iPhone SDK Reactions and Ongoing Questions

[MacRumors]

The release of the iPhone SDK provided a lot of answers, but has also raised a number of questions, many of which will not be answerable until the iTunes App Store launches in June 2008.

The general sentiment, however, has been quite positive with most expectations being exceeded. The addition of numerous enterprise features has removed many hurdles for corporate iPhone adoption, though it may still be an uphill battle against RIM which many businesses have already heavily invested in both servers and training.

The significance of a native iPhone version of Epocrates for health care professionals can not be overstated. In my experience, it alone has been significant driver in Palm sales amongst physicians, and its absence on the iPhone has been a significant hurdle for physician adoption of Apple's phone.

Developer reaction has also been generally positive. Despite lengthy debates about the 70%/30% fee structure of the iTunes App Store, public developer response has been generally accepting. A notable comment by id Software's John Carmack suggests that the "iTunes distribution channel is really a more important aspect than a lot of people understand".

As expected, Apple is exerting editorial control on applications that appear on the iTunes App Store. Explicit restrictions are quite reasonable with limitations on illegal, abusive and offensive applications. Some are concerned, however, that Apple may have other restrictions that are not as clear-cut. Still, that hasn't prevented some from predicting that this marks the beginning of an enormous opportunity for Apple with the belief that "what Microsoft and Windows was to the desktop, Apple and Touch will be to mobile."



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[umairjaanu]

As I recall, Steve said SDK will be released late February and now he's making developers and iphone users wait until June. They are taking existing SDK Apple developers use and releasing to general developers so I'm not sure why he's making everyone wait for next Firmware update.

[ben5959]

Well put withthat final sentence

[RollTide]

June is a long time to wait, but let's hoe they get stuff right and make the ipod touch/iphone even more usable. Any idea on how much these fees are? Are all of them monthly?

[AoWolf]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

"what Microsoft and Windows was to the desktop, Apple and Touch will be to mobile."

I think so, but I wonder if AT&T will be the biggest road block.I can't wait for June. I think as time goes by we will cell the big cell companies fade with the focus being on the consumer buying data plans not hardware. Perhaps focus will shift more to the iPod touch as wifi becomes more available.

[EagerDragon]

Originally Posted by umairjaanu

As I recall, Steve said SDK will be released late February and now he's making developers and iphone users wait until June. They are taking existing SDK Apple developers use and releasing to general developers so I'm not sure why he's making everyone wait for next Firmware update.

No, the SDK is available now, for people to become familiar with it, and start writting and testing applications.

What comes in June is the ability to move the applications to the application store to sell them there and the ability of developers being able to test with their iPhone instead of the emulator.

Not sure why people has so little patience. People need time to get used to the SDK and learn what they can do with it. After that they can create even greater apps as the SDK and its API are powerful.

[atlendor]

This is my thought too. If they add a microphone the Touch will essentially become a 'pseudo-iPhone' with something like Sype installed

[alywa]

Originally Posted by umairjaanu

As I recall, Steve said SDK will be released late February and now he's making developers and iphone users wait until June. They are taking existing SDK Apple developers use and releasing to general developers so I'm not sure why he's making everyone wait for next Firmware update.

I imagine that they needed more time to get the SDK / App Store to really work well. The 3 month intro time will get more developers on board, and make the promise of a "Full Store" available at launch.

Patience. It is hard, but it will be worth it.

[pdjudd]

Originally Posted by umairjaanu

As I recall, Steve said SDK will be released late February and now he's making developers and iphone users wait until June.

He did say it. The SDK is available for download. Jobs never said or promised anything about application availability or anything related to distribution by any date before yesterday. All that was promised was an SDK. He delivered it.

[Popeye206]

People are funny here... June is NOT a long time to wait... developers have something now.. this is good. And anyone that thinks the 70/30 split for world-wide distribution through iTunes is too much has no idea of distribution models for software.... this is very fair and reasonable.

The SDK and the program Apple has put together is great... it's going to change the value proposition for the iPhone and for the iPod Touch too... this is big.

[Peace]

Originally Posted by umairjaanu

As I recall, Steve said SDK will be released late February and now he's making developers and iphone users wait until June. They are taking existing SDK Apple developers use and releasing to general developers so I'm not sure why he's making everyone wait for next Firmware update.

How is he making developers wait until June? Do you mean he's making them wait until June to sell their apps ?


If so. That's no big deal. It just gives developers some breathing room to make their app good.

I've been playing around with the SDK a bit now and I can tell you a couple of those sample apps use some CPU time. If this translates onto the ARM I can see why Apple doesn't want the Dev apps to use background processes as it would eventually make the iPhone crash.

Now the Silverthorne chipset would be able to handle this quit nicely.

