Apple rejecting applications which use Dropbox • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple rejecting applications which use Dropbox

#261

Post by batista » Wed, May 02, 2012, 10:33 AM UTC

cageface wrote: post #176

nupark2 wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In terms of UX and as a consumer, I'd rather the Dropbox API not open a browser or even another app. That is not the best UX, it doesn't provide a security advantage, and it's simply not being done to benefit the consumer. This may not be Apple's primary rational for rejecting these apps, but I'm glad they're doing it. As for the payment question, simply in terms of UX and as a consumer, I want only one payment provi…

I'd rather Apple give developers the choice and let user preference sort it out. In the long run the open market always wins.

>In the long run the open market always wins.

I've never seen an open market in the wild, much less it "always winning".

You mean an open market like the "$1 trillion bailout not to collapse the whole economy" open market? Or an open market like "we enforce strict copyright laws to artificially limit each copyrighted product to one maker and it's pricing at his whims"? Or an open market with patents, for the same purpose? Or an open market with frequent cartels, to everything from dairy products to RAM? Last, but not least, an open market where a country with a military advantage has several army units deployed and several wars to secure resources and keep their prices down?

Re: Apple rejecting applications which use Dropbox

#262

Post by chalst » Wed, May 02, 2012, 10:36 AM UTC

sbuk wrote: post #204

zzleeper wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

BTW, in antitrust terms, they do have a monopoly in that segment, and could be charged for abusive practices.

No. They don't. It is impossible to have a monopoly in a market segment and under the law, it is perfectly acceptable for a business to control a small portion of the marketplace.

If consumers face substantial barriers in switching to a rival then there might be an antitrust case. From the point of view of competition policy, the idea of "market for this" vs. "market for that" can be misleading

Re: Apple rejecting applications which use Dropbox

#263

Post by batista » Wed, May 02, 2012, 10:37 AM UTC

ChuckMcM wrote: post #56

rogerchucker wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think people characterizing this as "too far" are ignorant of that fact that Apple is within its rights to enforce whatever they want to. I think the thread is more about "is Apple being a dick here?"... Unfortunately, Google is probably not capable of exploiting these mini-resentments and I don't think anybody else is either.

Unfortunately, Google is probably not capable of exploiting these mini-resentments and I don't think anybody else is either. I'd love to hear more about that. This is my reasoning on why I think there is an opportunity there: Lets say (patent issues not withstanding), you created an exact clone of the iPad and iOS and sold it at the same price but without the 30% 'apple tax' on purchases. It seems reasonable to assum…

>Lets say (patent issues not withstanding), you created an exact clone of the iPad and iOS and sold it at the same price but without the 30% 'apple tax' on purchases.

What "Apple tax"? Haven't you noticed that competitors have struggled to offer the same prices for their tablets for example? The iPad/iPhone is one of the cheapest products on their market segment.

Just consider that when everybody expected the iPad to be like $999 or $799 on introduction, it came out at $499 -- and the mostly useless copies (now forgotten) that appeared of it, where in the range of $700.

Apple has their margin's with huge economies of scale and huge massive pre-orders of RAM, solid state storage and screen panels.

Re: Apple rejecting applications which use Dropbox

#264

Post by kalleboo » Wed, May 02, 2012, 10:39 AM UTC

iloveponies wrote: post #257

kalleboo wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You just convinced me more than ever > they'd make it impossible to uninstall or remove Safari from the desktop or dock, You can't remove the iTunes store from the iOS desktop, even if you only use Spotify. You can't remove Newsstand either. I'm kinda surprised that iBooks hasn't been baked-in yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. > and switch Chrome and Firefox for Safari as your default browser every time y…

> Apple rejects alternative web browsers on iOS outright, Except for Opera Mini - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/opera-mini-web-browser/id3637...

They didn't classify Opera Mini as a browser since it doesn't interpret HTML or Javascript on the phone, that's done on a server. Opera Mobile is still banned.

Also, this also shows you can't change the http link association in iOS.

