Business Week: iPhone SDK To Arrive 1-3 Weeks Late

[neiltc13]

Remember, Apple can deliver the SDK by the end of February without letting anyone outside of the developers know.

Apple never said that we would have applications developed with the SDK available in February but some people seem to think that they did.

 

[jemoth]

Except for the copy and paste, you can email notes to yourself...so it can kinda sync with comps

When the sdk arrives, please, someone develop an app to change the Notes font. My $20 will be in the mail.

 

[AidenShaw]

a voice of reason...

Remember, Apple can deliver the SDK by the end of February without letting anyone outside of the developers know.

Apple never said that we would have applications developed with the SDK available in February but some people seem to think that they did.

Exactly - the SDK (as in "development kit") is usually the starting point for application development. Third parties need the kit before they can begin to design, develop and test the applications.

For most projects, beta versions of the SDK are released early, along with beta builds of the target, so that bugs and design errors in both can be caught and corrected by release.

Holding up the SDK because of minor or even significant bugs wouldn't make much sense, because you want developer feedback in order to find other problems and make the product better.

My guess is that Apple wants to make a big splash with a couple of apps developed by a few preferred partners who've worked on advance copies of the SDK. It would also be my guess is that these secret projects aren't going well, and the SDK or the underlying phone software itself isn't ready for a demo in front of the television cameras.

Once again, Jobs' penchant for secrecy and grandstanding is getting in the way of the product.

 

[Delia]

i am waiting for it to break 100 bucks...then i will buy

It almost makes me wonder if they'll drop the prices on the touch to give themselves a boost in sales-- so they can report that and try to get stocks going back up.

 

[andi030]

i just dont get it. Why is it soooo difficult to stay in a time scedual?!
Jeez they had so much time.. I am sure the just playing with ther iPhones or Ipods...

 

[sjo]

Sure, if we're talking about basic data types. But the entire UI is different. There aren't the same controls on the iPhone as there are on the desktop. All that has to be documented.

And you can't assume everything about the frameworks are the same on the iPhone as they are on the desktop. The iPhone's hardware is nowhere near Mac hardware.

so it's not the full osx it was hyped to be.

In a perfect world.

no, in companies that take their coding seriously. when you have more coders than a few and the lifespan of the product is years, if not tens of years, you'll have a mess without proper and enforced coding standards. of course, such a mess would explain why apple's is delaying, not delivering.

I know someone who used to work with Apple, and he said that Apple is extremely meticulous with the process of making APIs public.

as pointed out earlier, not making apis public does not imply not documenting them.

So I'm sure it has taken a lot of work from Apple to get the iPhone SDK out the door.

well that's obvious by now. the question is whether the reasons behind the amount of work are bad or worse.

- they didn't understand that ppl wanted to install 3rd party apps before customers started jailbraking (really bad)
- they haven't documented the code properly (really bad)
- the iphone osx is less of an osx than implied earlier (bad)
- the resources allocated for sdk in the first place have been reallocated (bad)
- they have general lack of developing resources (bad)
- the resources they have are not (yet) fully qualified (bad)

 

[kevd00d]

Well, I can't say I'm surprised. But I guess Apple should take as much time as they need to perfect the SDK.

 

[sam10685]

a pdf/txt/rtf reader
a file system with search function
local storage of more than 25 mails
a search function for mail
a powerpoint/keynote viewer
a excel viewer
voice recording
local storage and offline reading of websites
a copy/paste function
a small drawing/sketching app
a text editor that syncs with your computer and .mac
syncing of notes with your computer and .mac
a adress book that syncs with your computer and .mac for all who need a second adress database (private, business)
encryption of sensitive files
sending/recieving v-cards
printing via bluetooth/wifi/cable
present powerpoint/keynote presentations via cable
play any quicktime movies
a BETTER audiobook reader

to name a few

and of course countless specialized apps for physicians, photographers, scientists, engineers, translators and and and

seriously, i have 6 GB free.

Few games...
iChat program...
Dictionary/thesaurus...
Downloadable widgets...

 

[Delia]

Few games...
iChat program...
Dictionary/thesaurus...
Downloadable widgets...

I would really like to see a dictionary program. It's simple stuff like that, which could really help the device see a lot of use especially by students. I know I remembered hearing about how the iPod was used by some college classes where you had to get the lecture digitally.

 

[djellison]

Well, I can't say I'm surprised. But I guess Apple should take as much time as they need to perfect the SDK.

And if they're incapable of estimating that development time ( as they are proving to be, time and again ) then they should stop pre-announcing dates for such things.

Doug

 

[psingh01]

I have a feeling the "SDK" is just all the hacks that people came up with. Apple just hired them and is packaging the hacks as the SDK. Somethings might be too hackish for Apple to want to put out there as an official kit.

 

[rezonat0r]

This isn't just about the SDK - it's about getting the security model right on the iPhone firmware. I'd wager firmware 2.0 is taking longer than expected, not the SDK itself (although more time to work on that won't hurt).

 

[soLoredd]

doesnt surprise me at all. I thought all along Apple and Jobs just tried to pull a rabbit out of the hat with this. Not only that but we blew the SDK up way too much.

 

[Digital Skunk]

doesnt surprise me at all. I thought all along Apple and Jobs just tried to pull a rabbit out of the hat with this. Not only that but we blew the SDK up way too much.

