Apple Approves Google Voice Apps and BASIC Interpreter in C64

[NebulaClash]

I'm not sure that Apple is scared yet. But I'm sure that some competition from the Android OS can only be good for both the Android people & the Apple iOS. If Apple plays it smart they will keep ahead of the game. This will also force Google to keep the Android OS more up to date. But their App Store is not as refined as Apple's.

Exactly. Apple is hardly scared by anything Android is doing. It's a fragmented market that appeals to a subset of the population, and is otherwise just a non-choice offered by the phone companies. You want Verizon? Yer getting a Droid. That will change in time.

What will not change in time is that the phone companies control their devices. You want the latest Android version? Tell it to Verizon, they control the show for your device. Open? LOL...

 

[KnightWRX]

Exactly. Apple is hardly scared by anything Android is doing. It's a fragmented market that appeals to a subset of the population, and is otherwise just a non-choice offered by the phone companies. You want Verizon? Yer getting a Droid. That will change in time.

Shortsighted. Android is growing and is passing by the iPhone. Non-choice indeed.

Apple is scared. Android Market is getting bigger and bigger. Android phones are close to or are outselling the iPhone, giving the platform increased relevance.

Subset of the population ? Larger than the iPhone's subset it seems.

 

[burgundyyears]

Apple is scared. Android Market is getting bigger and bigger. Android phones are close to or are outselling the iPhone, giving the platform increased relevance.

Oh man, we need a LOL smiley. Yeah, I'm sure Apple is quaking in their boots, given that they actually make money from their mobile products and still can't make enough of them to meet demand, and Google is giving their product away.

 

[KnightWRX]

Oh man, we need a LOL smiley. Yeah, I'm sure Apple is quaking in their boots, given that they actually make money from their mobile products and still can't make enough of them to meet demand, and Google is giving their product away.

It's funny that Apple is less disconnected from reality than some of its most fervent supporters.

But that's ok, in 6 months, we'll get to shove it in your face when Apple does another 180 on some aspect of their iOS platform.

 

[*LTD*]

It's funny that Apple is less disconnected from reality than some of its most fervent supporters.

But that's ok, in 6 months, we'll get to shove it in your face when Apple does another 180 on some aspect of their iOS platform.

They seem to know exactly what to do and when to do it.

 

[Digitalclips]

Might we soon see an Apple ][ or ][+ emulator soon?

Even an Apple /// !

How about some clever chap making a finger controlled UI for as Mac Plus emulator too

 

[burgundyyears]

It's funny that Apple is less disconnected from reality than some of its most fervent supporters.

But that's ok, in 6 months, we'll get to shove it in your face when Apple does another 180 on some aspect of their iOS platform.

What, they'll start licensing it for free and allow carriers and manufacturers to make whatever random changes they want to sell it? Please.

I for one welcome all the emulators and whatnot that we can get on the iOS platform. The more the merrier. I personally think the idea of governmental pressure related to the App Store is a lot more likely to have produced these changes than a perceived threat from Android.

 

[Reed Rothchild]

What, they'll start licensing it for free and allow carriers and manufacturers to make whatever random changes they want to sell it? Please.

I for one welcome all the emulators and whatnot that we can get on the iOS platform. The more the merrier. I personally think the idea of governmental pressure related to the App Store is a lot more likely to have produced these changes than a perceived threat from Android.

You may well be right. It is a shame though that it would take such pressure for Apple to be more focused on the consumer. What they did (blocking GV apps) benefited nobody but Apple. I find it hard to support a company that actively sets out to be so consumer-unfriendly.

 

[MacKeeperFanMod]

Does GV Connect place calls over WIFI, or the cell pipe, with ones GV number?

 

[belvdr]

You and me both, I use to work for Commodore Magazine back in the day. I can remember spending my college years on a Commodore 64 and later Amiga doing my papers on them. If I recall, the monitor was all of 14 inches which I thought was big enough at the time.

Now, all that can be emulated on software running on a device that is light years ahead all in a unit small enough to hold in the hand. Pretty amazing looking back seeing how far things have come in 20 some years.

My first C64 was connected to our TV via the ancient Game/TV switch. I then got a used 1702. I miss those times, even if the game box graphics didn't match the game. Back then, your imagination was required.

 

[NebulaClash]

Shortsighted. Android is growing and is passing by the iPhone. Non-choice indeed.

