To Hack Or Not To Hack
Gizmodo.com has an interesting article about the iPhone and hacking. Basically, they're mad as hell (and they're not going to take it anymore) about Apple disabling 3rd party programs. We basically agree. Every smart phone worth its weight in string-cheese has independent applications, so why can't the iPhone? And furthermore, if you're not gonna let us install applications on your Jesus Phone, the least you can do is offer to sell us a couple of games. This is getting ridiculous.
2 comments:
Give me a break! Apple never promised or intimated that you'd get any more than what was available on the phone on 6/29. The fact that they have been slowly adding more features is great.
I did the 1.1.1 update last night and am glad I did. The new features and updates are already making a difference in my use of the iPhone. I even think it's running a little faster.
When I purchased the phone, I did so with the complete knowledge that Apple and AT&T were partnering to provide a mobile phone experience that no one has yet to duplicate. I'm glad that Apple continues to update the experience.
Those of you who didn't think through the ramifications of your decision to un-lock your phone shouldn't complain... Apple and AT&T (and soon the European carriers) are undoubtedly going to continue to protect their investments. Learn to live with it.
I think I've read that last post before. What are you, copying and pasting it on all the different blog sites? (I'm kidding about the copy and paste because I've considered doing it.)
I disagree about them never intimating. It was advertised as being based on OS X. Then during the final announcement Jobs spun the lockout as web 2.0 development. Agree that we knew when we bought it that it was web only. Actually that announcement made me think the OS X thing was a lie.
But then we got apptap and installer. For an old programmer like me it was like pulling back crappy old carpet and finding a cherry hardwood floor underneath.
And now we've taken a bite out of the apple and our eyes were opened to see the truth. We now know that it is real operating system and that real apps work really well. Despite if they're lame at the moment or not. There's a lot of potential there. I think what all of the 'fanboys' (i'm certainly one of them) in all of these blog-battles are really getting to is that it's just a shame. It's hard to go back now that we've had the freedom. So all the whining and bitching is just the cry of the confused (disillusioned) fanboy. We want the best of both worlds - new apple updates and to also keep the freedom installer. It's like, moving out and living on your own is great, but there's also nothing like mom's home cooked meal.
Sure we know that Apple has their business reasons for locking us out, but it's just hard to swallow that it could be better than it is.
Also, sure, I'm smart enough to not install the update. Not the point.
AND some of what apple has done with the iphone makes no sense to me. Like not allowing me to drag and drop songs to it within itunes. You can even do that on a iTouch. Why not on a iphone? Why hasn't this ever been fixed?
Here's the real deal...
There are only about 100 Engineers (programmers) at Apple. (Microsoft by the way has in the 1000's.) I suspect that there are as many so called "hackers" working on iPhone apps and code.
Apple has to bounce programmers off of one project on to the next. For the iPhone release, they had to take people OFF Leopard, which impacted that OS release date. Now programmers are working mostly on Leopard. When thats done they'll move on to something else.
I suspect and have heard rumors (here and elsewhere) to the effect that Apple will release another iPhone update after Leopard comes out. And that this would have some of the things that we are wanting.. like cut and paste, real apps, etc. But because of the overworked/understaffed norm at apple, it will be a while before they finish it - having to finish other projects first.
Simple economics led Apple to release the iPhone as they did with some weird limitations and no real apps. A very successful launch - which honestly was "good enough" at the time, considering that it was so far ahead of anything else we'd ever seen.
And all the so-called "hacking" has just made me really really want an apple tablet. I think possibly that's what all of the dev people are trying to turn the iphone into. Hopefully Apple will see that there's now finally a market for a tablet.
And MAYBE Apple will eventually open this thing up and let us develop for it. In the mean time, we've got 1.0.2.
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