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Why does Slashdot constantly rehash the "reasons Apple rejects apps" topic?

To help certain iOS fans who frequent Slashdot (BB, SK, etc.) understand why not all apps are ported to iOS and why some people choose devices that run something other than iOS. The featured article states that most applications that Apple rejects are broken in some important way. But conspicuous by omission are apps that aren't broken but which Apple rejects for other reasons.

They've published detailed guidelines on this for years.

Only very recently (a few months ago) has Apple made the guidelines available to the public. Previously you had to sign up for the paid iOS Developer Program just to see them. That hurt people who bought a Mac and an iOS device to start developing, only to learn that the application's concept was in a category of applications that Apple completely rejects. That's entire sections of the market that Apple has made a business decision to decline to serve.

Actually Apple do claim that iCloud is very secure: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT...

Apple have long claimed to offer platforms free from malware and protected from hacking too. iOS even protects your kids from inappropriate content. Apple make big claims about security all the time.

Making their products environmentally friendly.

When will they be doing that?

They've been doing that for many years. Here's the info, specifically the products. Even Greenpeace are singing their praises, specifically, saying: Apple has put its money where its mouth is: Greenpeace's report, "Clicking Clean," found that the company's embrace of renewable energy is genuine, and is leading the technology sector.

So your evidence that Apple makes environmentally friendly products is that Apple says so, and that Greenpeace (basically the greeners equivalent of Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition) is singing their praise?

Here's the real thing (read more on http://www.naturalnews.com/031...):

Many large, multinational companies have operation facilities in China, including HP, Sony, Nokia, Samsung, and Toshiba. But among a list of 29 major companies that run facilities there, Apple turned out to be the worst overall, routinely evading inquiries from environmental groups about environmental pollution and other factory problems.

The report, issued by a group of 36 Chinese environmental groups, cites HP, BT, Alcatel-Lucent, Vodafone, Samsung, Toshiba, Sharp and Hitachi as among the best companies for both addressing environmental and workplace concerns, and working on specific ways to fix them. But at the bottom of the list were Nokia, LG, SingTel, Ericsson and Apple.

"Apple behaved differently from the other big brands and seemed totally complacent and unresponsive," said Ma Jun, author of the report and Director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, a Chinese non-governmental organization (NGO).

Making their products environmentally friendly.

When will they be doing that?

They've been doing that for many years. Here's the info, specifically the products. Even Greenpeace are singing their praises, specifically, saying: Apple has put its money where its mouth is: Greenpeace's report, "Clicking Clean," found that the company's embrace of renewable energy is genuine, and is leading the technology sector.

So your evidence that Apple makes environmentally friendly products is that Apple says so, and that Greenpeace (basically the greeners equivalent of Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition) is singing their praise?

Here's the real thing (read more on http://www.naturalnews.com/031...):

Many large, multinational companies have operation facilities in China, including HP, Sony, Nokia, Samsung, and Toshiba. But among a list of 29 major companies that run facilities there, Apple turned out to be the worst overall, routinely evading inquiries from environmental groups about environmental pollution and other factory problems.

The report, issued by a group of 36 Chinese environmental groups, cites HP, BT, Alcatel-Lucent, Vodafone, Samsung, Toshiba, Sharp and Hitachi as among the best companies for both addressing environmental and workplace concerns, and working on specific ways to fix them. But at the bottom of the list were Nokia, LG, SingTel, Ericsson and Apple.

"Apple behaved differently from the other big brands and seemed totally complacent and unresponsive," said Ma Jun, author of the report and Director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, a Chinese non-governmental organization (NGO).

Supporting gay rights.

Almost everyone does that and it does not cost them a single cent.

They spent money commissioning a video celebrating gay pride.

They spent money on lawyers to petition the Californian government on Prop 8.

They donated $100K to the No to 8 campaign.

Their supplier responsibility reports have been auditing their suppliers for discrimination for years.

It is just public relations.

Again, like the other guy I responded to, you're setting up a no win situation. They don't support gay rights? They are unethical. They do support gay rights? It's just marketing.

Their CEO is widely believed to be gay and I'm sure a hell of a lot of their employees are gay as well. You're asking me to believe they aren't doing this out of principle at all? That's not the most plausible explanation here.

Enforcing worker rights in their contracts abroad.

Again, this is mainly a PR thing. People got upset (for the wrong reasons -- Apple's contract manufacturers may be bad employers by European or even American standards, but people in China appear to be happy to work for them) and Apple had to repair damage.

Nope, they actually started internal audits of their supply chain and generating public reports several years before all that happened. You can go and download them on their website and see for yourself.

Making their products environmentally friendly.

When will they be doing that?

They've been doing that for many years. Here's the info, specifically the products. Even Greenpeace are singing their praises, specifically, saying: Apple has put its money where its mouth is: Greenpeace's report, "Clicking Clean," found that the company's embrace of renewable energy is genuine, and is leading the technology sector.

Their entire product portfolio is based on planned obsolescence. They may be very proud of how much material they are saving by making critical parts as flimsy as possible, but in reality the reduced lifespan hurts the environment more than the minor savings help it.

This is just FUD. Apple hardware lasts a lot longer than the equivalent from their competitors. I've lost count of the number of laptops, PCs, and non-Apple smartphones I've seen people around me churn through while Apple users with the same needs just buy once or twice in the same time period.

