“According to the predictable opinion scribes, Apple is risking disaster in the iPhone App Store by imposing critical authority over the mobile software it chooses to sell. If it doesn’t stop turning ideas down, all that creative energy will abandon Apple and prop up other mobile platforms. They’re wrong,” Daniel Eran Dilger writes for RoughlyDrafted.
“The first thirty days generated $30 million in software development funding paid for by willing iPhone users. In just a few months, Apple’s technology and the potential for developers to make money at little risk had sucked the air from the sails of established mobile platforms, including Palm and Windows Mobile,” Dilger writes.
“I have no doubt Apple will eventually veto an app for reasons I can’t understand or agree with, but one might expect that in a business environment where one app in thousands might slip into error. When that happens, the developer involved might be better served in working with Apple to hammer out a solution rather than trying to badmouth the company publicly in their blog. I’m sure Apple would happily send that type of developer packing to Windows Mobile or Android, because its far easier to deal with thousands of profit motivated, rational partners than a single hot head who chooses to vent complaints in public,” Dilger writes.
Much, much more in the full article here.
‘ … Work hard for several months then submit your app and cross your fingers?…’
Several months, these guys did in in several days!
http://www.x-plane.com/iPhone
MW = think, yeah, just think…………….
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What a lot of fanboy comments! Then again, I don’t come to MDN’s comment section for critical thinking.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” /> Though there are a few of you…
At any right, the guy could be right or wrong. I don’t know. I’ll give you one data point from me: my plans to develop for iPhone are on hold right now. I’ve stopped all purchases from the App Store. And I’ve cancelled plans to buy a 2nd iPhone (very sadly) and start looking for a different phone instead. None of this makes me very happy, especially after following Apple and being increasingly impressed the last 4 years.
I hope they release a statement soon, as all it will take to start turning this issue around (in my opinion) is a little communication and indication they’re going to make some effort to clear up the confusion.
For all we know, they could even be in the right in every one of the situations (doubtful given what we know, but possible). There’s no way we can know that though, since they’re not talking – and a partner that doesn’t talk is no partner at all.
Hmm… I think money trumps idealism any day of the week, so you’ll come crawling back.
They ALWAYS come crawling back.
There are currently over 4000 Apps on the iTunes Apps store. This is an increase from something like 500 at launch, 10 weeks ago. That’s an average of about 350 Apps added per week.
@since1985
Thanks for the correction, you are absolutely right!
Actually, the “predictable opinion scribes” are right, in the long term. iPhone is supposed to be a mobile computer, and people (not just developers, but consumers) like computers because of their creative potential. That creative potential just isn’t there when a product is put in lockdown mode so that only the safest and most predictable (and least business-model-disturbing) software is allowed to run on it.
I’ve used only Apple products since 1980 and I have a quarter of my investment portfolio in Apple stock. Trust me, creativity has always been the attraction. I still believe in the company and I still think the iPhone is a great product, but I also think Apple is making HUGE mistakes with iPhone that will cripple the platform long-term.
Specifically, Apple needs to get out from under the single-carrier model ASAP, and they need to open the device to multithreading and to ALL developers and programs, not only those that are “authorized.”
Perhaps Apple could offer an “official” jailbreak process, along with warnings of reduced Apple product support, which would then open iPhones to “outside” software, including multithreading.
Tying the iPod and iTunes platforms together was sound business, even though many whined that it was monopolistic, because it did not in the end restrict what you could *DO* with the products. Music sounds the same regardless of where you buy it. But the iPhone software restrictions are akin to if Apple had decided to restrict iPod based on *what kind* of music you listened to… with the players just refusing to play certain bands or styles.
Note that I am NOT a whining developer. I couldn’t care less (at least directly) about some developer losing a few hours of work— at this point, they know the risks they are taking, so they shouldn’t complain when they lose the Apple censorship lottery. Rather, I’m saying all this first as a consumer, and second as an Apple investor. I WANT tethering. I WANT multithreaded apps. I WANT legit video-camera apps.
My favorite jailbreak app ever was Pericam, which ran in the background and took photos every so often according to an interval you could set. Why do this you might ask? Well for one thing, it allowed me to set it up and shoot pictures of me sitting at my desk all day long, which allowed me to greatly improve my posture— (Yes, chances are this could help you too!) Why *shouldn’t* an iPhone be able to do this simple task, which is well within its technically capability? No reason at all, except simple stupidity and fear of the unknown.
Mark my words, if Apple does not significantly open up this platform in the next 1-2 years, it *WILL* be eclipsed by Android. As more and better Android hardware comes out, this is one 25-year plus Apple devotee who will be leading the way.
You can argue whether or not Apple should have approved Podcaster or not, or even whether Apple should be allowed to approve apps at all if you like … however, it’s pretty hard to argue that Apple should have allowed one developer to use an ad hoc distribution system, and not everybody else. The guy signed a developer agreement, submitted an app, had it refused, publicized that refusal, set up ad hoc distribution and then complained publicly when that door was closed.
Hundreds of other developers have submitted thousands of apps and managed to play by the rules – whether the rules are good or bad, they are clearly listed and should be enforced fairly for all developers.
Plus, Apple approved Flycast, which does pretty much the same thing as Podcaster (although streaming, not downloading) so who knows what this is all about anyway.
Apple does not want some pc idiots turning their future into the same cluster f*8k as pc land.
Mac OS X hasn’t turned into “pc land”, even with developers being able to freely write & distribute whatever kind of software they want.
Why should iPhone (also running OS X) be any different?
Whew! From the headline, I thought there was a new Susan Powter weight loss app.
@NormM “… over 4000 Apps on the iTunes Apps store”
Apple have rejected about 4 applications (I am Rich, tethering app, PodCaster, etc) – Tris and PhoneSabre don’t count since they were removed for non-Apple copyright issues. This is about 1 per 1000 or 0.1%.
Now I am for all apps, but we need to get the proportions into perspective…
The iPhone is a computer you say.
So is the XBox, PS3 and Wii.
All 4 are closed system.
@fredo,
Oh, puh!
There is no impending disaster, BUT Apple could lose developers to other platforms if it treats them capriciously.
Why even allow for the possibility? All Apple needs to do is to explicitly state the rules for admission to the App Store. It can’t be so hard!
“This is a big boy sand box, not nursery school. This is not a representative democracy, you don’t get to vote, and you are lucky to have a grain of sand to play with at all”
Understand some basic rules of business, you don’t get into deals with companies who are not going to work with you cooperatively but rather just kill your entire investment if you break one of their vague rules.
Nor should companies have to feed all their great ideas to Apple for approval ahead of beginning development (giving Apple the chance to cherry pick the best ones to implement internally) .
Pretty soon everyone in VC circles is going to know at least one person personally who’s had an application rejected by Apple.
You’re right. Software development is a big boys game. Most iPhone development is now being done by one man bands writing tip calculators in a weekend, not real companies. People will stay away from making major investments in iPhone development unless they can be assured they fund will be able to be sold.
Apple’s done a great job getting people excited about the potential of mobile phone platforms. They just need to make sure they don’t redirect all that energy towards Android and Windows Mobile.
“Apple has every right to determine what they want to sell in their stores, both brick and mortar ones as well as virtual ones. “
Sure, I’d agree with that provided they provide another avenue for app sales, which they don’t.
Apple is dropping the ball on this one, big time. History is repeating. Someone needs to hit Steve Jobs around the head with a Cluebat.