“I don’t own an iPhone, and I don’t think I ever will. That may come as a surprise to anyone acquainted with my long history of owning and liking Apple (AAPL) products,” Arik Hesseldahl writes for BusinessWeek.
“It’s not that I don’t think it’s an extraordinary device. Having tried it, I think it represents a fundamental step forward in what a mobile phone can be. And it sure looks like it’s going to be imitated six ways to Sunday,” Hesseldahl writes.
“But what I can’t take is how Apple is keeping the iPhone from evolving in a manner consistent with its corporate heritage. Over the years I’ve owned many wireless devices, including a Treo, three or four BlackBerrys, and tested my share of phones running Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and the Symbian OS, majority owned by Nokia,” Hesseldahl writes.
“In almost every case, I’ve had an important option I wouldn’t get on the iPhone: installing third-party software,” Hesseldahl writes.
“Apple insiders argue privately that the iPhone is a new device. In time, they say, maybe the development policy could change, though none say definitively that it ever will… So I’m not going to buy an iPhone. And until Apple commits to changing this ridiculous policy, I don’t think you should either.”
Full article here.
All this bloviating about iPhone and third-party apps has an excellent chance of looking rather silly in hindsight. Regardless, if you want to stick with a second-rate (or worse) smartphone and their baby Web browsers, horrible interfaces, minuscule low-res screens, styluses and/or sloppy uni-touch screens and/or forty tiny plastic buttons, incomprehensible menus, and buried and/or unusable features in order to somehow force Apple to begin offering third-party “Made for iPhone” apps via the iTunes Store before they’re ready to do so, then go for it.
Third-party apps or not: You can have our iPhones when you pry them from our cold dead hands.
Snooze ya loose
I’m not getting an iPhone until 4th and 5th party apps are allowed on it, and provision is made to include 6th and 7th party apps as soon as possible.
@jim
Just typing this on my iPod you touch. It’s simply brilliant. Like an iPhone looks to be a compulsory purchase! And I don’t want to indtal 3rd party s/w until it is fully supported by Apple.
I love my iPhone and wasn’t gonna get involved with the hacking shit until I started to become bored with it and desired a change.
Looks like I may never get the chance now but some of those hacks were amazing. People really did turn the iPhone into a handheld Mac.
Oh well. I regret nothing.
Steady up fellas. I’m a certified Apple fanboy (been through a Powerbook, two iMacs, an iBook and now a MacBook, a nano and an Airport, obsessive MDN reader, the lot …) and everything I read about iPhone tells me it’s gonna turn the industry upside down. Until it turns up in godzone the closest I can get to it is iPod touch. One of which I’m going to order tonight … or maybe not. You see, there is something about the touch that makes me – a natural Apple apologist – think that Hesseldahl is onto something. I know he’s talking about iPhone and 3rd party apps. But what they’ve done with the touch leaves me very unhappy. I’d be ready to fork out the NZ$490 they’re asking for it down here. But there are things they’ve done to it that are downright mean. Taking off ability to create calendar entries is the most obvious example – no conceivable technical justification. No email, no notes: again that smells of accountants let off the leash. Not being able to keep or access any file other than music, image or video without WiFi access really sucks. Artificially crippling the touch to justify the premium for iPhone? It tells me that Cupertino are losing touch with the most basic of things, keeping customers happy by delivering as much as you can of what they need and want. Bad call, Steve.
Well – I really like the iPhone, and am looking forward to when it finally arrives in the UK.
The only thing that really winds me up about it is that I cannot put on my own ring tones. And I am not talking about stilen, downloaded music. But I cannot even put my own created sounds on there. Or whatever – if I record my kids laughing and want that as a ringtone, I couldn’t do that.
Maybe that’s Apple’s way of getting rid of really embarrassing ringtones – but still…
Consumers are either:
a) content with what the OEM offers, and thus buys it.
b) not content with what the OEM offers, but buys it anyway
c) not content with what the OEM offers, but buys it and then modifies it with aftermarkets
d) not content with what the OEM offers, but buys it and then modifies it with aftermarkets **and complains when this invaliates the warranty
e) not content with what the OEM offers, so doesn’t buy it (does without).
e) not content with what the OEM offers, so buys someone’s elses product.
In a technology field, there’s endless temptation to “tweak”. For some people, its their job (such as Tech Writers). However, one does get to the point where you realize that it is just more bullshit that’s not worth obscessing over.