Apple is scared. Android Market is getting bigger and bigger. Android phones are close to or are outselling the iPhone, giving the platform increased relevance.

Subset of the population ? Larger than the iPhone's subset it seems.

Wrong. The subset I was talking about is the tiny slice of the population that actively seeks out Android while avoiding the iPhone. Most people just get a phone, and once they have the choice of the iPhone, Android's market share will fall.

As more people see the way the phone companies control their Android devices, Android's market share will fall.

As more people see that Google meant it when they said Chrome is the future, not Android, Android's market share will fall.

Apple is far and way the profit leader in phone manufacturers. Google doesn't make phones. They give away their OS. All they want to do is capture your private data and use it as the basis for selling ads back to you. As more people realize that, Android's market share will fall. Meanwhile, whether Apple is #1, #2 or #3 in sales, they will continue to be #1 in profits.

Apple shareholders are happy, not scared.

 

[NebulaClash]

But that's ok, in 6 months, we'll get to shove it in your face when Apple does another 180 on some aspect of their iOS platform.

Apple changes its mind all the time. Thankfully. That's call business sense. They don't always get it right the first time, so it's a good thing they do 180s. It's when you see a company like Microsoft that stubbornly hangs onto ideas long after they are dead that you have a problem.

 

[BC2009]

Apple does do wrong, so that's a straw man argument except when used against a few pro-Apple trolls. However, Apple doesn't do wrong as often as these forums makes it seem. I give Apple the benefit of the doubt that they have a valid business reason for doing what they are doing unless time proves that assumption wrong. Which it sometimes does.

What I don't do is jump on the Apple is teh EVIL bandwagon every time Steve sneezes.

My nuanced approach will, of course, be attacked for that very reason.

You are dead right. Apple and Google are businesses. There is not one good and one evil in some kind of mythical battle for the technological kingdom. Neither has the user/customer as their primary concern despite when Steve Jobs tells us that Apple loves their users or Google tells us how they are going to set us free by being open. Both want the same thing: for you to purchase their products and to keep coming back for more. To that end they want happy users (bad press is not good) but they will not over-indulge their users every whim at their own expense (e.g.: make a phone that is still relevant and runs the current OS well after 2 or 3 years so you don't need to upgrade).

They want your money and they want your product loyalty. And both are making business decisions according to the strategy they feel will work. I give them both the benefit of the doubt and never fool myself into thinking either of them has my interest at heart. I passionately love some decisions they make, i'm indifferent to some, and others I passionately hate.

When a chip manufacturer like Intel comes out with a new chip they already know they can clock it at about twice the speeds they are selling it for. In fact as the chips roll off the line they test them and the ones that can handle higher speeds are reserved for a "future faster version". The ones that test poorly are sold to you first as the current generation and simply under-clocked so they work. Is this evil or good business sense? I say its good business. Intel can't very well dump those chips in the trash so they sell the ones that are not as good first, and next year give you the new faster version. If they told you that they had faster chips, but they needed to dump the slower ones first, then nobody would pay top-dollar for the slower ones or they would simply wait for the faster ones to show up.

Again this is all good business and its why you don't see every stinking feature you want on a new device or OS when it comes out. They have to save some things for later, they need to gauge the competition, and they need to keep costs down and profits up. Customer satisfaction and loyalty is just how you keep the revenue stream coming after the first purchase. But its still about the revenue stream.

 

[KnightWRX]

Most people just get a phone, and once they have the choice of the iPhone, Android's market share will fall.

Funny how all the iPhone carrying carriers also sell Android phones. And other phones. Not everyone wants or chooses an iPhone, that is the mistake you're making.

Apple changes its mind all the time. Thankfully. That's call business sense. They don't always get it right the first time, so it's a good thing they do 180s. It's when you see a company like Microsoft that stubbornly hangs onto ideas long after they are dead that you have a problem.

Exactly my point. Yet to a lot of people here, it seems they feel the need to justify and defend every move Apple makes, no matter how boneheaded it is. Then we get to enjoy it when Apple turns around and changes its mind. Doubly so since most of us would rather have Apple do the right thing to begin with, hence our vocalization on some issues.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Funny how all the iPhone carrying carriers also sell Android phones. And other phones. Not everyone wants or chooses an iPhone, that is the mistake you're making.