Many topic related to the iPhone have been hyped up beyond their actual importance. The SDK delay isn't even of importance to a majority of Apple users, the updated and hopefully redesigned MacBook Pro is. The iPhone's limited software (for the ones not illegally broken) just isn't that important.

And the SDK won't do too much to fix that problem.

 

[AidenShaw]

Many topic related to the iPhone have been hyped up beyond their actual importance. The SDK delay isn't even of importance to a majority of Apple users, the updated and hopefully redesigned MacBook Pro is. The iPhone's limited software (for the ones not illegally broken) just isn't that important.

And the SDK won't do too much to fix that problem.

But it's pretty!

 

[Digital Skunk]

But it's pretty!

That it is my friend.... it's very hard to resist to tell you the truth.

 

[inkswamp]

Only people on these sorts of boards will complain. People in the real world don't give a damn about a 2-3 weeks delay. They didn't even know when it was supposed to come out in the first place.

Exactly right. A true tempest in a teapot. You'll read it here and on Digg and a variety of other sites where people seem too cozy in their forum-induced distortion of reality. And the forum readers will have to endure self-important proclamations about how Apple a) has lost its way; b) is becoming the next Microsoft; c) is Steve Jobs' personal toy; d) doesn't care about developers; e) is doing the worst possible thing is could do at this juncture; f) is blowing a great opportunity; g) is fumbling the iPhone; h) only cares about making money; i) is going downhill... and fast; j) isn't the same company it used to be; k) is rapidly falling behind their competitors; and l) doesn't care about its customers anymore. All of which will sucked into some amnesiac black hole the minute Apple releases the SDK.

Meanwhile, the rest of us will go about our daily lives.

 

[JadawinUK]

Apple has overcome all expectations and is a leading company beyond what Bill Gates and his crappy company are or will ever be

And at some point you will wake up from your daydream. Almost everything Apple has released in the last 2 years was disappointing, including the pointless MacBook Air. The only exception is the iPhone, which they managed to put in handcuffs...

 

[mekopolis]

I would really like to see a dictionary program. It's simple stuff like that, which could really help the device see a lot of use especially by students. I know I remembered hearing about how the iPod was used by some college classes where you had to get the lecture digitally.

i use my touch/and or laptop at school, and using websites like dictionary.com works just fine.....but i suppose if you were in need of one where you dont have any internet or wifi hotspots, a native application would be good

 

[JadawinUK]

The iPhone's limited software (for the ones not illegally broken) just isn't that important.

And the SDK won't do too much to fix that problem.

I guess you don't know what an SDK is... ah, scratch that, it's obvious you don't know.

 

[changb]

there are millions of iphone users and growing.

Apple would only release "a dozen of their own apps" if the API's are going to be different than what exists now on the iPhone/iPod touch. Apple, obviously, already has the SDK so it's not like they have to wait "20+ days" before they would start making change to the apps IF that was required.

it is not as if I am standing on my toes waiting for SKD. I dont understand the complexity of doing a good app or doing a SKD. I know that Boeing made the best plane 747 40 years ago and still improving it with each passing year. In 2007 iphone changed the way people think about a phone. 2008 has just started. Enjoy life and enjoy Iphone as I do. http://images.macrumors.com/vb/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

 

[changb]

I feel your frustrations but...

I do believe Apple's R&D has gone through the roof in the last year - literally to about 27% of Turnover or something equally ludicrous.

I think that means whatever Apple was or has been in the last 7 years is about to be redefined on a level we can only dream about...

And if not, well then I guess we'll all be just a little disappointed.

Apple 2009 could literarily blow away our expectations. I'm sure Apple and Steve Jobs are smart enough to realise they have raised the bar on people's expectations to such an extent that they expect incredible excellence.

And, to echo your comments - heck, they have the money, the talent and the mindshare to do any-damn-thing they like - so please just do it!!

At the very least - the 'touch platform' heralds itself to be bigger than the mac - so it's going to need a stable SDK platform - if that takes a few weeks to ensure the next few years of growth then 'so be it'...

Simply enjoy life with what exists. And thanks to Apple as it made my life a little better. Tomorrow, well it can be even better. Changb

 

[ghettochris]

am i the only one who is psyched on news like this? all it means to me is the stock will probably drop more because of people hating apple and panicking, then i can go buy more cheap, and i'm sure by summer or fall it will be irrelevant.


drop like a rock please, but only until i buy, then go up

 

[Digital Skunk]

I guess you don't know what an SDK is... ah, scratch that, it's obvious you don't know.

Hmmm let me think....

I do know what an SDK is, but let me guess, optimistic fanboy/newbie that assumes the SDK will answer all of the iPhones problems... right.

I guess you don't get out much. I think you should review the many features that the iPhone is missing and how many of those things are an issue with the OS of the phone, and not on the surface.

Think for yourself please.

 

[chr1s60]

And at some point you will wake up from your daydream. Almost everything Apple has released in the last 2 years was disappointing, including the pointless MacBook Air. The only exception is the iPhone, which they managed to put in handcuffs...

Yeah... that iPod touch and all the other revised iPods are just rotting on the shelves in stores right? Not quite. You may think the last two years of products have been disappointing, but record sales reported on Mac, iPod and iPhone pretty much every quarter scream the complete opposite of what you say and think. There was also that Leopard OS that sold millions right away, but you being disappointed over the past two years means much more than the entire world and their purchasing of Apple products. Everyone is so disappointed with Apple that they keep on buying products to retaliate. Disappointing.