[aardwolf]

He's making developers wait until June because that's when the new iPhone will come out... Duh...

[kornyboy]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

To me this is all positive. I can't wait to see what's in store as far as apps are concerned. With iTunes being the distribution platform it opens the doorway for smaller developers to release really good applications.

[Thataboy]

Is there NO ONE in the mainstream or internet media who can ask Apple about Lotus/Domino efforts??? I mean, if Apple says no, they say no, but can someone at least ASK?

Thank you

[dicklacara]

Originally Posted by umairjaanu

As I recall, Steve said SDK will be released late February and now he's making developers and iphone users wait until June. They are taking existing SDK Apple developers use and releasing to general developers so I'm not sure why he's making everyone wait for next Firmware update.

I just posted this to roughlydrafted, but it applies here, too.

All this talk of the iPhone SDK delays... 1st: never; then: use web apps; then: in Feb; then: in June...

I am reminded of an old "IBM Salesman" joke from the days when it took months or years to deliver/install a Maimframe (pun intended) computer-- all the while the IBM salesman had to keep the, increasingly distraught, customer happy.

Here goes the 2008 version:

Have you heard the one about the girl that was married 3 times, but, is still a virgin?

The 1st time she married her high-school sweetheart, but he choked on a piece of wedding cake and died at the reception.

The 2nd time she married an octogenarian who died of a stroke while undressing for their wedding night.

The 3rd time she married Phil Schiller....

...every night, he would stand at the foot of the bed and tell her how good it was going to be when she finally got it!

[ruckus]

I'm very excited about the capabilities of the SDK and have a few ideas for some good apps. The iPhone is going to be a huge platform for development, and the iPhone in its current state is still in its infancy. Our world (concerning the iphone) is going to change so much in the next few months, its all very exciting.

[gkarris]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Still, that hasn't prevented some from predicting that this marks the beginning of an enormous opportunity for Apple with the belief that "what Microsoft and Windows was to the desktop, Apple and Touch will be to mobile."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5oGaZIKYvo

Ballmer,
Ballmer,
Ballmer....

[stompy]

Originally Posted by umairjaanu

They are taking existing SDK Apple developers use and releasing to general developers so I'm not sure why he's making everyone wait for next Firmware update.

It's not clear what you're trying to say. You sound as if you believe the software development kit IS the iPhone 2.0 firmware update. It is not.

Yes, some developers will have access to the iPhone 2.0 update, however, developers routinely have access to pre-release software from Apple. All OS X major and point releases are available to developers prior to general release. It's part of something called a software development cycle.

[fastbite]

I really think this is going to be huge, and not just with the iPhone /Touch as we know it. Nobody is going to want the older take on ipods etc. this will be the perfect mobile gadget, for work, play and media.

[macintel4me]

Best distribution model....ever....

[yoman]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

I wonder if apple will require a certain amount of optimization of apps before final approval.

[sebastianlewis]

Originally Posted by yoman

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

I wonder if apple will require a certain amount of optimization of apps before final approval.

Just enough to where it's not 1) a bandwidth hog or 2) a battery murderer.

Sebastian

[Kageden]

Generally speaking I think the App store is a great idea. Thirty percent isn't bad considering it allows the programs to get to each iPhone and each iPod Touch easily...and you don't have to worry about hosting anything.

The one thing I wonder though is what about programs that are used for internal use? Meaning some companies might make programs they want on the iPhone, but don't want to mass distribute it. I've already thought of a couple programs that I might want to try and develop for the companies I work for, but they aren't ones that I'd want to stick on the App Store so anyone could use it. It'd just be for internal use only.

Did I miss something in the presentation because at this point it seems like everything has to go the App store?

[OS X Dude]

I'm 16 and iPhone/iPod Touch will be my first foray into software engineering, and what has seemed a lil unfair is the price of all this.

OK, so it's £50 ish pounds per year to get the dev certificate you need, then they get 30% of your proceeds. So, in a year (with programs priced at £5 and an average of 150 downloads), thats £1825 gross to you every year (£152/month). Then out of that comes the £50 hosting fee (£1,775) and Apple takes 30% of the remaining figure (so that's you £532.50 out of pocket) finally leaving you with £1,242.50 take home in a year (£103.54/month).

That seems to me a little bit greedy on Apple's part - surely the £50/year is enough for Apple considering the amount of people who will develop for the platform?? Or am I just too damn inexperienced and this is fact the norm??

Sorry if the maths is complicated :P

[dicklacara]

Originally Posted by yoman

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

I wonder if apple will require a certain amount of optimization of apps before final approval.

Mmmm... business opportunity...

Apple, or 3rd parties could offer an optimization service.