

Apple's Chickenshit Approval Process Has Gone Too Far - icey
http://gizmodo.com/5325539/apples-chickenshit-approval-process-has-gone-too-far

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jrockway
I would laugh if Google stopped serving their map tiles to iPhones. Google
controls a lot of the iPhone (and of the Internet), and I think they should
"remind" Apple of that.

~~~
patio11
Memo to Microsoft: assiduously cultivating the "Do no evil" PR means people
will actively fantasize about your anti-competitive behavior.

~~~
jrockway
How would this be anti-competitive? Imagine the following scenario, I invite
you over for dinner regularly. One time, afterwards, I suggest that we have
dinner at your place instead. You say no. I stop inviting you over for dinner.

Is that anti-competitive? Then why does Google have to serve map tiles to
someone that won't let them write an app to dial phone numbers?

~~~
philwelch
That's not anti-competitive because we aren't competing companies, we're
friends and (to follow this metaphor the rest of the way through) my
girlfriend hates you because she's afraid I'll leave her for you, and she'll
throw _such_ a big fit if I have you over, but she's on the lease and there's
nothing I can do until the lease is up without causing even more drama.

It's more like, you're Standard Oil, and I'm Ford, and because my dealers are
allowed to use every brand of motor oil except yours when they do oil changes,
you refuse to let your service stations fill up my cars.

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paulgb
Anybody else find it funny that Apple blocks apps that allow the user to go
around the carrier, given that Jobs and Woz's first entrepreneurial endeavor
was selling phone phreaking equipment?

It isn't unexpected, of course, but I find it a bit ironic.

~~~
uuilly
Probably my favorite PG quote: "Their previous business experience consisted
of making "blue boxes" to hack into the phone system, a business with the rare
distinction of being both illegal and unprofitable."

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haseman
Welcome to carrier controlled Mobile software development. Life sucks,
telecoms don't like competition, wear a helmet. I continue to be amazed at the
outrage generated by Apple fan-boys over an issue that has been happening in
the mobile world for many many years.

Perhaps the solution to any company that exerts dictatorial control over it's
own property is to throw a legion of Apple nerds at it?

(This isn't to say that these arguments are wrong...they're just several years
late to the party)

~~~
dejb
My 4 year old WinMo phone can run whatever I want it to. I'm in Australia.
Hasn't this been possible in the US?

~~~
anigbrowl
It's easier to buy hard drugs in the US than it is to get the phone you want
with the carrier of your choice.

~~~
netsp
How hard is that?

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nazgulnarsil
the solution to all this is simple, don't buy apple products. stop bitching
and just stop buying, and tell your friends not to buy either. I refuse to do
business with companies like apple and sony who show no semblance of respect
for the customer's intelligence. if you want to do crazy stuff with your
hardware fine, but don't lie to me about in such an obvious manner.

~~~
derefr
I'm not sure what other people's motivations here are, but mine—for thinking
the same thoughts—is that even with the cons factored in, the iPhone is still
strictly better than its alternatives. I don't want to abandon something just
because it has a problem, I want to _fix_ the problem. This all reminds me of
what happens whenever someone asks about a relationship issue on Yahoo
Answers: the first response is always, always "you should leave them."

~~~
nazgulnarsil
I personally avoid products where the company thinks they can dictate to you
how to use it after you've purchased it. If you factor that in and still find
a product to be value added, no problem, room enough in the market for lots of
players.

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bep
Why people acts like this is news? Apple loves this kind of control.

~~~
icey
From a developer's perspective, I think it's important to talk about this
until Apple addresses it, or people move to a different platform.

I think the problem is the sheer arbitrary nature of their decisions; it seems
like there is a "Wizard of Oz" effect going on - Some mysterious force rejects
applications, but you can't ask about the rejections or the reasons because
nobody who speaks to the developers is authorized to do so.

It's devolving from an irritation to an evil (in the Google sense of the
word).

~~~
bep
It is important. But I am sure Apple would listen more if people voted with
their wallets.

~~~
icey
I agree, I think the _only_ way Apple will listen is if people vote with their
wallets. I'm just of the mindset that there has to be a compelling reason to
go to another product first. Developers are the force that can make that
happen.

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Readmore
This is why the 'Web will Win over native apps' because if you serve your app
through the web you don't have to deal with anyone's 'Chickenshit approval
process'.

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jimfl
Cell networks are dead meat and they know it, and as such are trying to
extract as much bank as quickly as possible before their demise.

What troubles me is that if Apple is, indeed going to release a tablet of some
description in 2 months, and app development and deployment is going to be
along the lines of the iPhone/iPod Touch system, then they'd better fix this
fast, and regain developer trust or the platform, no matter how cool, will
founder and join the Newton in the hall of shame.

~~~
gdee
I don't think cell networks are dead meat. They will be, relatively soon, for
anything but data carriage yes. But everything you want to get: voice,
messaging, web, whatever else; you (and I) want it over the inet. They're
(cell nets ops) problem is that inet access is _just_ one product. They got
quite confy over the years selling all kind of products and product levels
enabled by their cell nets. Inet access is only one product, and in the long
term, tends to have only one level: fast, no limitations.

That is a big problem for them I think. No room for up-sells, no room for
fudging price plans. It's going to have to be fast and with no limitations or
someone else will provide something that will get you closer and closer to
that. And the natural advantage of having those towers is not going to last
forever (think WiFi, WiMAX and what comes afterwards) so they will have to
reduce their expectation and be contempt of selling plain, unlimited inet
access. I'm eagerly expecting that future.

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quizbiz
Are we forgetting about Cydia? If apple wants us to avoid their official app
store, then so be it. GV Mobile is already downloadable via Cydia on a
jailbroken iphone/ipodtouch.

~~~
nwjsmith
RTFA

Dammit, I forgot this was HN. It'll never happen again.

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ygvucoqwv
The iPhone belongs to ATT. The fact that it has a fruit logo on it is
irrelevent. You are paying to use ATT's system get used to it. When apple does
a deal with FOX for the next Mac you will have a machine that can only access
Fox.news not the BBC. But it will have a nice smooth case - so don't worry.

~~~
unalone
If you think that, you haven't seen the way Apple works deals with companies.

AT&T is leaning heavily on Apple because it's scared, rightly so, that they'll
lose a lot of money when the iPhone goes to Verizon, which it will.

I also don't approve of that snide little comment at the end. If you've got
something to say, say it, and leave the snark somewhere that isn't here.

~~~
philwelch
I really don't see Apple jumping into another carrier-exclusive deal,
especially not with phone-crippling shitheads like Verizon.

~~~
netsp
Why is Apple signing exclusivity deals at all in the US? Down here (Australia)
they just go with everyone. The do make them bend and turn and invent new
plans that include a calls/texts/data package that's more to Apple's liking,
but they go through everyone.

~~~
drewcrawford
I suspect they had to, initially, and the only terms they could get were for
several years (basically until now).

Every US phone is aligned with a carrier. It's not immediately clear to me why
that is, but there you go. When the contract is up, Apple has a serious
opportunity to shake that notion, but I'm not sure if they will.

~~~
philwelch
Many phones pass out of exclusivity and are offered through multiple carriers.
The RAZR used to be Cingular only--then, every carrier had them.

