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Fear of Apple

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Re: Fear of Apple

#231

Post by cozzyd »

clarky07 wrote: post #221
cozzyd wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sounds highly disingenuous. F-Droid appears to have over 8 million downloads[0]. Amazon's store is probably well patronized too (and they seem to have good deals on paid apps). I'm sure there's some piracy, but I don't think it's that prevalent (at least not in the US). Either way, as a user, I'd rather be on a platform that is open enough that piracy is possible. [0]: https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroiddata/blob/m…

>I'm sure there's some piracy, but I don't think it's that prevalant ha. that's a good one. I've had apps on both iOS and Android with < 10% of the installs being legit.

How many of those were in markets you could actually sell in? (i.e. where Google Play is available)

Re: Fear of Apple

#233

Post by WhitneyLand »

matheweis wrote: post #75
serve_yay wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's worse than that - sometimes "trashing them" (i.e., writing a dryly-worded blog post simply stating events that transpired with no hint of anger) is the only thing that helps.

I did have success once with sending an e-mail to tcook@apple.com. I have read that like Steve, he does read many of those external e-mails. This was when the App Store review times had climbed to 28+ days. I never did get a response, but shortly thereafter they started going down, and within a few weeks were down to the 3-7 day range. I don't think they've gone significantly over 7 days since.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hoc

Re: Fear of Apple

#234

Post by jiffytick »

threeseed wrote: post #168
chrramirez wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could also publish on Android or the web and have access to a "the global audience". Comparing the App Store with 20 years old methods is a fallacy. To be realistic you should compare using the Android/Mozilla/Windows/Web distribution methods.

The Android model i.e. the Google model is now the same as Apple's. Only it has the ability to sideload applications which let's be honest as primarily been used for installing pirated applications.

I use f-droid more than google play. F-droid would not ne posible without sideloading.

Re: Fear of Apple

#235

Post by AnthonyMouse »

gkanai wrote: post #230
AnthonyMouse wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We are incredibly lucky that their is one open platform out there: the web. The web is great, but it isn't a full platform. You can't have a web-based device driver, or VPN, or secure email, or ssh server. You can't replace your web browser with a web-based web browser. There are things that are just not possible on the web, but that people still need to be able to do. And the people who make those things should no…

There is a web-based mobile phone: Firefox OS.

The large majority of Firefox OS is written in C and C++. The Linux kernel it uses isn't web-based. Firefox itself isn't web-based.

Mozilla are good people, but it's really obvious why they would want to encourage people to make web apps instead of native apps. There is still a ton of software that can't be web-based.

Re: Fear of Apple

#236

Post by Buge »

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #228
guelo wrote: post #207

You're a sharecropper. It doesn't matter how much you pour your heart and soul into someone else's platform it's still their platform. They don't owe you anything, they care about one thing, maximizing their profits. People sometimes appeal to the large corporation pleading that helping the "ecosystem" will make more money for everybody. But this is not necessarily true. There are many situations where screwing over…

> We are incredibly lucky that their is one open platform out there: the web. The web is great, but it isn't a full platform. You can't have a web-based device driver, or VPN, or secure email, or ssh server. You can't replace your web browser with a web-based web browser. There are things that are just not possible on the web, but that people still need to be able to do. And the people who make those things should no…

> a web-based web browser

Reminds me of this: https://www.destroyallsoftware.com/talks/the-birth-and-death...

Re: Fear of Apple

#237

Post by Animats »

philsnow wrote: post #112
nakovet wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes and no. For example, you buy some Sony stuff from Bestbuy, you run into a problem, yes you try to contact Bestbuy first, but they fail to you: "Well you must contact Sony now because yada yada...", you may even think "Alright, that's fair..., it's not their fault" and if Sony doesn't provide customer service nor support, I bet you, you will never buy something from the brand again, but you may buy again from the…

Customers (and people in general) shouldn't let themselves be so easily deflected. Stay on target. When you buy a Sony-branded consumer good from SomeCo, you haven't done business with Sony, you've done it with SomeCo. If SomeCo isn't willing to back the quality of the products they stock, they should. not. stock. those products. If you that argument does not sway whoever takes returns at SomeCo, get your credit card…

That comes under the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act. In California, the Song-Beverly Warranty Act applies.[1] The retailer has to make good on the manufacturers' warranty unless the manufacturer has convenient in-state repair centers.

[1] http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=civ&gr...

Re: Fear of Apple

#238

Post by jsz0 »

These developers are very naive if they are unaware confidentiality / non-defimation clauses are part of most B2B agreements. As a general rule yes you should fear breaking contracts. Bad things might happen.

Re: Fear of Apple

#239

Post by comex »

fragmede wrote: post #178
threeseed wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Android model i.e. the Google model is now the same as Apple's. Only it has the ability to sideload applications which let's be honest as primarily been used for installing pirated applications.

Pirating iPhone apps is easy, and Apple's signature checking that locks down iOS doesn't actually prevent piracy. A pirated iOS app passes the signature check same as the legitimately bought version - it's the same .ipa file, after all. You don't need to jailbreak your iPhone in order to install apps you haven't paid for. The signature check makes sure 'the developer has paid Apple', and not 'the user has paid for th…

This is incorrect. Unmodified App Store .ipas are DRMed (app __TEXT is encrypted); the signature is of the encrypted binary, and the keys are tied to your iTunes Store credentials on the device. Piracy thus requires someone to decrypt the binary with a jailbroken phone, followed by either:

(1) installing the resulting unsigned app on a jailbroken phone, or

(2) re-signing it with a developer or enterprise distribution key, which Apple can revoke.

Both of these are done regularly, but it's not like Apple hasn't tried to stop it.

By the way, Apple no longer forbids Bitcoin apps, although this doesn't defeat the general point about forbidden categories.

Re: Fear of Apple

#240

Post by comex »

pauloday wrote: post #52
comex wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For some of the more notable bloggers, because everyone knows they're on Team Apple. They aren't just people who have a lot of Apple products, they're people who have significantly bought into Apple's worldview and culture. Since tech punditry as a whole is very tribal, trashing the other teams regularly is par for the course, but trashing your own team is seen as a betrayal, an extraordinary event, a reaction to the…

Reminds me of this[1] LessWrong post. It's not unique to tech, it's (unfortunately) part of our tribalistic instinct: > Arguments are soldiers. Once you know which side you're on, you must support all arguments of that side, and attack all arguments that appear to favor the enemy side; otherwise it's like stabbing your soldiers in the back—providing aid and comfort to the enemy. [1]: http://lesswrong.com/lw/gw/politi…

I think it's telling that the two things John Gruber blogs about are tech - and sports, where fans are expected to pick a team and be loyal to it. At least in the latter arena, most people treat the tribalism as just for fun!

Which is why I read Daring Fireball. I do like Apple in general, but I also just find it fun to be on a team, and try not to take it too seriously.

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