Apple Relaxes iOS Restrictions On Development Tools, Publishes Review Guidelines • Hacker News Board

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

#151

Post by swilliams » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 5:31 PM UTC

sourc3 wrote: post #90

kylechafin wrote: post #53

Now that MonoTouch appears to be in the clear on iOS... It sounds like C# is going to be a viable language for 3 major mobile platforms this Fall. Windows Phone 7 supports C# by default. MonoTouch brings it to iOS and MonoDroid takes it to Android. It sounds like there will be some really neat opportunities to reuse C# libraries across all three platforms, while dropping a native platform UI on top of them.

Having programmed in C, C++, C#, Java and JS (if scripting counts) I applaud this. I have tried to get used to Objective-C but after using C# for the past 4 years or so, it just seems uncomfortable with me (probably a personal bias that cannot be generalized). I was considering developing my startup's first mobile app in Android since I did not want to touch Objective-C and go with an iPhone Web Page. Considering the…

Keep in mind that using C# to program iOS apps is still very different than traditional .NET apps. The language is familiar, but the framework is definitely not.

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

#152

Post by akshayubhat » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 5:31 PM UTC

no more 3.3.1 that's good. Finally sanity prevails over "interface decides programming paradigm/language argument".

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

#153

Post by butterfi » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 5:33 PM UTC

This may be a move by apple to keep the influx of apps available to iOS, as developers move into the Android space. Given Androids growth, this may be a way for Apple to avoid what happened on the PC platform in the 80's/90's.

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

#154

Post by mattmanser » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 5:37 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #104

ohhmaagawd wrote: post #36

my guess is the FTC investigation into Apple's practices got them nervous. better to just cave than deal with anti-trust issues: http://voices.allthingsd.com/20100611/ftc-to-investigate-app...

My guess is that only Apple knows why it changed the rules, but that anyone who can do a Google search can (a) read up on what antitrust means and (b) observe Apple's non-commanding share of the mobile market.

True, but we're starting to live in a slightly weird world where once you buy a particular product which is a gateway to other products and services, the manufacturer is dictating in a very megalomaniac way on how you spend your money. And commanding huge sums from utterly controlling that marketplace. Like the XBox and iPhone.

They may have a non-commanding share of mobiles, but they have a total monopoly on iPhone apps.

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

#155

Post by mattparcher » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 5:37 PM UTC

kd5bjo wrote: post #120

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…

There are a lot of items worded like this: > Apps that do not use the MediaPlayer framework to access media in the Music Library will be rejected That sounds like apps that don't access the Music Library at all will be rejected.

Good point. Perhaps instead:

Apps that access media in the Music Library, without using the MediaPlayer framework to do so, will be rejected.

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

#156

Post by tptacek » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 5:40 PM UTC

mattmanser wrote: post #154

tptacek wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My guess is that only Apple knows why it changed the rules, but that anyone who can do a Google search can (a) read up on what antitrust means and (b) observe Apple's non-commanding share of the mobile market.

True, but we're starting to live in a slightly weird world where once you buy a particular product which is a gateway to other products and services, the manufacturer is dictating in a very megalomaniac way on how you spend your money. And commanding huge sums from utterly controlling that marketplace. Like the XBox and iPhone. They may have a non-commanding share of mobiles, but they have a total monopoly on iPhone…

Under that theory of law, every platform company in the world is subject to antitrust suits as the "monopoly provider of access to that platform". Twitter could be sued. 37signals could be sued.

Fortunately, this simply isn't how antitrust law works.

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

#157

Post by brettbender » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 5:48 PM UTC

binaryfinery wrote: post #131

Well, I've spent the last six months learning the shitiest language and libraries with the most backwards arse tools. What a total waste of my time. Can't decide whether I'm furious at this loss of time and destruction of my competitive advantage, or deliriously happy at the thought of being able to use proper tools like Resharper and IDEA. I suppose the fact is I still have a competitive advantage. I have one client…

If you hate researching new technologies and learning new languages, maybe developer wasn't the right profession?

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

#158

Post by brownleej » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 5:55 PM UTC

ra88it wrote: post #33

umjames wrote: post #9

Wait, so does this mean Apple doesn't have a problem with a 3rd-party framework becoming the preferred API for iOS development? How does not allowing apps that download code prevent this? Also, does this mean you can't download JavaScript from an external web page in your app?

Apparently Javascript is given an explicit exception.

I found it interesting that the exception was not for Javascript, but rather for WebKit in general. "The only exception to the foregoing [ban on downloading and interpreting code] is scripts and code downloaded and run by Apple’s built-in WebKit framework." [from section 3.3.2]. Perhaps Apple wants to keep their options open for other scripting languages in WebKit. I would love to see python and ruby scripting on the client side, personally.

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

#159

Post by astrange » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 6:16 PM UTC

binaryfinery wrote: post #131

Well, I've spent the last six months learning the shitiest language and libraries with the most backwards arse tools. What a total waste of my time. Can't decide whether I'm furious at this loss of time and destruction of my competitive advantage, or deliriously happy at the thought of being able to use proper tools like Resharper and IDEA. I suppose the fact is I still have a competitive advantage. I have one client…

> I have one client purely because they tried middleware and it ran like ass, so they wanted a native app.

This will continue to happen. And just because the tools are allowed doesn't mean that their output is allowed to be below standards.

> Time to get Java installed on the iPhone.

You mean, a static Java to arm-apple-darwin compiler? It's not possible to run a JIT interpreter (HotSpot+Zero) on iOS.

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

#160

Post by doki_pen » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 6:17 PM UTC

What I find really funny is that a certain breed of fanboy applauded the restrictions in the first place, saying that they were needed. Yet I don't see anyone complaining now that the restriction is removed!