Mac OS X Secretly Cripples Non-Apple Software

spikedLemur writes "Vladimir Vukicevic of the Firefox team stumbled upon some questionable practices from Apple while trying to improve the performance of Firefox. Apparently, Apple is using some undocumented APIs that give Safari a significant performance advantage over other browsers. Of course, "undocumented" means that non-Apple developers have to try and reverse-engineer these interfaces to get the same level of performance. You really have to wonder what Apple is thinking, considering the kind of retaliation Microsoft has gotten for similar practices.

Comments

This has been going on since at least System 7

[Anonymous Coward]

Another form of this is when the engineers keep the API's undocumented then leave Apple and start their own company selling this great new software that is only great because it uses this still-private API.

It sucks and it's one of the reason I love working with Linux today.

Fuck Apple.

We don't need your undocumented APIs.

[actionbastard]

Apple doesn't document some APIs that they use to make their software faster.
Mozilla guys bust their asses and STILL come up with a browser that is faster than
Apple's Safari and every other browser on the platform without those APIs.
So, what does that get Apple?
A slower browser and the disdain of their own developer base, again.
I use Macs at work and at home and have admin'ed a large network installation
of Apple servers and workstations for the last 12 years and I am never surprised at
Apple's attitude toward their customers. They make BillG and SteveB look like saints
by comparison.

The time is coming for Apple with their large Ed customers -especially in California-
that if they don't wise up, they're going to be replaced with the Asus' and Everexes
with their low-cost laptops and desktops.

When that day comes, I won't miss Apple even a little bit.

No longer an object of scorn!

[PC and Sony Fanboy]

Well, I'm glad that from now on, Apple Fanboys will stop mocking me for buying a PC and using sony MP3 players. I mean, now that apple has jumped on the "screw the consumer bandwagon", they're basically sleeping in the same bed as Microsoft and Sony ... right? Yes, this topic was my motivation to make a slashdot account!

Sour Grapes

[stewbacca]

Gee, who would have thought that a web browser written by Apple for its own OS running on its own hardware would be faster than a collaboration of sloppy code written by crusader geeks that have been fighting Microsoft for the past decade (and not paying attention to Apple much)?

Using source code developed by your own company doesn't mean you are "crippling" other software. This is the most lame slashdot summary this month.

Re:Article points finger in wrong directoin

[chubs730]

The FTA even makes it clear Well no wonder the submitter missed the point of the article! He probably didn't develop that close personal relationship that you seem to have made yourself. If you've gained any other insight from The "Fucking of The Article" then please enlighten us.

Re:Um, is this an emulation thing?

[pestilence669]

And I thought bloat was why Firefox had performance issues.

That whole claim of a non-programatic way of setting a flag is bullshit. He has no need. This stuff is all published, but homeboy wants every key to the kingdom, all Apple internal documentation, the end of intellectual property, people to read API documentation for him, people to listen to him whine when he screws up, etc.

Is this really an indication of the best open source has to offer? Teenaged girls don't exaggerate and bitch so much... Especially in the face of their own lazy incompetence.