Improving the privacy of their users

By storing all their personal data in a country that has effectively declared war on privacy? By secretly tracking their customers? Apple is doing the exact opposite of what you claim.

By forbidding abusive behaviour in the App Store. By removing application access to identifying information several times. By providing an alternative to third party analytics like Google Analytics that isn't driven by a market need to sell that data. By encrypting a whole bunch of things they aren't compelled to.

Supporting gay rights.

Almost everyone does that and it does not cost them a single cent.

They spent money commissioning a video celebrating gay pride.

They spent money on lawyers to petition the Californian government on Prop 8.

They donated $100K to the No to 8 campaign.

Their supplier responsibility reports have been auditing their suppliers for discrimination for years.

It is just public relations.

Again, like the other guy I responded to, you're setting up a no win situation. They don't support gay rights? They are unethical. They do support gay rights? It's just marketing.

Their CEO is widely believed to be gay and I'm sure a hell of a lot of their employees are gay as well. You're asking me to believe they aren't doing this out of principle at all? That's not the most plausible explanation here.

Enforcing worker rights in their contracts abroad.

Again, this is mainly a PR thing. People got upset (for the wrong reasons -- Apple's contract manufacturers may be bad employers by European or even American standards, but people in China appear to be happy to work for them) and Apple had to repair damage.

Nope, they actually started internal audits of their supply chain and generating public reports several years before all that happened. You can go and download them on their website and see for yourself.

Making their products environmentally friendly.

When will they be doing that?

They've been doing that for many years. Here's the info, specifically the products. Even Greenpeace are singing their praises, specifically, saying: Apple has put its money where its mouth is: Greenpeace's report, "Clicking Clean," found that the company's embrace of renewable energy is genuine, and is leading the technology sector.

Their entire product portfolio is based on planned obsolescence. They may be very proud of how much material they are saving by making critical parts as flimsy as possible, but in reality the reduced lifespan hurts the environment more than the minor savings help it.

This is just FUD. Apple hardware lasts a lot longer than the equivalent from their competitors. I've lost count of the number of laptops, PCs, and non-Apple smartphones I've seen people around me churn through while Apple users with the same needs just buy once or twice in the same time period.

Improving the privacy of their users

By storing all their personal data in a country that has effectively declared war on privacy? By secretly tracking their customers? Apple is doing the exact opposite of what you claim.

By forbidding abusive behaviour in the App Store. By removing application access to identifying information several times. By providing an alternative to third party analytics like Google Analytics that isn't driven by a market need to sell that data. By encrypting a whole bunch of things they aren't compelled to.

Supporting gay rights.

Almost everyone does that and it does not cost them a single cent.

They spent money commissioning a video celebrating gay pride.

They spent money on lawyers to petition the Californian government on Prop 8.

They donated $100K to the No to 8 campaign.

Their supplier responsibility reports have been auditing their suppliers for discrimination for years.

It is just public relations.

Again, like the other guy I responded to, you're setting up a no win situation. They don't support gay rights? They are unethical. They do support gay rights? It's just marketing.

Their CEO is widely believed to be gay and I'm sure a hell of a lot of their employees are gay as well. You're asking me to believe they aren't doing this out of principle at all? That's not the most plausible explanation here.

Enforcing worker rights in their contracts abroad.

Again, this is mainly a PR thing. People got upset (for the wrong reasons -- Apple's contract manufacturers may be bad employers by European or even American standards, but people in China appear to be happy to work for them) and Apple had to repair damage.

Nope, they actually started internal audits of their supply chain and generating public reports several years before all that happened. You can go and download them on their website and see for yourself.

Making their products environmentally friendly.

When will they be doing that?

They've been doing that for many years. Here's the info, specifically the products. Even Greenpeace are singing their praises, specifically, saying: Apple has put its money where its mouth is: Greenpeace's report, "Clicking Clean," found that the company's embrace of renewable energy is genuine, and is leading the technology sector.

Their entire product portfolio is based on planned obsolescence. They may be very proud of how much material they are saving by making critical parts as flimsy as possible, but in reality the reduced lifespan hurts the environment more than the minor savings help it.

This is just FUD. Apple hardware lasts a lot longer than the equivalent from their competitors. I've lost count of the number of laptops, PCs, and non-Apple smartphones I've seen people around me churn through while Apple users with the same needs just buy once or twice in the same time period.

Improving the privacy of their users

By storing all their personal data in a country that has effectively declared war on privacy? By secretly tracking their customers? Apple is doing the exact opposite of what you claim.

By forbidding abusive behaviour in the App Store. By removing application access to identifying information several times. By providing an alternative to third party analytics like Google Analytics that isn't driven by a market need to sell that data. By encrypting a whole bunch of things they aren't compelled to.

Apple pops up a notification (more annoying than Microsoft actually) that says "install these patches now or later?", and you have to click and open up before you can even see what you're clicking "now" or "later" for. Then it turns out it's just something stupid like itunes. So I ignore it. Then a few days later it repeats. Then a few days after that. And so on. It's basically the apple store window, even though I have zero software anywhere on or in the vicinity of the mac that even saw that store. So yes, I am indeed crawling under that sink to see what shit the plumber left there. At least be glad microsoft isn't merging their updates and patches with their store.

