Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#1

Post by peter123 » Sun, Mar 27, 2011, 6:59 PM UTC

Apple Didn't Invent the App Store
michaelrobertson.com

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#2

Post by Anechoic » Sun, Mar 27, 2011, 7:50 PM UTC

> And like the term "Windows", "App Store" is a generic computing term that was in use prior to Apple's product.

Is there an example of the usage of the term "App Store" before Apple popularized it? The date search via Google hasn't turned up anything.

edit: I did find this blog post from 2006: http://nerddawg.blogspot.com/2006/08/debugging-windows-prese...

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#3

Post by Pewpewarrows » Sun, Mar 27, 2011, 8:01 PM UTC

While not the same thing, show me one person who's touched Linux that didn't immediately scream "Repositories!" when they first heard about the iOS App Store...

It's a Storefront for Applications. There's only so many variations of the name you can come up with before they start stepping on each others' toes.

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#4

Post by cmsj » Sun, Mar 27, 2011, 9:14 PM UTC

In which a minor freetard business celebrity fails to distinguish trademarks from patents.

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#5

Post by wtallis » Sun, Mar 27, 2011, 9:54 PM UTC

Pewpewarrows wrote: post #3

While not the same thing, show me one person who's touched Linux that didn't immediately scream "Repositories!" when they first heard about the iOS App Store... It's a Storefront for Applications. There's only so many variations of the name you can come up with before they start stepping on each others' toes.

The App Store bears far more resemblance to Steam than to Linux distro repositories, which are primarily about resolving dependencies and being able to upgrade things without breaking dependencies. iOS and OS X Apps don't even have external dependencies other than OS-provided libraries, and most Linux package management systems don't have a standard GUI, let alone one at all like iTunes or the Mac App Store.

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#6

Post by dpcan » Sun, Mar 27, 2011, 9:54 PM UTC

cmsj wrote: post #4

In which a minor freetard business celebrity fails to distinguish trademarks from patents.

I thought the same thing - but he does seem to have a pretty good argument backing up his terminology:

http://www.michaelrobertson.com/archive.php?minute_id=340#co...

If the link doesn't work, it's down a ways in the comments.

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#7

Post by muhfuhkuh » Sun, Mar 27, 2011, 9:59 PM UTC

So, is it "app" or "store" that Apple objects to? Or is it simply the combination of those terms and, in all actuality, Amazon could simply call it the "Android App Mart/Market/Superstore/Supermarket" and Apple would just go away?

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#8

Post by mukyu » Sun, Mar 27, 2011, 10:02 PM UTC

> Apple says, "...nothing like the App Store has ever been attempted before."

What Apple actually says is """As a columnist for The New York Times remarked soon after the launch of the service, "[nlothing like the App Store has ever been attempted before.""""

Yes, Apple is trying to push that idea, but it is not them that said it (in that instance). Apple even notes that similar mobile phone download marketplaces existed before their version of one (though they do not mention the Wii store or Xbox live marketplace which also predate it).

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#9

Post by nickbp » Sun, Mar 27, 2011, 10:12 PM UTC

wtallis wrote: post #5

Pewpewarrows wrote: post #3

While not the same thing, show me one person who's touched Linux that didn't immediately scream "Repositories!" when they first heard about the iOS App Store... It's a Storefront for Applications. There's only so many variations of the name you can come up with before they start stepping on each others' toes.

The App Store bears far more resemblance to Steam than to Linux distro repositories, which are primarily about resolving dependencies and being able to upgrade things without breaking dependencies. iOS and OS X Apps don't even have external dependencies other than OS-provided libraries, and most Linux package management systems don't have a standard GUI, let alone one at all like iTunes or the Mac App Store.

I disagree with your claim of their primary use. They're for installing software; the convenient upgrades and dependency management are merely a side effect of handling that task correctly.

Also, from TFA, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNR_(software)

Re: Apple Didn't Invent the App Store

#10

Post by patrickaljord » Sun, Mar 27, 2011, 10:36 PM UTC

cmsj wrote: post #4

In which a minor freetard business celebrity fails to distinguish trademarks from patents.

He's anything but a "freetard", he built cnr in order to be able to easily ship proprietary and drm apps. Far from a freetard (whatever that means).

Also I'm saddened to see people here upvoting a comment using a derogatory term (freetard) against a part of our community (free and open source software enthusiasts in that case), it's against the HN guidelines.