“By creating games and other programs for the iPhone, software developers hoped to find millions of new customers. But they didn’t expect to feel muzzled,” Michelle Quinn reports for The Los Angeles Times.
“The software development kit that Apple Inc. distributed to programmers bound them to not discuss the process of creating programs for the iPhone. Companies typically waive such legal restrictions once the product in question launches, but Apple didn’t. And it won’t say why,” Quinn reports.
“As a result, iPhone developers — and businesses that cater to them — say they are prohibited from asking technical questions or sharing tips anywhere in public. On Apple’s official support website, moderators remind visitors that they are bound by the nondisclosure agreement and should mind what they say or ask,” Quinn reports.
“Conference organizers are trying to figure out how to plan sessions for iPhone software developers when they’re not allowed to talk about iPhone software. Book publishers are sitting on how-to manuals, afraid that if they ship them Apple will sue,” Quinn reports.
“And software developers are forced to make applications for the iPhone in an information vacuum, without the help of a developer community that is used to openly sharing tricks of the trade. Quality may suffer,” Quinn reports.
“The Cupertino, Calif., company is famous for tightly controlling its products and image. But even professionals who for years have made products and services to complement Apple’s are startled by the information clampdown,” Quinn reports.
Full article here.
Apple is Big Brother
Apple is annoying…
I’d like to hear comments here from developers or anyone else familiar with this first hand. How true is this? I haven’t installed the devkit yet, or had time to look into it much myself.
Anyone ever heard of Youtube??
well you can always program for windows mobile. thanks now move on.
There are several iPhone SDK books listed on Amazon.com that are set to ship in the next few months…
If this is true, it’s a bit disturbing. Apple can learn a great deal from developers sharing information between each other and with Apple, and this would only lead to improved, more stable apps.
Perhaps it’s an oversight which has not yet been corrected, but I doubt it.
What is Apple afraid of? Hackers getting into the mix?
The SDK is still *very* new, it’s a baby. I can understand why Apple is proceeding cautiously. They can barely handle the road at the speed they’re traveling at now, just imagine how fast things will move once developers have full freedom.
MW – “child” – weird!
What IS Apple’s problem, anyway? I can’t wait to buy a book that will walk me through the process. Just because I’m a newb does not mean my programs will be horrible or malicious. Ok, they’ll probably be horrible at first.
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If every time you did something someone copied it and sold it for less than you..wouldn’t you grow wary? I’m sure Apple has a good reason for this…and my guess is that it revolves around the patents that are still pending on/within the iPhone… Once patents are awarded then the NDA will lift and all you folks bitching and whining will move on to the next item on your bitch and whine list…
From my understanding, the nda rests on a number of patents being approved.
Apple only wants registered developers to develop software for the iPhone / iPod touch. They want 30% of the revenue from your applications. If you build an app on your own and sell it to others using Cydia or Installer.app then Apple won’t get that revenue. Therefore they don’t want any books published, or any information shared.
It is completely true. I recently posted a code snippet I was having problems with in the forums (which are basically useless) and got some answers. In fact I got answers from a guy who’d had a similar problem and developed a workaround he was willing to share, but the thread was shutdown, and then mysteriously removed.
It’s part of Terms of Agreement if you read them. We can’t talk to each other about what we’re developing or discuss any technical aspects.
Oh, I see. The multi-touch patents.
Well the US Patent and Trademark Office needs to get on their grizzy.
This stance from Apple does seem curious.
I mean, the SDK is out there and the App store is up and running with very, very few glitches. (Unlike MobileMe!)
It would seem like a vibrant developer community discussion could only help Apple improve the SDK, find bugs sooner, get feedback quicker, make Apple more money, get mo’ better apps on the app store and generally make the iPhone even more irresistible.
What am I missing?
no need for me to repeat –
listen closely to spudly:
“If every time you did something someone copied it and sold it for less than you..wouldn’t you grow wary? I’m sure Apple has a good reason for this…and my guess is that it revolves around the patents that are still pending on/within the iPhone… Once patents are awarded then the NDA will lift and all you folks bitching and whining will move on to the next item on your bitch and whine list…”
thanks spudly – it’s amazing how many ppl on this forum cant figure out the basics
Steve Jobs is the Uncle Joe Stalin of Cupertino.
@Glorfindeal may have it the nail on the head, imho.
If too much information on how the iPhone works starts to float around, perhaps some of the numerous patents Apple has outstanding my be jeopardized by both copycats and people who claim to have done it before.
I don’t know. It is in keeping with the all new all powerful all controlling Apple though.
I always picture Steve Jobs sitting at his desk fiddling with a couple of steel balls in his hand and watching dozens of monitors display outgoing e-mail from employees that trigger on keywords.
You may have hit it right on the head with reference to “workaround.”. Once a workaround is in broad use apple is stuck keeping the workaround functional, or facing complaints that it us breaking numerous apps if it does something that effects a widely used workaround. The iPhone sdk is still an early piece of software with features not yet implemented or released–keeping the sharing down while the sdk is still in this stage is annoying for developers but perhaps necessary for apple’s own development to continue.
Steve Jobs is an insane control freak. Apple is an example of a company succeeding despite its leaders best efforts.
Supporting “workarounds” is killing Microsoft. I’d rather wait for software that does it the right way and can be supported without killing the company.
Everyone will leave iPhone for Android. Soon, there will be no more iPhone developers, just like Mac vs Windows.
Then we will have to use Boot Camp or Parallel again as our application library shrinks to nothing.
Congrats, Jobs!
“Everyone will leave iPhone for Android.”
That’s my fear in Apple keeping the NDA. So if it’s the patents I hope they’re granted as soon as possible. The OS X Mobile developer community needs to flourish.
If all it takes to get me a few million dollars is a muzzle, sign me up!!!
(ball gags are an entirely different matter)