While I must admit I liked the old Software Update system a bit better, overall I still find Microsoft's free-for-all pop ups during boot up to be far more annoying than the Growl-like notifications in OS X. For one thing, OS X NEVER says "I'm rebooting your system in x seconds" like Windows does, leaving you to scramble around to ask PERMISSION from your own computer to DELAY the Reboot.

BTW, Apple isn't "mixing their software updates with the App Store"; they are just using the same secure distribution method. It's not like they dump you at the front door of the App Store, hoping you'll get distracted by teh Shiny and buy something. And frankly, for the few apps I have that I have purchase through the Mac App Store, I kinda like the fact that their updates are announced/distributed in the same way, rather than having the Windows method of having the blizzard of pop ups each time I boot. With the OS X system, it's only ONE pop up, which can simply be dragged off the edge of the screen to dismiss.

By the way, you can customize plenty of things about how Updates and their notifications happen (or don't)

I'm anything BUT an Apple fan, but I think their new design for the Mac Pro is better looking and probably more functional from a shape perspective than this idea from Alienware. Glad to see manufacturers trying new things, but I hope they keep looking.

That thing makes me want to start smoking again so I could ash in it.

I'm anything BUT an Apple fan, but I think their new design for the Mac Pro is better looking and probably more functional from a shape perspective than this idea from Alienware. Glad to see manufacturers trying new things, but I hope they keep looking.

I find live tiles quite useful. They tell me if I have unused email, the weather, the time, the currency exchange rate, breaking news etc.

Besides, the springboard UI is for tablets where the expectation is someone runs one app at a time. If they switch away from an app it's to run another app. It is not comparable to a desktop where someone may have 20 windows open and therefore their mental processes and context are built around that. I have no major objection to the start screen in Windows for tablets but this isn't what the thread is about - it's for the desktop behaviour.

Ok, I'll try and take this one "objection" at a time...

In OS X, there are two ways to see these same things, without polluting the APPLICATION LAUNCHER with information that has NOTHING to do with Launching Apps:

1. You can use Dashboard Widgets (what you Windows-Saddled people call "Charms", I think). With Mission Control, the Dashboard is a "Space" (Desktop) that is a mere "swipe" away (and you can set Keyboard Shortcuts to the Dashboard, too). And Dashboard Widgets can do many, many things, and even better, the User can create their own Dashboard Widgets in HTML/CSS/Javascript (Dashcode), or by simply "snipping" parts of webpages (maybe that is possible with Charms, too? Afterall, OS X has had the ability for around 5 years now...)

2.OS X has a "Notification Center" Pane (again, only a "swipe" away, that shows you the weather, calendar events, etc. And it pops up Notification Bubbles (if you wish) to alert you to things you really want to "track"/wait for.

And on OS X, the Dock icon for Mail (like some other apps) has a little "bubble" that shows the number of unread mail messages. That bubble takes about 1/100th of the Screen space of even the smallest Tile in "Metro". So, unless you are some sort of OCD person that just must CONSTANTLY know how your Stocks are doing (in which case, wouldn't you really be wanting a dedicated app?), or the Currency Exchange Rate (Yeah, right!), I see little use in cluttering an APP LAUNCHER (which is what the Start Menu is (or was), PERIOD) with that detritus. Again, it's something that "Demos" well, but isn't TRULY useful.

Next, you mentioned that Launchpad is more suited to Mobile applications, where only one app at a time is "Running" (I think you actually meant "Active", but anyway). Well, there's no arguing that "Launchpad" (Springboard's UI) was developed for iOS, and that iOS currently supports only "Fullscreen" Apps. BUT, Launchpad was aimed at the 90% of users (including most "Power Users") that, MOST of the time, really only run one app at a time (be honest).

And besides, since we are talking about the "Modern UI" (Metro) here, if there is a way to DISPLAY 20 overlapping Application Windows in that abominable interface, I SURE haven't stumbled upon it. I guess there is a way to "tile" up to 4 (far less than 20!) Windows; but the number of apps is LIMITED BY SCREEN RESOLUTION (FFS!!!!). Screens have to be at least 1024 X 768 to even Tile TWO apps, and to display FOUR apps, you have to have a fairly whopping 2560 X 1440 pixels. But I'll tell you what, "Discovering" that ability is as NON-intuitive as it could POSSIBLY be. I had to do some Research just now to even know it was POSSIBLE. So, that means that 99.99997% of Users will NEVER even know you can DO that in "Metro". EPIC FAIL!

I find live tiles quite useful. They tell me if I have unused email, the weather, the time, the currency exchange rate, breaking news etc.

Besides, the springboard UI is for tablets where the expectation is someone runs one app at a time. If they switch away from an app it's to run another app. It is not comparable to a desktop where someone may have 20 windows open and therefore their mental processes and context are built around that. I have no major objection to the start screen in Windows for tablets but this isn't what the thread is about - it's for the desktop behaviour.

Ok, I'll try and take this one "objection" at a time...

In OS X, there are two ways to see these same things, without polluting the APPLICATION LAUNCHER with information that has NOTHING to do with Launching Apps:

1. You can use Dashboard Widgets (what you Windows-Saddled people call "Charms", I think). With Mission Control, the Dashboard is a "Space" (Desktop) that is a mere "swipe" away (and you can set Keyboard Shortcuts to the Dashboard, too). And Dashboard Widgets can do many, many things, and even better, the User can create their own Dashboard Widgets in HTML/CSS/Javascript (Dashcode), or by simply "snipping" parts of webpages (maybe that is possible with Charms, too? Afterall, OS X has had the ability for around 5 years now...)

