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AT&T Welcomes Programmers for All Phones Except the iPhone

Posted by Zonk on from the come-out-and-play dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Apple's reasoning for keeping the iPhone a closed platform is that they don't want to 'potentially gum up the provider's network'. An article in the New York Times, though, points out that there are hundreds of phones out there working on open platforms that don't seem to be causing network interference. AT&T and Palm, in fact, welcome experimentation on their platforms. In AT&T's case ... on every phone but the iPhone. 'Hackers who have explored the workings of the phone say it uses the frameworks and structures that Apple uses on its other platforms to enable development; it just hasn't been documented. So if Apple is going to allow applications later, is there any reason -- other than vindictiveness or obsessive interest in control -- that it would want to cut off those developed by the pioneers who figured things out ahead of the official launch?'"

3 of 283 comments (clear)

  1. WTF? by BrianRoach · · Score: 0, Troll

    I really don't get it.

    I have an iPhone. I love it. and you know what? It does exactly what they said it would do when I bought it . Imagine that?

    It's like there's a bunch of little kids that figured out that their new toy could do something it wasn't supposed to be able to do, then got upset when Mommy took it away / made it so they couldn't use it that way.

    It would be one thing if Apple hadn't said from the start that there wouldn't be 3rd party apps or an SDK. They also said 1.1.1 would do exactly what it does.

    And also ... you don't have to install 1.1.1. If you don't want Apple support (Which is what the upgrade is - support), you don't have to use it. If you want to use the device in the state Apple sold it to you, you are well within your rights to do so. It does everything they advertised it doing when you purchased it.

    Comparing it to other phones or other products is moot - this phone wasn't advertised or sold as having or supporting a development platform for 3rd party apps. If you bought the phone wanting that as a feature, you made a mistake. You bought the wrong product.

    This is also ignoring the fact that with Safari on the iPhone supporting AJAX, you can do some pretty slick apps via the web.

    - Roach

  2. "This is madness!" by Enrique1218 · · Score: 0, Troll

    "THIS IS APPPPLE!!!" Apple's decision to lock out the platform is equally as intelligent as that movie. They are fanatic about the iPhone only being used as a phone, iPod, internet device (only what Apple decides and nothing more). The Book of Jobs forbids anyone to use it to log into a Cisco VPN, authenticate with Active Directory, log their credit card purchases, play a game or any other nonsense. This is the most efficient route to take a novel product and run it into the ground. Third party apps can only add value to the device thus helping Apple to meet its goal. Oh, well. I guess they have a special place for it in the Apple museum right next to the G4 Cube. If they try this on their computer line, I will have to change my sig.

    --
    You don't have to be smart to use a Mac, you just have to be smart enough to buy one
  3. Re:Is there? Yes.... by hxnwix · · Score: 1, Troll

    I actually didn't expect quite so cynical a rip-off of early adopters. Are you saying you did? You must be referring to the $100 rebate for all early adopters, and the $200 rebate for not-so-early adopters. Man oh man, what a ripoff that was! It sure made Apple liars to drop prices while taking care of their customers! If every company acted that way, imagine the consequences... Zune owners would be able to play old tracks that they bought from Microsoft rather than being screwed and abused and Chevy owners would get a check in the mail every time the dealer knocked down prices.

    God! That would really damage their credibility! /snark