Live data from Hacker News

The iPhone is White Label Hardware

dbreunig.tumblr.com

1–10 of 64 posts

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#5
Apple's hardware isn't appropriate for every situation. If it were to be white label, they would need to make the software available to other hardware developers, and that's never going to happen.

This article is more about software than hardware, the apps largely don't care what hardware it's running on.

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#6
Full disclosure: I recently purchased a T-Mobile Android-powered G-1, with which I am more than a little enamored. Feel free to discard the following post as fanboy tripe.

Couldn't this article have just as easily been written about the G-1, or certain models of Blackberry? (Especially since Android is open-source. Isn't it?) It disturbs me when Apple products are treated like the exclusive apotheosis of their niche. I remember reading an article in which the journalist blathered spastically about "iPod-jacking," the paradigm-breaking practice of two people swapping headphones on their iPod to see what the other is listening to.

Huh???

ANY pair of MP3 players could accomplish the same thing, just like any modern wi-fi/GPS/accelerometer/etc. enabled smartphone could accomplish what this article is talking about.

Also, I have an open question: I'm perplexed by people who criticize Apple for keeping apps out of the store. Aren't you free to publish your app on your own website, which any user can navigate to, and install your app from there? Are people angry because, if Apple doesn't let you in the app store, you're almost definitely going to get less customers? (That's a fair thing to be angry about). Or... are people angry because, if you get kicked out of the app store, no one can install your app AT ALL?

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#7
post #6

Full disclosure: I recently purchased a T-Mobile Android-powered G-1, with which I am more than a little enamored. Feel free to discard the following post as fanboy tripe. Couldn't this article have just as easily been written about the G-1, or certain models of Blackberry? (Especially since Android is open-source. Isn't it?) It disturbs me when Apple products are treated like the exclusive apotheosis of their niche.…

"Aren't you free to publish your app on your own website, which any user can navigate to, and install your app from there?"

No. Which is why having a gate keeper at the store is so frustrating.

There are three ways to distribute--iTunes store, ad hoc (limited to 100 device IDs per app and is designed to use for testing) and enterprise which only works for corporate accounts and is limited to devices inside your company.

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#8
post #7
post #6

Full disclosure: I recently purchased a T-Mobile Android-powered G-1, with which I am more than a little enamored. Feel free to discard the following post as fanboy tripe. Couldn't this article have just as easily been written about the G-1, or certain models of Blackberry? (Especially since Android is open-source. Isn't it?) It disturbs me when Apple products are treated like the exclusive apotheosis of their niche.…

"Aren't you free to publish your app on your own website, which any user can navigate to, and install your app from there?" No. Which is why having a gate keeper at the store is so frustrating. There are three ways to distribute--iTunes store, ad hoc (limited to 100 device IDs per app and is designed to use for testing) and enterprise which only works for corporate accounts and is limited to devices inside your compa…

Then how do you develop for the iPhone, without being able to install the app you're developing on your own device?

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#9
post #8
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Aren't you free to publish your app on your own website, which any user can navigate to, and install your app from there?" No. Which is why having a gate keeper at the store is so frustrating. There are three ways to distribute--iTunes store, ad hoc (limited to 100 device IDs per app and is designed to use for testing) and enterprise which only works for corporate accounts and is limited to devices inside your compa…

Then how do you develop for the iPhone, without being able to install the app you're developing on your own device?

You can't. You have to sign up for the dev program to get the app on your device. You can program to the simulator, but that doesn't help you with the unique features of the phone (camera, accelerometer, etc).

Re: The iPhone is White Label Hardware

#10
post #2

Except for all the artificial limitations (no background processes is a huge let down) and the fact that Steve Jobs can crush your iPhone businesses if he chooses.

How is it a let down? For two years, two releases, two versions of software and one beta of OS 3 it hasn't been present. It's only ever been mentioned by Apple to say they aren't doing it, and always they've been discussing, advertising and working on push notifications as an alternative.

Given all that, why were you in any way expecting it?

Post reply on HN