2.OS X has a "Notification Center" Pane (again, only a "swipe" away, that shows you the weather, calendar events, etc. And it pops up Notification Bubbles (if you wish) to alert you to things you really want to "track"/wait for.

And on OS X, the Dock icon for Mail (like some other apps) has a little "bubble" that shows the number of unread mail messages. That bubble takes about 1/100th of the Screen space of even the smallest Tile in "Metro". So, unless you are some sort of OCD person that just must CONSTANTLY know how your Stocks are doing (in which case, wouldn't you really be wanting a dedicated app?), or the Currency Exchange Rate (Yeah, right!), I see little use in cluttering an APP LAUNCHER (which is what the Start Menu is (or was), PERIOD) with that detritus. Again, it's something that "Demos" well, but isn't TRULY useful.

Next, you mentioned that Launchpad is more suited to Mobile applications, where only one app at a time is "Running" (I think you actually meant "Active", but anyway). Well, there's no arguing that "Launchpad" (Springboard's UI) was developed for iOS, and that iOS currently supports only "Fullscreen" Apps. BUT, Launchpad was aimed at the 90% of users (including most "Power Users") that, MOST of the time, really only run one app at a time (be honest).

And besides, since we are talking about the "Modern UI" (Metro) here, if there is a way to DISPLAY 20 overlapping Application Windows in that abominable interface, I SURE haven't stumbled upon it. I guess there is a way to "tile" up to 4 (far less than 20!) Windows; but the number of apps is LIMITED BY SCREEN RESOLUTION (FFS!!!!). Screens have to be at least 1024 X 768 to even Tile TWO apps, and to display FOUR apps, you have to have a fairly whopping 2560 X 1440 pixels. But I'll tell you what, "Discovering" that ability is as NON-intuitive as it could POSSIBLY be. I had to do some Research just now to even know it was POSSIBLE. So, that means that 99.99997% of Users will NEVER even know you can DO that in "Metro". EPIC FAIL!

I find live tiles quite useful. They tell me if I have unused email, the weather, the time, the currency exchange rate, breaking news etc.

Besides, the springboard UI is for tablets where the expectation is someone runs one app at a time. If they switch away from an app it's to run another app. It is not comparable to a desktop where someone may have 20 windows open and therefore their mental processes and context are built around that. I have no major objection to the start screen in Windows for tablets but this isn't what the thread is about - it's for the desktop behaviour.

Ok, I'll try and take this one "objection" at a time...

In OS X, there are two ways to see these same things, without polluting the APPLICATION LAUNCHER with information that has NOTHING to do with Launching Apps:

1. You can use Dashboard Widgets (what you Windows-Saddled people call "Charms", I think). With Mission Control, the Dashboard is a "Space" (Desktop) that is a mere "swipe" away (and you can set Keyboard Shortcuts to the Dashboard, too). And Dashboard Widgets can do many, many things, and even better, the User can create their own Dashboard Widgets in HTML/CSS/Javascript (Dashcode), or by simply "snipping" parts of webpages (maybe that is possible with Charms, too? Afterall, OS X has had the ability for around 5 years now...)

2.OS X has a "Notification Center" Pane (again, only a "swipe" away, that shows you the weather, calendar events, etc. And it pops up Notification Bubbles (if you wish) to alert you to things you really want to "track"/wait for.

And on OS X, the Dock icon for Mail (like some other apps) has a little "bubble" that shows the number of unread mail messages. That bubble takes about 1/100th of the Screen space of even the smallest Tile in "Metro". So, unless you are some sort of OCD person that just must CONSTANTLY know how your Stocks are doing (in which case, wouldn't you really be wanting a dedicated app?), or the Currency Exchange Rate (Yeah, right!), I see little use in cluttering an APP LAUNCHER (which is what the Start Menu is (or was), PERIOD) with that detritus. Again, it's something that "Demos" well, but isn't TRULY useful.

Next, you mentioned that Launchpad is more suited to Mobile applications, where only one app at a time is "Running" (I think you actually meant "Active", but anyway). Well, there's no arguing that "Launchpad" (Springboard's UI) was developed for iOS, and that iOS currently supports only "Fullscreen" Apps. BUT, Launchpad was aimed at the 90% of users (including most "Power Users") that, MOST of the time, really only run one app at a time (be honest).

And besides, since we are talking about the "Modern UI" (Metro) here, if there is a way to DISPLAY 20 overlapping Application Windows in that abominable interface, I SURE haven't stumbled upon it. I guess there is a way to "tile" up to 4 (far less than 20!) Windows; but the number of apps is LIMITED BY SCREEN RESOLUTION (FFS!!!!). Screens have to be at least 1024 X 768 to even Tile TWO apps, and to display FOUR apps, you have to have a fairly whopping 2560 X 1440 pixels. But I'll tell you what, "Discovering" that ability is as NON-intuitive as it could POSSIBLY be. I had to do some Research just now to even know it was POSSIBLE. So, that means that 99.99997% of Users will NEVER even know you can DO that in "Metro". EPIC FAIL!

