Apple tries out keys on unlocked iPhones

[Magnus]

Scott Shuey writes in Gulf News about the iPhone... again.

Scott asks, "When everything about the iPhone has been said and done, I wonder what it will be remembered for more. Will it be seen as groundbreaking in terms of its innovation and style or will it be remembered for creating a league of hackers whose sole purpose in life seems to be breaking Apple's grip on its own invention?"

He bets on the second option, and continues with comments on the recently announced iPhone SDK, saying that, "all the applications [for the iPhone] will be available via the iTunes website, which means that Apple will get final approval of what's on tap. There has even been some speculation that the telecom will get their say too."

Now Scott, you know that iTunes is not a web site, don't you? Besides that though, you say it's "mystifying" that Apple will put their customers through this, and by this you mean getting vetted, guaranteed-working, high-quality software running on their iPhones, right? That's what Apple wants to accomplish by their program of screening software before users can put it on their iPhones. I've installed software for all my devices and phones going back some fifteen years and often it just doesn't work. Sure Apple's approach limits what we can do with our iPhones, no argument there, but it also makes sure that for the vast majority of users that don't care about installing whatever they want, what they do install will work. That's an aspect that you forget to mention Scott, and I think that's not responsible.

Then Scott writes, "Updating to 1.1.4, a requirement to use the new features, may get your phone bricked." Seems to me that upgrading and unlocking 1.1.4. is the easiest it's ever been and I've not read about any example where an iPhone has been bricked in doing so.

He rounds off with, "Apple is just creating an image of itself as a tyrannical company that is trying to control the products that people have paid for."

Sorry Scott, Apple has done this since day one, and there's little new in the iPhone in that regards. Jobs has always been tough on controlling the complete "experience" and I don't see that going away.

[Vinpin]

Interesting he used the word remembered isn't it a past tense?

Looks like Rich Miner of Android's recent comments gone into his head.

In that case I'll say: 'iphone will be remembered as phone scott wrote half-baked articles on'

Hype of iphone is not because of its 12-13 app that come with it. its rather 1200 or more apps that are to come.

[dandantheitman]

The biggest problem with allowing third party company to write code for a platform - in this case the iphone is Crap Code!

Apple has it down pat and they know it, they make the hardware and the OS, their platform is stable. They don't want their iphone being polluted with poor code. It is really essentially a CVS type system. company A builds a program, and submits it to Apple. Apple tests, if they approve the code it is then purchasable through itunes...


Dan

[fangpyre]

Most companies would do what Apple was able to if they could.
IBM designed the PC platform, only to have Microsoft & Intel pull it right from under them.
Its attempt to 'relock' the platform with the launch of the PS2 was a flop.

The fact is Apple's success in regards to stability are because it is locked down.
The iPhone maybe too locked.
I'm hoping the SDK will solve that, though I'm not too happy with some of the restrictions (no TSR and no port access).

But the scary thing about that article is how inaccurate it is.
How does that get published?
It isn't enough that stories everywhere are prone to censorship and media control (many times by the media itself), nor is the fact that we simply don't know enough.
But a scenario where everything is known can contain so many mistakes.
All it takes is some research!! Maybe 15 mins worth!!

It comes to show how sorry journalism is and that anybody can publish anything and get away with it.

[venky83]

You know the co-incidence, I was just reading an article titled, 'Why Apple Fans Hate Tech Reporters?' and I came across this blog of Magnus. You can read the article here - Why Apple fans hate tech reporters - Machinist - Salon.com - it talks about how Mac users are extremely sensitive to what gets published even if Apple loves the piece, the users hate it because there was something slightly negative about it.

Maybe, our reaction to this article is also the same, we just dont like Apple's products which we so dearly love to be even slightly sullied. What do you guys think?

[Magnus]

I think there's an element of that in the Mac community, and to some extent I think it gives us a bad name. That's why the words "cult" are often attached to our community, which carries a very negative tone with it.

But I also think we're often very justified in being touch in tech reporters because, in my personal experience, they often get it wrong about Apple. In this case there's not much I can factually point to that Scott got wrong and it's more about personal interpretation and view, but in many cases there are very obvious factual errors.

Some tech reporters are probably saying to themselves that "there is no pleasing the Apple crowd" and that may be true. But if a tech reporter gets the facts right, and then adds their personal view to that, I usually don't have a problem with it, I think.

[fangpyre]

Magnus,
As long as there are no factual errors, then each person has his right to his own opinion.
There is no doubt that Apple users are more critical about negative feedback or criticism.
But that is just a perk to always being right.
Don't you think?

[Magnus]

Originally Posted by fangpyre

But that is just a perk to always being right.
Don't you think?

Of course, and it goes without saying that we're always right

[fangpyre]

Of course we are!
We're Mac users!

[dandantheitman]

Originally Posted by venky83

You know the co-incidence, I was just reading an article titled, 'Why Apple Fans Hate Tech Reporters?' and I came across this blog of Magnus. You can read the article here - Why Apple fans hate tech reporters - Machinist - Salon.com - it talks about how Mac users are extremely sensitive to what gets published even if Apple loves the piece, the users hate it because there was something slightly negative about it.

Maybe, our reaction to this article is also the same, we just dont like Apple's products which we so dearly love to be even slightly sullied. What do you guys think?

There is a reason they call us (apple users) a cult! It is true we hate to see negative press over their products. Usually it based on the fact that the people who are writing the reports don't use Apple, and when they think about apple they think about the None UNIX apple, they think apple in the 90s.

Linux users (me being one) IMHO just the same about anything that even slightly slates the kernel or the GNU tools that work with it.


Dan