That is very true. We have quite a few people on these boards who own a AT&T Capivate or a Nexus 1 on AT&T. Those complete kill the iPhone option. They clearly do not want an iPhone.

I do not want an iPhone but am happy with AT&T. Honestly I wanted an Android phone when I got my blackberry a year ago but no android phone on AT&T at the time.

iOS is fine for my iPod but I think it is a horrible phone OS. I like my phone to be a communcation tool first and am multimedia device 2nd. iPhone is a multimedia device first and formost and then a phone 2ndary.

A lot of people like to have information at a glace and a communication in their phone. Both of which the iPhone fails big time at. The Android OS with widgets is good at the information at a glance and communication. Blackberry is first in that area and iPhone is a very distance last place.

 

[NebulaClash]

Funny how all the iPhone carrying carriers also sell Android phones. And other phones. Not everyone wants or chooses an iPhone, that is the mistake you're making.

It's not actually a mistake I'm making. We see my point with the AT&T experience in the U.S. Yes, they sell iPhones and Android phones. Their bestseller? iPhone.

So when Verizon or whoever gets it next and starts selling both, the Android share will drop simply because some folks prefer an iPhone and right now you cannot get it from Verizon.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

It's not actually a mistake I'm making. We see my point with the AT&T experience in the U.S. Yes, they sell iPhones and Android phones. Their bestseller? iPhone.

Umm they just started selling their first android phones on AT&T only a few months ago. Also if you add up ALL of the blackberry sells on AT&T it is a huge number of phones and gets a good part of AT&T smart phone business.

 

[NebulaClash]

Umm they just started selling their first android phones on AT&T only a few months ago. Also if you add up ALL of the blackberry sells on AT&T it is a huge number of phones and gets a good part of AT&T smart phone business.

Nevertheless, what I said was true. Once other providers can sell the iPhone, it simply stands to reason that some of their sales will now go to the iPhone.

 

[donlphi]

This.

AAPL has suddenly relaxed it's walled garden.

Wonder why?

Well, there are a lot of things that could be considered. Apple is a company that prides itself on the quality before quantity. I can't think of a time they released something without putting a lot of thought into it (since the return of Steve Jobs).

The iPhone antenna issue was a fluke, but the only thing I can think of that was a negative.

Apple couldn't just open the flood gates. They probably had security "experts" telling them how malicious code could be embedded without being detected. They needed to set up some safety nets first. You are dealing with a lot more phones than Android, too. If they had just opened the gates and something malicious had gotten through, who knows what sort of damage that would have done to the companies reputation or AT&T's already unstable infrastructure.

Google's model is "BETA EVERYTHING". As long as it says Google, it's a work in progress. Look how long it took gmail to get out of beta. They keep expectation low so anything seems good.

I think the timing is suspect, but the move was going to happen regardless.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Nevertheless, what I said was true. Once other providers can sell the iPhone, it simply stands to reason that some of their sales will now go to the iPhone.

just like when AT&T start selling some real Android phone some of the sell went to the Android. I expect that number to keep on climbing as time goes on.

 

[NebulaClash]

just like when AT&T start selling some real Android phone some of the sell went to the Android. I expect that number to keep on climbing as time goes on.

There will always be choice, yes, but right now Android is everywhere and iPhone is only on AT&T in the U.S. That's Android's temporary advantage.

 

[KnightWRX]

There will always be choice, yes, but right now Android is everywhere and iPhone is only on AT&T in the U.S. That's Android's temporary advantage.

Look at the numbers in markets where both platforms are available from multiple carriers. There's only 2 markets that still have exclusivity and yet even on those carriers, Android is selling.

 

[AidenShaw]

Well, there are a lot of things that could be considered. Apple is a company that prides itself on the quality before quantity. I can't think of a time they released something without putting a lot of thought into it (since the return of Steve Jobs).

The iPhone antenna issue was a fluke, but the only thing I can think of that was a negative.

You didn't get a yellow-tint Imac, did you? Did you buy an early 2G Iphone (Iphone 3G) that was only usable if you turned the main new feature (3G radio) off?

Did you hit the major bug in Snow Leopard that can delete all of your data?

There are lots of reports here about quality lapses in Apple's products, and how they seem to be more frequent.

 

[skeep5]

google voice... don't need it. old computer simulation? oh yeah!

 

[digiphantom]

since this isn't an official google app, is it secure to supply your username/password? I've heard good things about the app though.