I find live tiles quite useful. They tell me if I have unused email, the weather, the time, the currency exchange rate, breaking news etc.

Besides, the springboard UI is for tablets where the expectation is someone runs one app at a time. If they switch away from an app it's to run another app. It is not comparable to a desktop where someone may have 20 windows open and therefore their mental processes and context are built around that. I have no major objection to the start screen in Windows for tablets but this isn't what the thread is about - it's for the desktop behaviour.

Ok, I'll try and take this one "objection" at a time...

In OS X, there are two ways to see these same things, without polluting the APPLICATION LAUNCHER with information that has NOTHING to do with Launching Apps:

1. You can use Dashboard Widgets (what you Windows-Saddled people call "Charms", I think). With Mission Control, the Dashboard is a "Space" (Desktop) that is a mere "swipe" away (and you can set Keyboard Shortcuts to the Dashboard, too). And Dashboard Widgets can do many, many things, and even better, the User can create their own Dashboard Widgets in HTML/CSS/Javascript (Dashcode), or by simply "snipping" parts of webpages (maybe that is possible with Charms, too? Afterall, OS X has had the ability for around 5 years now...)

2.OS X has a "Notification Center" Pane (again, only a "swipe" away, that shows you the weather, calendar events, etc. And it pops up Notification Bubbles (if you wish) to alert you to things you really want to "track"/wait for.

And on OS X, the Dock icon for Mail (like some other apps) has a little "bubble" that shows the number of unread mail messages. That bubble takes about 1/100th of the Screen space of even the smallest Tile in "Metro". So, unless you are some sort of OCD person that just must CONSTANTLY know how your Stocks are doing (in which case, wouldn't you really be wanting a dedicated app?), or the Currency Exchange Rate (Yeah, right!), I see little use in cluttering an APP LAUNCHER (which is what the Start Menu is (or was), PERIOD) with that detritus. Again, it's something that "Demos" well, but isn't TRULY useful.

Next, you mentioned that Launchpad is more suited to Mobile applications, where only one app at a time is "Running" (I think you actually meant "Active", but anyway). Well, there's no arguing that "Launchpad" (Springboard's UI) was developed for iOS, and that iOS currently supports only "Fullscreen" Apps. BUT, Launchpad was aimed at the 90% of users (including most "Power Users") that, MOST of the time, really only run one app at a time (be honest).

And besides, since we are talking about the "Modern UI" (Metro) here, if there is a way to DISPLAY 20 overlapping Application Windows in that abominable interface, I SURE haven't stumbled upon it. I guess there is a way to "tile" up to 4 (far less than 20!) Windows; but the number of apps is LIMITED BY SCREEN RESOLUTION (FFS!!!!). Screens have to be at least 1024 X 768 to even Tile TWO apps, and to display FOUR apps, you have to have a fairly whopping 2560 X 1440 pixels. But I'll tell you what, "Discovering" that ability is as NON-intuitive as it could POSSIBLY be. I had to do some Research just now to even know it was POSSIBLE. So, that means that 99.99997% of Users will NEVER even know you can DO that in "Metro". EPIC FAIL!

I find live tiles quite useful. They tell me if I have unused email, the weather, the time, the currency exchange rate, breaking news etc.

Besides, the springboard UI is for tablets where the expectation is someone runs one app at a time. If they switch away from an app it's to run another app. It is not comparable to a desktop where someone may have 20 windows open and therefore their mental processes and context are built around that. I have no major objection to the start screen in Windows for tablets but this isn't what the thread is about - it's for the desktop behaviour.

Ok, I'll try and take this one "objection" at a time...

In OS X, there are two ways to see these same things, without polluting the APPLICATION LAUNCHER with information that has NOTHING to do with Launching Apps:

1. You can use Dashboard Widgets (what you Windows-Saddled people call "Charms", I think). With Mission Control, the Dashboard is a "Space" (Desktop) that is a mere "swipe" away (and you can set Keyboard Shortcuts to the Dashboard, too). And Dashboard Widgets can do many, many things, and even better, the User can create their own Dashboard Widgets in HTML/CSS/Javascript (Dashcode), or by simply "snipping" parts of webpages (maybe that is possible with Charms, too? Afterall, OS X has had the ability for around 5 years now...)

2.OS X has a "Notification Center" Pane (again, only a "swipe" away, that shows you the weather, calendar events, etc. And it pops up Notification Bubbles (if you wish) to alert you to things you really want to "track"/wait for.

And on OS X, the Dock icon for Mail (like some other apps) has a little "bubble" that shows the number of unread mail messages. That bubble takes about 1/100th of the Screen space of even the smallest Tile in "Metro". So, unless you are some sort of OCD person that just must CONSTANTLY know how your Stocks are doing (in which case, wouldn't you really be wanting a dedicated app?), or the Currency Exchange Rate (Yeah, right!), I see little use in cluttering an APP LAUNCHER (which is what the Start Menu is (or was), PERIOD) with that detritus. Again, it's something that "Demos" well, but isn't TRULY useful.

Next, you mentioned that Launchpad is more suited to Mobile applications, where only one app at a time is "Running" (I think you actually meant "Active", but anyway). Well, there's no arguing that "Launchpad" (Springboard's UI) was developed for iOS, and that iOS currently supports only "Fullscreen" Apps. BUT, Launchpad was aimed at the 90% of users (including most "Power Users") that, MOST of the time, really only run one app at a time (be honest).

