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Beware the Garden of Steven
theodp writes "With its forthcoming Lion Mac OS and new Apple-curated Mac Apps Store, Apple will be locking down top tier applications on the Mac similar to the way apps are locked down on the iPad and iPhone. Only by submitting their apps to Apple's store and giving up 30% of their receipts will developers get to take advantage of two new OS features. The first is Apple's new 'Launchpad,' a tool for easily opening application; the second is the ability to update apps to new versions with one click. It will be a lot easier to use apps bought from the Mac App Store than ones downloaded in the wild. It didn't have to be that way, says Valleywag's Ryan Tate: 'Apple could have enabled its Launchpad and auto-update features for all applications, sold through the Apple Store or not. For example, an open system for updating applications has been in use for years on Ubuntu... Ubuntu's 'Apt' (Advanced Packaging Tool) lets users install, update, and remove software of their choosing with a single command. There's a central list of apps curated by Ubuntu's maintainers, but users are free to add and install from other lists... But Apple seems to have made a very clear choice not to take the open route.' Longtime Apple developer Dave Winer was also concerned, tweeting during Apple's presentation 'Is this the end of the Mac as an open platform?' The news also prompted developer Anil Dash to call for an open alternative to the Mac App Store."
Shhhh its more fun to bash Apple with 1/2 truths then reality.
However, as a Apple fan from the beginning, i do hope they don't take the next step. The locked down AppStore for the iphone has been a rather successful business model for them, so it isn't all that far fetched to say they aren't at least considering it for the 'computer' side of the business too.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Apple is providing a service. Follow their very restrictive rules and you can use the service. Choose not to use the service, or chose not to follow their rules, and you have either provide your own service or use a different one that most users won't know about let alone use .
Fixed that for you.
"We can categorically state we have not released man-eating badgers into the area." - UK military spokesman, July 2007