Re: Apple rejecting applications which use Dropbox

#265

Post by chj » Wed, May 02, 2012, 11:01 AM UTC

ChuckMcM wrote: post #28

kennywinker wrote: post #18

This has gone way too far. The other day I downloaded the Google Play Books app. I started it up, signed in.. and nothing. No prompt to go buy books online, no hint at what the app does... just a blank screen. It's completely scummy. You can buy Apple's iCloud storage upgrade from within the OS, and now you can't even LINK to a place where you could link to a place where if you click the right link you could buy Drop…

[I have a zillion snarky type replies that itch to be free, but we'll keep that monster in the box today.] "Way to far" is an interesting characterization. Apple has rules about their playground, they like their rules, they make Apple very profitable. So the question becomes can Google leverage this liability to increase the penetration or market share of Android tablets? Once these tactics hurt Apple in the market t…

apple do not deserve 30% cut from everything sold through apps. apple can not use a single rule to measure everything. as simple as that.

Re: Apple rejecting applications which use Dropbox

#266

Post by gouranga » Wed, May 02, 2012, 11:03 AM UTC

kennywinker wrote: post #18

This has gone way too far. The other day I downloaded the Google Play Books app. I started it up, signed in.. and nothing. No prompt to go buy books online, no hint at what the app does... just a blank screen. It's completely scummy. You can buy Apple's iCloud storage upgrade from within the OS, and now you can't even LINK to a place where you could link to a place where if you click the right link you could buy Drop…

You're on their turf - stop complaining.

I wouldn't invest in app development ever, precisely due to these sorts of issues.

Re: Apple rejecting applications which use Dropbox

#267

Post by da_n » Wed, May 02, 2012, 11:12 AM UTC

At the risk of being labelled an Apple 'fanboi', let me play devil's advocate here. What if I created an SDK for developers that had a sign-up system linking to a new storage solution I had created called Dropboxplus.ru. In any app using this SDK it has a link that regular Joe can click where he is redirected to the Dropboxplus.ru website and offered an account upgrade option where the user just needs to put in their credit card details to 'unlock' new features etc.

Now most people here will know that most consumers are utterly ignorant of what an API or SDK are, and barely even understand the concept of an 'App' (some of the reviews on the App Store I have seen critize Apple themselves for making such an app, they don't even understand there are third party developers who make the apps). My point is I don't think the walled garden is just for the sake of greed, I also think it is for the sake of consumers who unlike HN folk need a walled garden to keep them from doing dumb things. I think Apple want to ensure they can control where the user is enticed to part with money to keep them in their safety net. Do they do this in a fully transparent and open way? No, and maybe this is one area they can improve on to become less opaque, but if you play in their space you need to respect their TOS and this was a clear violation.

Re: Apple rejecting applications which use Dropbox

#268

Post by philbarr » Wed, May 02, 2012, 11:13 AM UTC

batista wrote: post #261

cageface wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd rather Apple give developers the choice and let user preference sort it out. In the long run the open market always wins.

> In the long run the open market always wins. I've never seen an open market in the wild, much less it "always winning". You mean an open market like the "$1 trillion bailout not to collapse the whole economy" open market? Or an open market like "we enforce strict copyright laws to artificially limit each copyrighted product to one maker and it's pricing at his whims"? Or an open market with patents, for the same pu…

That is a fantastic rant about the open market. Do you mind if I use it and claim it as my own someday?

Re: Apple rejecting applications which use Dropbox

#269

Post by option_greek » Wed, May 02, 2012, 11:16 AM UTC

Tloewald wrote: post #203

Duff wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recall using Netscape in 1998 or so on Windows Nt. Where do I find the download link for Chrome or Safari on iOS?

Did google try to release chrome for ios and get blocked by Apple and I didn't hear about it? There are a ton of third party web browsers for ios.

There is big board hanging on the door saying its not allowed. Why would any company spend resources on projects that can't be shipped. All the third party browsers currently in app store are either skins on safari or interprets stuff on server side like opera mini.

In other words there is only one true browser allowed on ios - Safari.

Re: Apple rejecting applications which use Dropbox

#270

Post by mkr-hn » Wed, May 02, 2012, 11:27 AM UTC

batista wrote: post #261

cageface wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd rather Apple give developers the choice and let user preference sort it out. In the long run the open market always wins.

> In the long run the open market always wins. I've never seen an open market in the wild, much less it "always winning". You mean an open market like the "$1 trillion bailout not to collapse the whole economy" open market? Or an open market like "we enforce strict copyright laws to artificially limit each copyrighted product to one maker and it's pricing at his whims"? Or an open market with patents, for the same pu…

You might want to hold off on the ideological rant and re-read. I think cageface was talking about application markets. I didn't know Google was using their market to bail people out and wage a secret resource war.