And besides, since we are talking about the "Modern UI" (Metro) here, if there is a way to DISPLAY 20 overlapping Application Windows in that abominable interface, I SURE haven't stumbled upon it. I guess there is a way to "tile" up to 4 (far less than 20!) Windows; but the number of apps is LIMITED BY SCREEN RESOLUTION (FFS!!!!). Screens have to be at least 1024 X 768 to even Tile TWO apps, and to display FOUR apps, you have to have a fairly whopping 2560 X 1440 pixels. But I'll tell you what, "Discovering" that ability is as NON-intuitive as it could POSSIBLY be. I had to do some Research just now to even know it was POSSIBLE. So, that means that 99.99997% of Users will NEVER even know you can DO that in "Metro". EPIC FAIL!

I find live tiles quite useful. They tell me if I have unused email, the weather, the time, the currency exchange rate, breaking news etc.

Besides, the springboard UI is for tablets where the expectation is someone runs one app at a time. If they switch away from an app it's to run another app. It is not comparable to a desktop where someone may have 20 windows open and therefore their mental processes and context are built around that. I have no major objection to the start screen in Windows for tablets but this isn't what the thread is about - it's for the desktop behaviour.

Ok, I'll try and take this one "objection" at a time...

In OS X, there are two ways to see these same things, without polluting the APPLICATION LAUNCHER with information that has NOTHING to do with Launching Apps:

1. You can use Dashboard Widgets (what you Windows-Saddled people call "Charms", I think). With Mission Control, the Dashboard is a "Space" (Desktop) that is a mere "swipe" away (and you can set Keyboard Shortcuts to the Dashboard, too). And Dashboard Widgets can do many, many things, and even better, the User can create their own Dashboard Widgets in HTML/CSS/Javascript (Dashcode), or by simply "snipping" parts of webpages (maybe that is possible with Charms, too? Afterall, OS X has had the ability for around 5 years now...)

2.OS X has a "Notification Center" Pane (again, only a "swipe" away, that shows you the weather, calendar events, etc. And it pops up Notification Bubbles (if you wish) to alert you to things you really want to "track"/wait for.

And on OS X, the Dock icon for Mail (like some other apps) has a little "bubble" that shows the number of unread mail messages. That bubble takes about 1/100th of the Screen space of even the smallest Tile in "Metro". So, unless you are some sort of OCD person that just must CONSTANTLY know how your Stocks are doing (in which case, wouldn't you really be wanting a dedicated app?), or the Currency Exchange Rate (Yeah, right!), I see little use in cluttering an APP LAUNCHER (which is what the Start Menu is (or was), PERIOD) with that detritus. Again, it's something that "Demos" well, but isn't TRULY useful.

Next, you mentioned that Launchpad is more suited to Mobile applications, where only one app at a time is "Running" (I think you actually meant "Active", but anyway). Well, there's no arguing that "Launchpad" (Springboard's UI) was developed for iOS, and that iOS currently supports only "Fullscreen" Apps. BUT, Launchpad was aimed at the 90% of users (including most "Power Users") that, MOST of the time, really only run one app at a time (be honest).

And besides, since we are talking about the "Modern UI" (Metro) here, if there is a way to DISPLAY 20 overlapping Application Windows in that abominable interface, I SURE haven't stumbled upon it. I guess there is a way to "tile" up to 4 (far less than 20!) Windows; but the number of apps is LIMITED BY SCREEN RESOLUTION (FFS!!!!). Screens have to be at least 1024 X 768 to even Tile TWO apps, and to display FOUR apps, you have to have a fairly whopping 2560 X 1440 pixels. But I'll tell you what, "Discovering" that ability is as NON-intuitive as it could POSSIBLY be. I had to do some Research just now to even know it was POSSIBLE. So, that means that 99.99997% of Users will NEVER even know you can DO that in "Metro". EPIC FAIL!

Launchd is the young whippersnapper on the block. Solaris has had daemon administration for years.

I.e., since before late April 2005, as that's when OS X 10.5 Tiger, the first release with launchd, came out?

Microsoft doesn't have a fucking clue about UI ... Not that Apple is (much) better

Oh, I disagree wholeheartedly on that point (and I use both every single day, and have for literally decades).

See This and This and This, and tell me, between Windows and OS X, who rules the small (and smaller) screens, especially as far as the 99.5% of "normal" computer users (and, in the case of Metro, in the case of ALL computer users)?

And you're right. System Preferences (Control Panel) has changed pretty much not-a-whit since OS X 10.0, whereas Windows Control Panel gets a (totally unnecessary) "Facelift" nearly each-and-every OS Release. Seriously, is that REALLY necessary?

And now with the "Modern UI", it's become even MORE of an unwanted Adventure to figure out where things have gone (if they haven't simply been done away with, like so many MS Server Tools)...

Microsoft doesn't have a fucking clue about UI ... Not that Apple is (much) better

Oh, I disagree wholeheartedly on that point (and I use both every single day, and have for literally decades).

See This and This and This, and tell me, between Windows and OS X, who rules the small (and smaller) screens, especially as far as the 99.5% of "normal" computer users (and, in the case of Metro, in the case of ALL computer users)?

