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Apple: You Must Be 17+ To Use Opera
An anonymous reader writes "From the techspot article: 'This week, the Opera web browser became the first non-native browser made available in Apple's Mac App Store. While Apple approved the browser, it still managed to hurt its competitor by putting this ridiculous label on it: "You must be at least 17 years old to download this app." Opera has reacted in good humor. "I'm very concerned," Jan Standal, VP of Desktop Products for Opera Software, said in a statement. "Seventeen is very young, and I am not sure if, at that age, people are ready to use such an application. It's very fast, you know, and it has a lot of features. I think the download requirement should be at least 18."'"
I'm 12 and what is this?
The app allows you to access mature content. Apple does this across the board. - j
And right around the time when those kids turn of-age, the other browsers will finally be implementing all of those features
Last night couple of teenagers approached me near a liquor store and asked me if they could use my Opera.
Seems FUD, I downloaded other Safari-based browsers and they give a warning since you can get to adult content via the browser. I'm over 17, but I just had to say "OK" in the message box to proceed, Seems pretty reasonable...
The cookie told me to.
After reading this, I just want to go shake Jan Standal's hand. It's not often you see a a suit invert a rival's rhetoric against them so pointedly and humorously. Usually it's all serious business, especially, you know, with the internet.
The app allows you to access mature content. Apple does this across the board. - j
Then Safari should show a warning at some point too.
I usually like Apple stuff, but this move on Apple's part is just pathetic.
Putting moderation advice in your
It is because Safari has hooks into Parental Controls and Opera has not, therefore Opera gets the 17 years old limit.
Actually, that just highlights how ridiculous this is. Opera is simply not big enough to be a threat to Safari's market share, warning label or not. However, they've now managed to make themselves look like assholes to thousands of people who would never have downloaded the app anyway.
All apps that have unfettered access to the Internet have the 17+ nag screen. Browsers, RSS readers... This isn't a story, this is Apple bashing.
The more 17- kids will want it. Doing something forbidden is always more fun! But the kids will get bored of it soon, and say, "What was the big deal about this app?"
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
if i say, at this point, that Apple has become a rather villainous, control whore.
Nonsense.
They always were control whores.
Opera ignores the parental controls in OS X. I would say that warrants some type of warning. I arrived at this conclusion immediately after seeing the 17+ label.
Hush, don't tell the hipsters. They still think that using Apple is a symbol of individuality, creativity, and rebellion. Just look at how many douchebags you can find on YouTube looking into their MacBook cameras ranting about the evils of capitalism.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Yes, because clicking 'OK' is beyond belief.
Lying is a sin! They're leading you into Satan's lap!
Scroll up. See all those comments condemning Apple?
And this is the whole point.
1. There are parental controls in iOS. Including for Safari. Thus no need for a warning.
2. Opera ignores these parental controls.
3. Apple gives a warning because of #2.
There is no one-sided-ness. No overt control for a competitor. Just trying to be more consistent - parental control or warning. And ironically, after being tarred and feathered for being one sided, when they're more consistent, there's even more whinging.
In the bigger picture, most kids are given sex-ed at around 10...America thinks they have to wait 7 more years for better pictures.
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
The browser for the Wii is Opera-based.... I wonder if the "videogames are evil' people will jump on this?
Opera only for 17+? Great, now that it's taboo a bunch of kids are going to get a fetish for fat ladies singing.
Nope. But it will sure as shit limit the expansion of the target market. I'd consider an iPhone except for all the shit that Apple has pulled, as well as the deep tying of it to iTunes which is a flaming pile of shit.
My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
Apple crackdown on sexy apps last year.
and yet Playboy and Sports Illustrated Swimwear were allowed to carry on?
Don't tell me they aren't paying for it 30% of app's sales is paying for it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/technology/23apps.html
Sounds like whoring your authority to me...
I just checked my iTune receipts, I got opera on May 08th 2010.
"Opera Mini Web browser v5.0.1, Seller:
Opera Software ASA (17+)"
I am in Canada so perhaps it was blocked by At&t?
Well I don't have Apple stock....can't speak for the other two people who have found the world's best browser by far.
