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Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

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Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#141

Post by kylec »

statictype wrote: post #118

Some of the app review guidelines seem weird: Apps larger than 20MB in size will not download over cellular networks (this is automatically prohibited by the App Store) Don't many games cross this threshold? Apps that browse the web must use the iOS WebKit framework and WebKit Javascript Opera Mini - which was accepted by the App Store - would seem to fail this rule.

They've always done this since the App Store was first launched - in fact, the cap was initially 10MB, not 20MB. And as someone with a metered data plan, I'm glad that I can't accidentally use a huge chunk of my bandwidth downloading a super large game or app, but I'd also prefer a way to override this restriction if I'm OK with downloading a 25MB app or podcast over the cell network.

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#142

Post by trjordan »

Legion wrote: post #140

I'm skimming the guidelines, and I don't see a restriction on one of the most well-known app rejections: duplicating functionality of built-in apps. I noticed that guideline 2.11 states, "Apps that duplicate apps already in the App Store may be rejected, particularly if there are many of them", but that seems intended for preventing a bunch of near-duplicate 3rd party apps, not the "Thou Shalt Not Write a New Mail Cl…

    10.2 Apps that look similar to apps bundled on the iPhone, including the App Store, iTunes Store, and iBookstore, will be rejected.
This may be as simple as thinking their users don't know how to tell the real Mail.app from your 3rd-party Mail.app. If they can't tell the difference after installing yours, they may be confused or otherwise left behind when Apple updates Mail.app with some shiny new feature you don't have. If they're not sophisticated, they'll blame Apple, not the developer, for a lousy core functionality.

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#143

Post by gamble »

kylec wrote: post #141
statictype wrote: post #118

Some of the app review guidelines seem weird: Apps larger than 20MB in size will not download over cellular networks (this is automatically prohibited by the App Store) Don't many games cross this threshold? Apps that browse the web must use the iOS WebKit framework and WebKit Javascript Opera Mini - which was accepted by the App Store - would seem to fail this rule.

They've always done this since the App Store was first launched - in fact, the cap was initially 10MB, not 20MB. And as someone with a metered data plan, I'm glad that I can't accidentally use a huge chunk of my bandwidth downloading a super large game or app, but I'd also prefer a way to override this restriction if I'm OK with downloading a 25MB app or podcast over the cell network.

Yeah, especially when you're on a metered data plan. If I'm stuck paying for x GB, I damn well want to use my quota any way I like.

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#144

Post by Legion »

trjordan wrote: post #142
Legion wrote: post #140

I'm skimming the guidelines, and I don't see a restriction on one of the most well-known app rejections: duplicating functionality of built-in apps. I noticed that guideline 2.11 states, "Apps that duplicate apps already in the App Store may be rejected, particularly if there are many of them", but that seems intended for preventing a bunch of near-duplicate 3rd party apps, not the "Thou Shalt Not Write a New Mail Cl…

10.2 Apps that look similar to apps bundled on the iPhone, including the App Store, iTunes Store, and iBookstore, will be rejected. This may be as simple as thinking their users don't know how to tell the real Mail.app from your 3rd-party Mail.app. If they can't tell the difference after installing yours, they may be confused or otherwise left behind when Apple updates Mail.app with some shiny new feature you don't h…

Good eye. I was skimming for things like "duplicate functionality". Interesting that this just seems to restrict looking like the built-in apps.

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#145

Post by Symmetry »

maxjg wrote: post #82
jrockway wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those, however were drowned in a sea of petty complaints like "I know language XYZ and now Apple are making me learn their sucky ObjC" or "Apple just want to prevent you from porting your app to a competing platform, them Nazis" Uh, what? These seem like perfectly legitimate complaints to me. Why shouldn't you be allowed to use the tools you already know how to use? Why shouldn't you be allowed to write once and run…

I've got nothing against your point on using the tools you know, but I can at least see where Apple is coming from with disallowing write once, run everywhere, especially regarding UI (think Java apps on OS X).

But doesn't Apple already have user interface guidelines to let them reject apps that (inappropriately) behave the same way on different platforms?

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#146

Post by annon »

thibaut_barrere wrote: post #5

Now I seriously hope it means we'll be able to use MacRuby on iPhone/iPad in the next few weeks/months.

Exactly what I was thinking. I'd love to do some small things on iPhone, but I don't really want to commit the time to become pro at Objective-C. It's not a bad language, just not my thing.

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#148

Post by colomon »

kristofferR wrote: post #133
steilpass wrote: post #57

Strange. Didn't Steve Jobs mention he doesn't want another software layer? Because it leads to bad apps and they can't push API changes as fast, because these third party layers have to update?

I guess he changed his mind when Epic showed him the Unreal Engine 3 running on an iPhone. He was so impressed by it that he presented it as the only third party app on their iPod press conference, that says a lot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2H8hmi8yrQ

According to John Carmack (http://twitter.com/ID_AA_Carmack, search for Apple), Apple asked him to also be at the conference, and he turned them down because of the conditions they wanted to put on him to do it.

Re: Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines

#149

Post by [deleted] »

jacquesm wrote: post #21

So, how about all those people that were supporting apples' right to run their app store the way they see fit and who said that there is no point complaining about it? I think this proves that complaining about stuff like this is well worth the effort, assuming that that - and not some backroom pressure - is what caused them to back off. They mention it in their release so I figure it must have been a major factor. e…

[deleted]
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