And you're right. System Preferences (Control Panel) has changed pretty much not-a-whit since OS X 10.0, whereas Windows Control Panel gets a (totally unnecessary) "Facelift" nearly each-and-every OS Release. Seriously, is that REALLY necessary?

And now with the "Modern UI", it's become even MORE of an unwanted Adventure to figure out where things have gone (if they haven't simply been done away with, like so many MS Server Tools)...

Microsoft doesn't have a fucking clue about UI ... Not that Apple is (much) better

Oh, I disagree wholeheartedly on that point (and I use both every single day, and have for literally decades).

See This and This and This, and tell me, between Windows and OS X, who rules the small (and smaller) screens, especially as far as the 99.5% of "normal" computer users (and, in the case of Metro, in the case of ALL computer users)?

And you're right. System Preferences (Control Panel) has changed pretty much not-a-whit since OS X 10.0, whereas Windows Control Panel gets a (totally unnecessary) "Facelift" nearly each-and-every OS Release. Seriously, is that REALLY necessary?

And now with the "Modern UI", it's become even MORE of an unwanted Adventure to figure out where things have gone (if they haven't simply been done away with, like so many MS Server Tools)...

Just a mini metro which launches from the start button and serves a similar role as the old start menus

Ok you mean something like This?

This does cover your entire screen; but (unlike Metro), doesn't make you feel "simultaneously both Trapped and Lost" (like I feel every single time I have to admin our MS Server 2012 VM at work), because, unlike Metro, it is just a "swipe" away, to invoke and dismiss.

Seriously, what is the deal with that interface? Is it just the fact that I am using RDC to use the machine? I feel like I am constantly traversing in and out of 3 separate dimensions. One appears to be where your Apps and Taskbar lives, the second is a horrible, flattened version of the Start Menu (sort of); and the other is where the "Desktop-y" things go, and the Logout, and it is occasionally not exactly clear how to traverse the wormhole between these dimensions.

Jeebus! I have been using computers since 1976, and have at least some experience with most GUIs, and I have never seen something as blatantly counterintuitive as the Windows "Modern UI"...

Apple phones have already had this for years.

Blackberry phones have already had this for years.

Android phones have already had this for years.

Windows phones have already had this for years.

What exactly is this law going to change, force FirefoxOS or Sailfish phones to add a remote killswitch? It sure sounds like people are getting riled up about something that has already been done to 99% of the smartphones on the market because now it's "the rules" that they continue to due what they're already doing.

Cough, cough stock buybacks do not count for shit https://www.apple.com/pr/libra.... All you are doing is using existing profits to reduce the number of shares, so reducing capital to artificially inflate share price. This is normally done when executives have no idea what to do with failing numbers mounting and still want a bonus.

Apple is a marketing company and eventually inevitably the marketing goes stale and the consumer fad fails and then it is forced to compete on product qualities and price which of course butcher profit margins which hammers share price and hence requires stock buy backs to hide the damage.

It's not a problem anymore...

They now ship a mouse with no buttons.

For your amusement: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/ap...

All this means is that companies like Apple and Mozilla happen not to have notified Microsoft of the infringement yet. So if you're worried about it, go tell Apple's legal department and Mozilla's.

Why should they have to? The store is supposed to be curated and given these examples, it's obvious it is not curated at all.

All this means is that companies like Apple and Mozilla happen not to have notified Microsoft of the infringement yet. So if you're worried about it, go tell Apple's legal department and Mozilla's.

iOS seems to have been last to join the flat look crowd.

It's not really accurate to say that iOS 7's design is flat. It actually has more depth than the earlier design, it's just that the individual items in each layer are flat.

So, for example, the Apple application's icons on the home screen are flat, but they are floating over a parallax background that gives the feeling of depth. The buttons in the control centre are flat, but the translucent background of the control centre gives the impression that it's sitting on top of the home screen.

They even spell it out explicitly on their website when they talk about iOS 7's design:

Distinct and functional layers help create depth and establish hierarchy and order. The use of translucency provides a sense of context and place.

$15 billion since 2008 ... minus Apple's 30% cut ... that's 10.5 billion ... over 7 years ... $1.5 billion a year .. divided by 300,000 iOS jobs created in the US equals $5,000 over 7 years, or $714 per dev per year average.

This doesn't take into account the people working in the rest of the world,

It also doesn't take into account all the people who get hired as iOS app programmers, working on free apps. Like those working for Google, Facebook, airlines, Nike, etc.

This doesn't take into account the people working in the rest of the world, who also take a part of that $15 billion, lowering the average still more ... but even ignoring that, ignoring the fact that the 99% of apps make far less than the top 1%, 7 years of developer fees leave the average developer with net revenue before other expenses of $14. or $2 a year. Just not worth it.

A people-based rating system would likely be an improvement, but it would have to be carefully designed to keep it honest.

I thought Apple already had a people-based rating system. Or does "Editor's Choice" not mean Choice by the Editors?

Funny your suggestions already exist. Any phone can go against any server via. downloading an alternative profile and that server can have its own app distribution. https://developer.apple.com/pr...

It doesn't require rooting your phone. So yes Apple not only could do this, they do it now and have for years.

$2.02/GB flash drive

Boom! Proved you wrong. ;)

Works just fine between the US and China as it uses SSL over port 443. They haven't blocked it yet, and the connection is stable. If they do block it, it will be based on entire net block ranges and not host names via DNS.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT...

