. Users would feel safer getting apps from the AppStore, but as recommendations come from friends using apps from the web, soon enough you'd have regular users downloading apps from the web too. And following that you'd have viruses and malware. While users could still just stick to downloading from the AppStore if they wanted to be safe, Apple would still have to deal with malicious apps, problems and trust issues. This, they just don't need, and pleasing the relatively few power users just doesn't make any sense, considering the sacrifice. Though I'd be just fine with it, I understand very well why Apple does not prioritize my needs in this.
    - jeremychone 17y ago
      I am going to stop arguing against Apple, I am loosing all my karma ;)
      - tjogin 17y ago

tjogin 17y ago

Do you seriously think that "cute bouncing pixels" is what made the iPhone the fastest selling piece of consumer electronic of all time? No, of course not! That's just silly. Clearly, the iPhone has a number of very attractive attributes, as is evident not only from the fact that it's selling unprecedentedly well, but also from the fact that it's changed the direction of the entire industry. Apple made a number of choices with the iPhone, and certainly they can't be all that bad, given the phenomenal success they've had. Even if you just limit the argument to the AppStore, the fact that they've also had unprecedented success in bringing developers on board should give you a hint or two that it's not as one-sided as you make it out to be. Before you can bring anything constructive to a discussion on this subject, you really need to stop lying to yourself. Take a sober look at the choices Apple has made, and realize that each of them has both advantages and disadvantages.

jeremychone 17y ago
Ok, not only "cute bouncing pixels." I think that 3 things made Apple the kind of the smart phone market: 1) Great product ahead of any other existing product at the time (not anymore though). 2) Understand that the mobile market value chain was vastly different than the PC one and architected a platform that would be attracting existing market players while creating a exclusive new market for themselves (this was so bold and smart). 3) Steve Jobs genius. Now, the only thing that scares me is that they did it in the most proprietary way that any software companies have ever dare doing. Apple is the living proof that openness is not a required ingredient to create new technology based markets. So, again, kudos to Apple to revolutionize a market that have been frozen for years. However, they are doing it in such as way that it could set a very bad precedence to the software industry. I do not want to have to go through a iMicrosoftStore to publish my Windows application, a iGoogleStore to publish a Web Site, a iAndroidStore to publish a mobile application. I have nothing against software stores, but they should be optional not required.
- tjogin 17y ago
  > I have nothing against software stores, but they should be optional not required. I agree completely. My hope is that AppStore will become optional, rather than the exclusive way to get apps on the iPhone. But I do think it was a wise decision to start out with the AppStore as the one exclusive way to get on it, and judging from their phenomenal success in both sales and attracting developers, it was probably a smart choice. Lest not forget, the AppStore makes it extraordinarily easy to buy and download apps. Only by making it the exclusive way to get apps on the iPhone were they able to make sure that users found the experience of buying and downloading apps so effortless that it makes impulse purchases super simple. And, safe! iPhone users do not worry about anything on the AppStore containing viruses or malware. Now, as what they refer to as a "power user", I'd like to be able to just download any app from anywhere and take my chances. But I understand that Apple has to take more than just my preferences into consideration. I believe it is actually not in their best interest to do that — even though it would suit me better. If I were Apple, I'd keep the AppStore the exclusive way to get apps on the AppStore. I'd work on continuously improving the experience and interaction with developers, of course, but I'd keep it a walled garden, approval process and all. Pleasing power users such as you and me simply doesn't make sense in the big picture, because it would fracture the developer community. Some apps would be on the app store, some on the web. Users would feel safer getting apps from the AppStore, but as recommendations come from friends using apps from the web, soon enough you'd have regular users downloading apps from the web too. And following that you'd have viruses and malware. While users could still just stick to downloading from the AppStore if they wanted to be safe, Apple would still have to deal with malicious apps, problems and trust issues. This, they just don't need, and pleasing the relatively few power users just doesn't make any sense, considering the sacrifice. Though I'd be just fine with it, I understand very well why Apple does not prioritize my needs in this.
  - jeremychone 17y ago
    I am going to stop arguing against Apple, I am loosing all my karma ;)
    - tjogin 17y ago