Apple is Finally Evil • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple is Finally Evil

#11

Post by comatose_kid » Wed, Oct 01, 2008, 1:16 AM UTC

geuis wrote: post #7

This is just IMHO: The whole "rant on Apple's app store policies" meme has run out of mileage. Its kinda getting like Rickrolls, except not as funny. I know several developers that have successfully gotten apps into the store. One of them is doing VERY well. His opinion when I asked him about this was basically, "Apple states it all pretty clearly in the documentation when you sign up. Some types of apps (podcaster f…

Totally agree. The iPhone is to developers as the iPod is to music owners. Sure, music owners could hawk their wares on any number of music stores, but only a deal with Apple would give them access to the huge iPod base.

Re: Apple is Finally Evil

#12

Post by comatose_kid » Wed, Oct 01, 2008, 1:19 AM UTC

131072 wrote: post #10

I don't understand why Apple gets a free ride for manufacturing weapons components (via their acquisition of PA Semi) and having a CEO that owns a large chunk of Disney, which is barely more than a swear word among the same people who appreciate their products on a technical level. The iPhone SDK issues are merely disappointing in comparison. You don't see two year old blog posts from the same group of people flaming…

128K, doesn't ARM also manufacture weapons components? I'm assuming their CPUs (or Intel's FLASH parts) are used in weapons, along with toaster ovens.

Re: Apple is Finally Evil

#13

Post by cstejerean » Wed, Oct 01, 2008, 1:26 AM UTC

litewulf wrote: post #6

sunkencity wrote: post #5

I'm a bit sceptical about the googlephone being the good guy. I wish he hadn't started on that. It's very tempting to pit the google phone against the iphone, but to be fair the only good guy in town is openmoko. The problem with openmoko though is that the interface is utter crap, but it's the best bet for a "free" platform for developers.

I'm curious how the openmoko is more open than the android platform?

I'm guessing because the hardware itself is open and fully hackable whereas with android all you get is a Java SDK?

Re: Apple is Finally Evil

#14

Post by SarahToton » Wed, Oct 01, 2008, 1:28 AM UTC

sunkencity wrote: post #4

tptacek wrote: post #3

When was Apple ever not "evil"?

Yeah, Apple has always been as evil as Microsoft, but with better PR.

We should see some new commercials soon:

"I'm the Emperor...And I'm Darth Vader"

We're both evil, but one of us is ugly, while the other is shiny and black (for a premium!)

Re: Apple is Finally Evil

#15

Post by ojbyrne » Wed, Oct 01, 2008, 1:28 AM UTC

Google "Power Computing."

Re: Apple is Finally Evil

#16

Post by 131072 » Wed, Oct 01, 2008, 2:22 AM UTC

comatose_kid wrote: post #12

131072 wrote: post #10

I don't understand why Apple gets a free ride for manufacturing weapons components (via their acquisition of PA Semi) and having a CEO that owns a large chunk of Disney, which is barely more than a swear word among the same people who appreciate their products on a technical level. The iPhone SDK issues are merely disappointing in comparison. You don't see two year old blog posts from the same group of people flaming…

128K, doesn't ARM also manufacture weapons components? I'm assuming their CPUs (or Intel's FLASH parts) are used in weapons, along with toaster ovens.

Oh sure, I understand that. It is a complex issue that is a great example of the tension between philosophical or moral ideals and the more atavistic parts of human nature. I feel it would be hypocritical for me to say I am against it, since I benefit from the security and prosperity (and technological development) that military developments provide (and I'm writing this on a Mac). It's hard to fly on an airliner that wasn't built by an arms manufacturer too, and there are plenty of other examples.

What I mean is - you would think that the kind of people who write shrill blog posts about the iPhone SDK would be at least as incensed by these two points, and it's interesting that they have not emerged as anti-Apple memes in general, regardless of their validity.

I'd have expected to see more 'OMG steve jobs makes the brains for cruise missiles and steals our culture with copyright extensions' stuff around. Surely those caused Apple to become 'finally evil' to these people?

Re: Apple is Finally Evil

#17

Post by whatusername » Wed, Oct 01, 2008, 4:24 AM UTC

netcan wrote: post #9

sunkencity wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, Apple has always been as evil as Microsoft, but with better PR.