You mean IE, right? /runs
Wanna buy a shirt?
https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
You do realise that TFA is about the Mac App Store right? Not the iOS App Store!
You can still get Opera the old fashioned way.
Try coming up with a coherent argument. And preferably against what I actually said.
Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time.
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
Actually, mobile Opera is possibly the best browser on the market. It's much more lightweight then competition, at least as good, and has some very promising features that competition lacks. While it's possible that fanboy crowd wouldn't switch to a competing product, those who aren't fanboys likely will.
Hell, one of the reasons why "omg symbian browser sucks" argument is pointless from end user POV is because both opera and opera mini on that platform work wonderfully.
sorry, for the second reply, but I must respond to your sig.
"Webkit: You can thank Konqueror browser’s KHTML software for being open when using the browser on your phone."
Apple took the code and 4 years latter, named the project webkit.
I wonder how open it would be if it didn't have to be open as part of the license?
I am not implying the 'stole it' or didn't have the right, or that they where wrong in anyway. Only they aren't the people to thank for it. I mean, they like to talk like they invented it, but they also like to claim the iPad has 90% market share(60%, really), and then it's the first dual core tablet.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Yes, but Opera Mini sends all traffic to Opera's proxies. There's no way for Apple Parental Control to know what the Opera browser is seeing, it's just a connection to borkborkbork.opera.com or whatever. So if Apple blocked the opera.com domain, Opera wouldn't work at all.
"This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
Honestly folks. According to their store rules, any app that hits the open unfiltered internet gets slapped with a 17+. This even includes Wikipedia browsers and such. This is just like the ESRB putting a "Online experience may change" sticker. As others have pointed out, Safari isn't hit by this because Safari can be disabled in the parental controls section on both MacOS X accounts and iOS devices.
Now beyond that, lets be honest. If a parent knows what Opera is and wants it installed, then they'll install it. And if the kid has access to install things themselves then they'll click OK and go on with their lives. The age rating is there for certain individuals who want that information and control over their devices, everyone else can quite happily ignore it and move on. It's not law. They don't check your ID before each launch. It's not some giant conspiracy.
But for most of their life.
Basically I'd say there were two Apples: The Woz Apple and the Jobs Apple.
Initially Apple was the Woz Apple. He made all the products, Jobs was his marketing guy. Apple was very much about just making cool hardware then. In fact rather than being a premium company, they were an economy company. You got an Apple because it cost less than an IBM, and you could mess with it more. If you've ever seen Woz interviewed, you know where it came from.
However in the early 80s, around when the original Mac launched, the company started to shift to become the Jobs Apple. Woz was away because of his aircraft accident, and when he returned he came back as just a designer, and left not too long after.
At that point Apple started to be all about control. Their products were the sort of thing you used their way. They dictated your experience to you. It was an extremely locked down "doesn't play well with others" platform. However it was really small, so nobody really noticed. Few people got Macs, those that did tended to be rather rabid fanboys so nobody noticed how Apple was actually far worse than most when it came to locking down their platform.
When Jobs was forced out, Apple looked at opening up more but of course we all know how poorly that went. When he came back, the company swung back to being in control stronger than ever. However now, because of their massive consumer electronics division, people are noticing what they do. Apple is becoming more common so more people are noticing how locked down they are.
What's more, they are getting in to more areas, so they have more to control. When they were just a computer and OS company, there wasn't so much, but now they are in to application distribution, consumer electronics, and so on. Means their lock-in can stretch much farther.
But ya, they've had this mentality ever since the mid to early 80s. People just didn't notice so much or gave them a pass because they were "so small" or "not Microsoft."
All are 17+ rated. Some more explicitly so than others. Yes, those are their full titles. The dates appear to be when they were last updated, not first released (I'm pretty sure Skyfire has been around for more than two days). And that's just some of the ones you can find searching on an iPod Touch 4 and thus excludes the iPad-only browsers. I didn't know there were so many browsers that were devoted to taking surreptitious photos and video. And yet they tend to have the simplest of warnings for content.
Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
This story is about the Mac App Store. Seriously, read the story before posting.