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Apple making a big mistake with gatekeeper idea.

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EnderTW

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 30, 2007
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As someone who studies economics I strongly feel Apple is taking a step backward. They will only be creating an unnecessary timelag and hinder production and development of new innovative ideas.

Why not let the forces of "free market" decide? Do we need a gatekeeper for OSX applications? Or how about Windows applications? If an application is bad, word will get out and no one will install it and use it. That developer would be known from there on out to be a bad developer, people would end up not buying / installing any more of his applications.

The forces of an open market without externalities on incentives or costs will take care of the shady developers and bad applications.

Apple needs to adopt a free and open based SDK without putting a negative externality to this system.

If they want to be careful, build the precautions into the SDK. Sandbox it so that it can not be harmful. Do not limit the incentive to develop.

Agree/Disagree?

I like my iPhone, looking forward to Lotus Notes!
 
EnderTW said:
If they want to be careful, build the precautions into the SDK. Sandbox it so that it can not be harmful. Do not limit the incentive to develop.
Click to expand...


This would limit what applications could do. You're proposing a system whereby we have MORE applications that all DO LESS.

I prefer Apple's idea of having FEWER applications that each DO MORE.

I'd rather have 10 great apps than 100 crummy ones.
 
Small White Car said:
This would limit what applications could do. You're proposing a system whereby we have MORE applications that all DO LESS.

I prefer Apple's idea of having FEWER applications that each DO MORE.

I'd rather have 10 great apps than 100 crummy ones.
Click to expand...

Yup. That reason is exactly why I restored my iPhone from being Jailbroken. Summerboard was awesome, but most of the apps were cheap and skittish. I'm ready for the real deal. Bring it on Stevie!:apple:
 
I'm sure Apple has already though of this and has a solution in place but... rumor wise it sounds like everything is licensed and sold through iTunes. What happens if some company wants to write an application that is only useful to their company or they want to keep for only their company? I suppose they could pay Apple a "site fee" or something but that seems odd. Anyway... here's hoping... I'd at least like to dabble in developing stuff for the iPhone.
 
It's quite clear that Apple didn't think of anything beforehand.

They had obviously hoped they'd never have to let others program on their baby... that web apps would be enough. That's why they ran their own stuff as root.

Then in October, they got forced into saying they'd do an SDK. At least they were honest enough at that point to say they were just starting to figure out a security model.
 
EnderTW said:
Apple needs to adopt a free and open based SDK without putting a negative externality to this system.

If they want to be careful, build the precautions into the SDK. Sandbox it so that it can not be harmful. Do not limit the incentive to develop.

Agree/Disagree?
Click to expand...

disagree. you have to understand that the cell phone application model differs fundamentally from the pc model. a cell phone application has access to several functions that can be used for frauds, the functions can be used to spread the ill behaving applications and on cell phone you have local communication methods that can be used to spread the application, if they take the free model you're suggesting.

just one iphone program causing customers/cell phone operators significant losses might be the end of iphone. as economics student you might like to model the value of such a risk and compare it to the externalities apple's model is causing.

the outcome is likely to show that the risks are just not worth taking. though thus far we do not know what the apple gatekeeper role will actually be. steve mentioned the s60(/nokia)-model as an example. that model it's really not that heavy, but makes sure that the applications origins can be tracked and the person behind the possible fraud can be identified.
 
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