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Cocoa Touch apps (2007)

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Re: Cocoa Touch apps (2007)

#11
post #8

People on HN have repeatedly said to me that Apple actually originally intended for web apps to be the only apps for the iPhone, forever. I never believed it. Glad we have some evidence that that was never the case. Clearly web apps were a stop-gap until they got their SDK done.

How is "never the case" derived from this email? This email was sent after iPhone shipped and doesn't say anything about shipping Cocoa Touch as a goal before this point.

Re: Cocoa Touch apps (2007)

#12
post #8

People on HN have repeatedly said to me that Apple actually originally intended for web apps to be the only apps for the iPhone, forever. I never believed it. Glad we have some evidence that that was never the case. Clearly web apps were a stop-gap until they got their SDK done.

How does this contradict that?

The original iPhone was release in June of 2007, this confirms that the decision to release an SDK was in October of that year. With the announcement to the public being a couple of weeks after this email.

Re: Cocoa Touch apps (2007)

#14
post #8

People on HN have repeatedly said to me that Apple actually originally intended for web apps to be the only apps for the iPhone, forever. I never believed it. Glad we have some evidence that that was never the case. Clearly web apps were a stop-gap until they got their SDK done.

They did intend that. This email is Bertrand relenting and saying “Fine, let’s enable apps that aren’t web apps.” Here’s what they told developers when the iPhone was released (months before that email): https://youtu.be/vKKISOnOCaw

Re: Cocoa Touch apps (2007)

#15
post #8

People on HN have repeatedly said to me that Apple actually originally intended for web apps to be the only apps for the iPhone, forever. I never believed it. Glad we have some evidence that that was never the case. Clearly web apps were a stop-gap until they got their SDK done.

I would argue that this email actually somewhat bolsters the claim of web apps only, so I'm not sure how you believe the exact opposite.

Re: Cocoa Touch apps (2007)

#16
post #11
post #8

People on HN have repeatedly said to me that Apple actually originally intended for web apps to be the only apps for the iPhone, forever. I never believed it. Glad we have some evidence that that was never the case. Clearly web apps were a stop-gap until they got their SDK done.

How is "never the case" derived from this email? This email was sent after iPhone shipped and doesn't say anything about shipping Cocoa Touch as a goal before this point.

Seems like clear case that is _was_ the case, unless Steve Jobs liked to ensure his intended features were very secret indeed, and delivered late.

Re: Cocoa Touch apps (2007)

#17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure if this is a joke, the emails refer to iPhone and it’s original sdk. Originally, to develop for iPhone, you had to settle for making web apps.

Well the iPhone shipped with native apps. You, as a developer, just couldn't make them yourself. So my question what is, and wasn't there when it come to the internal SDK and what needed to be built out? I guess exactly what Bertrand lists lol. One of those things would be seen as a miracle to ship in that timeframe.

Nothing shipped in that timeframe. It was announced, and that was it.

Re: Cocoa Touch apps (2007)

#18
Man, that is a classic "Jobs" reply.

Detailed, well-reasoned email, acknowledged by a curt one-sentence reply.

But that only happened in email. I don't think Jobs liked the written medium. He could talk up a storm. One of the best declarative public speakers I've ever heard (but not an "emotionally eloquent" one, like many preachers).

Re: Cocoa Touch apps (2007)

#19
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well the iPhone shipped with native apps. You, as a developer, just couldn't make them yourself. So my question what is, and wasn't there when it come to the internal SDK and what needed to be built out? I guess exactly what Bertrand lists lol. One of those things would be seen as a miracle to ship in that timeframe.

Nothing shipped in that timeframe. It was announced, and that was it.

Good thing I didn't say that anything shipped then, huh? ;)

Re: Cocoa Touch apps (2007)

#20
post #4

Jesus they had 3 months to do it.

Crazy indeed. Although I assume at that point they already had large parts of the SDK implemented for native internal apps and much of those 3-6 months have been spent on public documentation, signing infrastructure etc.
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