For example, my Blackberry’s calendar UI is horrible in comparison to my old Palm T3. However, despite the BB suposedly being “open” to 3rd Parties, no one makes a good alternative UI for the calendar. As such, this feature of “openness” can very well be overrated.
Besides, in an Enterprise environment, its more important to me that the device be Rock-Solid-Reliable. As such, I’m not going to put any 3rd Party ‘stuff’ on it anyway…only that which is OEM certified as Kosher.
Note that this doesn’t mean that there aren’t opportunities for improvements: there are. The point is that there’s simply no way that I’m going to volunteer to be the Beta Tester.
As such, its obvious to me that all of the “Winers” simply don’t have their priorities straight: they’re like children crying about their Barbie Doll. If they were adults, they would have remembered that a craftsman never blames his tools.
-hh
Oh my God. One guy states that the iPhone looks wonderful, but he’ll wait until Apple buys 3rd party apps before he’ll buy one, and the response here is the same as throwing raw meat in the dingo cage at the zoo.
MDN putting this guy’s article up on the forum is the same as the inner party putting a picture of Goldstein up on the telescreen for the proles to hiss at and scream. Sorry, but I’m not a prole.
I love OSX. I’ve owned several macs and ipods. I’ve agreed with most choices that Steve Jobs and the one infinite loopers have made. But that doesn’t mean that I will blindly follow and agree with every thing that they do. For instance, Apple could do better at making their keyboards spill resistant. The mighty mouse is defective by design; you shouldn’t have to wear surgical gloves to use an effing mouse. And I don’t see a compelling reason (so far) to upgrade from my 5.5g iPod or install 10.5 on my powermac.
If someone has a compelling argument concerning these points, I’d like to hear it. What I can pass on is a gallon of vitriol or other verbal abuse thrown on me because I don’t agree with you exactly.
actually third party apps, are only one reason why I won’t buy an iPhone.
The other is the AT&T;contract. i refuse to pay for it. Give me an iPhone that I can use with my existing AT&T;contract and I might consider it. but I don’t use all of my existing contract why would I need 50% more minutes and a data rate plan that makes 56k dial-up aol account look fast and cheap.
clear up those two things and I will go get an iPhone. It does have an awesome interface.
There’s an awful lot of needless derision going on here and not a lot of sensible response. The guy made a statement. He gave his reasons. They were logical and expressed his personal needs. Then a bunch of “microtards” jumped on him, calling him names and – quite often – offering nothing to support their derision but more derision.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
Let’s start out with not everyone needs a “smartphone”. You ever think of that?
One step up from that would be, not everyone who needs a smartphone needs a good one.
Another step up would be some who need a good one can get by with the feature set Apple offers.
Three audiences who don’t need to spend the money. One audience that needs to be reassured that they made the right decision for the right reasons. None of whom need to be denigrated as “whiney bitches”, nincompoops, or three year olds.
Is the iPhone an excellent product? Certainly.
Does it do all of what most people need? And more.
Does this negate anything he said? Not for a second.
Children, grow up and have a bit more respect for those whose opinions are not your own. The world is mostly grey, where it isn’t in glorious color, rather than black and white. Expand your horizons.
Dave – whose podcast hit #3 (out of 55) in the Performing Arts category on his host after being recommended by a prestige blogger.
-hh…good, response.
DLMeyer… Yes, the author made a statement and he should have left it at that. When he tells me not to buy and iphone because he doesn’t like the fact there are no third party apps, then he’s gone too far. My needs and his needs are totally different. Personally, the iphone does everything I want it to do at this time, so I have one. To all those people that need additional apps, stick with your Treos or whatever.
I know many “business” people need Exchange services built into their smart phones, but even if it eventually comes to the iphone, I refuse to use it. I see it at work, everyone attached to their e-mail 24/7. Not me. I don’t want e-mails at two in the morning, in the middle of a meeting, on weekends, or while on vacation. Don’t answer it you say? The culture at my job is to respond asap to any e-mail. As it is, I spend half the day responding to e-mails on my desktop, instead of doing real work. Not the most productive way to spend the day, IMHO.