> It's impossible to make something as complex as a consumer oriented OS without any bugs at all. It certainly is, particularly when what you really do is release the same old OS with a few API changes, but you massively ramp up the amount of badly-written, badly-designed components completely outside the purview of an OS that ship with it.

The version number is fairly arbitrary. The Windows control panel / advanced / edit environment variables dialog looks pretty much the same to me.

A FEW API Changes??? Just the "Delta" from OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) to 10.10 (Yosemite) boasts something like FOUR THOUSAND API changes. Now multiply that by the FIVE major releases since OS X 10.5 (Leopard) (not to mention a completely new hardware platform!), and across TWO OSes (OS X and iOS) and I think you need to re-examine the above statement.

Apple claims hardware is supported for Mavericks where their QA is questionable. For instance, the "Mid/Late 2007" and "Early 2008" MacBook Pro laptops are on the supported hardware list for Mavericks, but had problems with freezing, kernel panics, and such. See for instance this discussion thread: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5474520.

Yeah, whatever. Alpine will soon be releasing a head unit that supports Apple CarPlay. That's what I'm waiting for. In fact, I haven't been this excited in aftermarket car audio in well over 20 years. =)

Not sure how much it makes sense to ban Apple, then, as opposed to Microsoft, considering that at least a portion of Apple products are open source

In chronological order looking forward:

MacTech Boot Camps - http://www.mactech.com/bootcam...
Small, local, inexpensive. Check to see if there's one close to you.

MacTech Conference - http://www.mactech.com/confere...
Larger, both sysadmin and developer tracks

MacIT - http://www.macitconf.com/
Larger, multiple tracks and levels of knowledge

WWDC - https://developer.apple.com/ww...
The granddaddy of them all, but next to impossible to get into these days. Mostly developer focused. May not be useful if you don't already have a deep knowledge base.

MacAdmins - http://macadmins.psu.edu/
The most education-focused of the conferences. Very knowledgeable presenters.

FWIW, I've been a presenter at MacTech Boot Camps, MacIT, and WWDC.

--Paul

What's more important there is that without this DMCA exception, you can't legally "jailbreak" your phone, install your own operating system or some "custom ROMs". Without this exception, jailbreaking an iPhone to install Cydia is illegal; breaking into bootloader of some non-unlockable by default Android phone is illegal as well.

Jailbreaking an iPhone is actually legal. It was an exemption granted the last DMCA round.

Now, Apple doesn't want you to, mostly because the vast majority of jailbreakers use it to pirate, rather than any other "freedom" loving cause. I'm sure if saurik checked his logs, he can tell how many people install AppSync and the like simply by observing how many people add the "forbidden" sources (the ones that pop up a dialog telling you the repo is mostly for piracy).

You might be outside the US, but you literally cannot purchase a phone in the US without specifying which carrier you're going to bind that phone to, contractually. Not Samsung/HTC/LG/Motorola/Google, not Microsoft, not Nokia, not iPhone and not BlackBerry.

No, you can buy an iPhone from Apple and activated it on AT&T, T-Mo and a few others.

http://store.apple.com/us/ipho...

Buying a phone in the US without simlock is far from being impossible. It's just a bit harder - well, for some people the difference may be negligible, but then no regulation will help them...

It's not harder. iPhones are easy - you walk into an Apple store, and walk out with out. If you want, you can go to apple.com and buy one unlocked online. Or google.com if you want an Android phone.

Nothing hard about that - Apple makes it stupidly easy, especially if you need it RIGHT NOW since you can walk in and walk out 5 minutes later with an unlocked phone in hand.

Google, well, they can sling electrons around, but atoms is much harder (I've never had a good experience using Google Play to ship stuff).

The other unlocked phone retailers tend to generally be more expensive or more niche.

Accessibility in iOS.

Read here, the section Share Data Among Apps.

Just add a social component, and bamm! they are back https://itunes.apple.com/us/ap...

Couple of these plus tax:
http://store.apple.com/us_smb_...

Apple prevents you from downgrading your device to an earlier firmware that performs better.

So if you have performance issues with the latest version, you're stuck.

Since end-users have all sorts of firmware versions, developers want to test their apps on different ios versions. Developers are kind of screwed unless they keep dozens of devices with different firmware versions.

Apple does have a simulator, but it only does versions 6.1, 7.0 and 7.1 (and even then, simulators & reality aren't always the same): https://developer.apple.com/li...

I don't know if google does the same thing with android.

apple response here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT...
JZ's response response here: http://www.zdziarski.com/blog/...

dropping some fact bombs on this conversation.

Repeat that and more here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/...

OMG! They must have read your comment, realized the error of their ways, and done away with the fee!

"OS X Mavericks. Now available for free from the Mac App Store."
http://www.apple.com/osx/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/ap...

Quick -- ask for a pony next!

OMG! They must have read your comment, realized the error of their ways, and done away with the fee!

"OS X Mavericks. Now available for free from the Mac App Store."
http://www.apple.com/osx/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/ap...

Quick -- ask for a pony next!

but no your iPhone is not running a packet sniffer

Not even if you're using a Remote Virtual Interface? If that can only be used by plugging the device into a Mac and running rvictl on the Mac, that's one thing, but if you can also get it to act as a remote pcap daemon over the network, as he claims, that's a different matter.