Evil but cooler? BTW, Apple's complaints about Microsoft have always been 'tasteless' not 'evil.'

Slashdot's complaints about "M$" have always been "evil" though..

Re: Apple is Finally Evil

#18

Post by unalone » Wed, Oct 01, 2008, 5:00 AM UTC

131072 wrote: post #10

I don't understand why Apple gets a free ride for manufacturing weapons components (via their acquisition of PA Semi) and having a CEO that owns a large chunk of Disney, which is barely more than a swear word among the same people who appreciate their products on a technical level. The iPhone SDK issues are merely disappointing in comparison. You don't see two year old blog posts from the same group of people flaming…

How is Disney a swear word? It churns out a lot of popular crap and it has Pixar making probably the best movies out there now. Steve Jobs made it company policy not to release "direct-to-DVD sequels". Remember that? Without that, Disney quality jumped a LOT (which, I know, just says how awful they HAD been). Meanwhile, they've reinstated their 2D animation department, which is BIG fun news and which might bring back the good old Disney.

Why should we criticize them for making weapons components or for owning Disney? That has nothing to do with their products.

Re: Apple is Finally Evil

#19

Post by 131072 » Wed, Oct 01, 2008, 5:55 AM UTC

unalone wrote: post #18

131072 wrote: post #10

I don't understand why Apple gets a free ride for manufacturing weapons components (via their acquisition of PA Semi) and having a CEO that owns a large chunk of Disney, which is barely more than a swear word among the same people who appreciate their products on a technical level. The iPhone SDK issues are merely disappointing in comparison. You don't see two year old blog posts from the same group of people flaming…

How is Disney a swear word? It churns out a lot of popular crap and it has Pixar making probably the best movies out there now. Steve Jobs made it company policy not to release "direct-to-DVD sequels". Remember that? Without that, Disney quality jumped a LOT (which, I know, just says how awful they HAD been). Meanwhile, they've reinstated their 2D animation department, which is BIG fun news and which might bring back…

Disney is typically cited as a major force behind the never-ending extension of copyright (the famous 'keep mickey out of the public domain' strategy). Disney has also put considerable resources into lobbying for ever-more-oppressive legal measures such as mandatory DRM hardware in computers. They are no friend of the typical hacker. Steve Jobs, as a major shareholder and board member, could influence this if he so chose. Apple also chose to continue its weapons-grade product lines when it purchased PA Semi. Maybe they have a contract they can't get out of, but they may well have had the choice to shut down or spin off those products.

You can agree or not with those arguments, I'm not advocating for or against them. They don't affect my purchasing decisions (the best tool for the job in my current circumstances is a MacBook Pro so that's what I have). I make my living working for banks that no doubt finance far worse things. If Disney returns to form animation-wise I'll reward them with movie ticket purchases. It just seems to me that all the people posting "Apple is finally evil" linkbait nonsense could choose meatier targets than mistakes in developer relations, and the fact they choose not to means they're not even any good at being wrong.

It's crappy linkbait blog post pollution that irritates me, not anything that Apple's doing.

Re: Apple is Finally Evil

#20

Post by delackner » Wed, Oct 01, 2008, 6:27 AM UTC

131072 wrote: post #19

unalone wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is Disney a swear word? It churns out a lot of popular crap and it has Pixar making probably the best movies out there now. Steve Jobs made it company policy not to release "direct-to-DVD sequels". Remember that? Without that, Disney quality jumped a LOT (which, I know, just says how awful they HAD been). Meanwhile, they've reinstated their 2D animation department, which is BIG fun news and which might bring back…

Disney is typically cited as a major force behind the never-ending extension of copyright (the famous 'keep mickey out of the public domain' strategy). Disney has also put considerable resources into lobbying for ever-more-oppressive legal measures such as mandatory DRM hardware in computers. They are no friend of the typical hacker. Steve Jobs, as a major shareholder and board member, could influence this if he so c…

"Maybe they have a contract they can't get out of"

It really does pay to inform yourself before ranting. Worst case, you spent some time but your argument becomes more clear. Best case, you prevent yourself saying something uninformed and untrue.

In this case, yes, Apple tried to close the military product line, and the US military strongly insisted that PA Semi continue producing their existing military products.