Arik does explain why he did not like the iPhone. No free ringtones. He is pissed that he has to pay 99 cents for one. See the end of the article. He wants free “illegal” ring tones or he aint buying the iPhone. Maybe the RIAA needs to check out his music.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
en
I don’t care about the concept of 3rd party apps. What I do need on my phone is the ability to record voice notes. Is there anyone who can not imagine that this would be very useful to some people? I was excited when someone created this function for my iPhone. It was very helpful. Then Apple took it away. So there is one important function that my old Treo had that my new iPone lacks.
MDN and others can whine all they want about how Apple has the legal right… how nobody should ever want… etc. But anyone with half a brain can see that this situation will cause many people to stay away from the iPhone.
I hope Apple solves this soon. And if Apple ever allows 3rd party apps, we know that MDN will praise Apple for their wonderful innovation.
Update 1.1.2 for the iPhone is rumored to give the device a minty fresh scent and a button for dispensing chunky peanut butter. The demand for smooth will probably result in a class action suit.
Is that Apple will in all likelihood allow 3rd party apps on the iPhone at some point, and all you guys who didn’t give a crap about apps on the iPhone will announce that Apple’s brilliant move just makes the best phone in the world even more bettar!!11!oneone!
I won’t subscribe to Business Week until he buys an iPhone.
“You can have our iPhones when you pry them from our cold dead hands.”
Your terms are acceptable.
The usual garbage from MDN. You guys are so far gone into fanboy lala land you completely disregard anyone that says anything remotely negative about any Apple product. No matter how much merit there is behind it. Are your egos so easily bruised that you can’t handle a little Apple negativity? The absolute fact is the 3rd party policy is absolutely retarded. And for you others that are claiming the iPhone is flawless and perfect and no one else cares about bloggers little whines should try reading the official discussion and support forums sometime. Of course you will just ignore it all and say the people posting there are paid Microsoft shills.
The iPhone is a great piece of tech but it IS severely lacking. The sooner you understand this better unless you really like looking like ignorant fools.
Ok, this is the very last time I read the MacDailyNews Take. MDN’s Steve Jack’s tongue has become so Apple-Steve-Jobs-brown that the stink is unbearable.
I wonder what the MDN take would be if Steve Jobs was guilty of massmurder..umm..”they had it coming!”?
@ The funny part
Absolutely spot on !
Watch also when the new iMovie will gain many new features, lifting it way above the $ 4,75 mark (or whatever amount MDN used in their ridiculious “reasoning”) of value, and see them cheer in blind idolation and mindless worship. Then, when three weeks later Apple replaces it with iMovie Black and White 12×8 iResolotion, see them gang up on critics for wanting more than a $00,2 app…..
Hasselberg has a long history of very pro but also well reasoned Apple articles. Now he has a not unreasonable critique, and immediately the burning crosses are lit by MDN and some of its cult (or whatever they are).
And yes, he has put a tiny little bit of venom in his closing sentence. Oh, the irony and arrogance of MDN of all sites to attack him for that.
Not that MDN is truely in any of this bar ad revenues…..
Exchange server! We don’t need no stinkin’ exchange server!
And neither does RIM’s Blackberry. It is doing quite well in business without exchange server, isn’t it?
Don’t you look stupid!
What do you think all those Blackberries connect to?
As a great apple fan, I’d luv to have one of these phones soon.
Got to play with a hacked iphone last week ! Apple makes great products and should stick to making them. Not being a phone company ! It’s having problems in Europe because it’s illegal to sell phones with a contract for one certain provider. If they really want to sell lots of these it should be sim free ! France and Germany are in trouble with this set-up already. Doubt I’ll see it in Belgium any time soon. It’s old mobile technology, who uses edge anyway and who wants visual voice mail. Get myself a hacked one with a provider that I choose !
Who cares about BusinessWeek?
People care about iPhone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Buy an iPhone and don’t buy this stink piece of paper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What next???????????
WON’T BUY AN IPOD UNTIL…………………….
I bought iPhone (I like to try new things), but I’m disappointed with the war that Apple is waging on the owners of the iPhones. I’m doing films and I own many sound effect files. I converted one of them to be a ringtone and installed it. A new release of iPhone firmware comes out and wipes out my lonely ringtone. Note that I cannot buy a replacement (Apple doesn’t offer it anything comparable). You may claim that Apple did this to increase a stability of my phone and I will claim it is just pure greed. Apple may have done a great job with UI, but at this point it is stifling individual creativity and innovation with its policies.