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iOS Developers Embracing Alternative Mobile Platforms, Shying Away From Mac
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Android has a potential for growth. But no potential for real profit for developers. That will be the downfall of Android. I wonder what OS will take its place as a competitor for iOS in a few years?
This shouldn't even be a story. It is a waste of bandwith. It isn't a good survey at all.
It's not that iOS Developers shy away from Mac development. It's just that in reality they are focused in developing mobile applications, so developing Mac apps would be a deviation of what they do.
It does make a lot of sense them to expand their business to other Mobile platforms in order to increase their potential revenue. And Android is the most desirable; no need for a survey to know that fact. Regarding BlackBerry, take advantage while still exists; I don't see a future for it.
Some developers do both, as their iOS solutions requires a Mac /PC counterpart for complete work.
IMO, this survey was based on a small random number of developers but still reflects the general opinion. It would be more unbiased (as all interviewed already are iOS Developers) if next time is done at a Developers Conference that is not focused on iOS; an Android event perhaps?
It does make a lot of sense them to expand their business to other Mobile platforms in order to increase their potential revenue. And Android is the most desirable; no need for a survey to know that fact. Regarding BlackBerry, take advantage while still exists; I don't see a future for it.
Some developers do both, as their iOS solutions requires a Mac /PC counterpart for complete work.
IMO, this survey was based on a small random number of developers but still reflects the general opinion. It would be more unbiased (as all interviewed already are iOS Developers) if next time is done at a Developers Conference that is not focused on iOS; an Android event perhaps?
Flawed studies....
I'd like to see a study that determines how many developers there actually are, not how many developer accounts there are. I know I personally represent 4 iOS developers, but I'm only 1 person. I can't be the only developer that gets counted several times in these studies.
I'd like to see a study that determines how many developers there actually are, not how many developer accounts there are. I know I personally represent 4 iOS developers, but I'm only 1 person. I can't be the only developer that gets counted several times in these studies.
Agree totally. This is BS. Let's see, there were somewhere around 2,500 in attendance. If all were developers then 250 would be a more realistic sample. Anything less than 10% is meaningless. And, it would have to be a 10% sample of all who developed for the iOS platform. The title is a little misleading as well. iOS and MAC are two totally different platforms. I understand what is meant, at least I think so
.
Ever notice that Android is always the OS that's going to be something one day...but isn't quite there yet? It's going to have the biggest growth in terms of monetizing. It's going to be the most used tablet OS one day. It's going to be embedded in every kind of device in the future.
It has the potential that one day maybe it will kind of perhaps be the most...best....highest....stable....blah....blah....blah....
We've heard this song and dance before. Linux was pointed to as to be the future of computing. How many years did we endure "THIS is the year of Linux on the Desktop"? Now, that's pretty much dying:
The Linux Desktop Experience is Killing Linux on the Desktop
It has the potential that one day maybe it will kind of perhaps be the most...best....highest....stable....blah....blah....blah....
We've heard this song and dance before. Linux was pointed to as to be the future of computing. How many years did we endure "THIS is the year of Linux on the Desktop"? Now, that's pretty much dying:
The Linux Desktop Experience is Killing Linux on the Desktop
Windows Phone
It's being copied by Apple right now with iOS 5
Apple needs to play catch up now.
It's alway Apple VS. Microsoft
You knew that
Makes perfect sense. The devs themselves are focused on mobile, touch screen oriented applications. Nothing to do with capabilities, they just know that the majority of iOS apps don't translate well into a desktop enviromemt. Would I play Infinity Blade with a mouse and keyboard? Naaa
Statistics don't lie, people do. Or they BS.
To make matters worse, the journalists who report statistics couldn't calculate their way out of a wet paper bag, hence all the errors in the popular press.
Mac Rumors think a survey of 45 people is worthy of front page news. Whereas many other good news stories only make 2nd page news. Mac Rumors really need to choose what stories make the front page much more carefully. Yes the majority of people will read and go wow. But the educated of us out there just shake our heads and wonder why we post on stories as bad as these.
Hello.
Forgive me, but that did sound a lot like a religious anti-Apple statement. You know, I could say that the Beatles didn't have a lot of successful products — only some songs, and everything else (the films, Apple Records, whatever) was a failure. There may be some truth in that, but my choice of words would be a pretty blatant misrepresentation of the band's success and influence. Wouldn't you agree?
autrefois
macrumors 65816
It's Apple who called this the "Post PC" world. While much cannot be gleaned from the survey in the OP (as stated many times above), I'm not sure why an iOS developer would want to make the jump over to Mac when it's clear that Apple thinks computers are on their way out. "PC free" and "Post PC" were two key phrases from this year's WWDC (not to mention that Jobs said they are going to "demote" the computer to be just another device for iCloud). I didn't hear any "boos" when any of these were mentioned.
I'd really like to be able to have an iPad as a laptop replacement, but it just can't fit my work needs (it doesn't even have a full-featured word processor). There is NO way the i-devices are ready for primetime as a replacement for doing actual work for the vast majority of people.
But were it not for work, I'd sure be tempted to ditch my laptop for an iPad, as I'm sure many are doing. If Steve Jobs makes it clear that PCs -- presumably including Macs -- are on the way out, and Apple continue(s) the secrecy that they're known for about future plans, why switch to developing for Macs? What if Lion turns out to be their last true desktop OS?
I very much *WANT* developers to stay on the Mac for many years to come, but with the signals being sent by the media and Apple about the impending downfall of PCs, I'm not hopeful for much new in terms of development for the Mac.
Your bias against anything non apple only reflects you as an ignorant and unreasonable person(from a tech consumer perspective...I'm sure you're an awesome person in all other regards). Enhanced notifications and consolidated messaging are two great examples of how your infallible OS hasnt shaped the market...You have RIM and Google to thank for those.
We get it, you love your iPhone...as do I and many good folks here. Apply some clear perspective next time you post.
Not unlike the Nielsen Norman Group recently putting out a "study" that states that "People Have No Clue How To Use iPad Apps". Yet, when you read the fine print, they only surveyed 16 people. Yes, SIXTEEN fricken people.
It points us in the direction where portable tech is headed and not PCs. It forms the basis of strategies of major mobile tech companies. PCs are still used for professional work like audio, video, business, scientific research etc. Casual things like browsing, email, SNS which were done on PCs are now done on tablets and thats the only thing that iPad has changed.
It is gaining more capability but nowhere sufficient to replace full-fledged PCs. iWork, Adobe apps, etc will never be a substitute for Microsoft Office, Adobe CS5 and other desktop applications. iPad was never designed to replace PCs in the first place. It doesn't make sense to talk about it. Apple lost the PC war long ago, its a fact. Apple's success or mobile companies working hard on tablets seeing Apple's iPad has got nothing to do with it.
Steve Jobs is pushing this post-PC thing because they lost the PC war. Its clearly evident iPad is not meant for real work. Computer finds extensive use in every field, I don't think they will go anytime soon. What may happen is PCs/Macs will get restricted to professional work. This is also unlikely because many people prefer PC/Mac over tablets because of bigger screen and functionality.
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Even if it were true (which it's not), that's still a pretty large market. Are you seriously trying to say those are their "only" successes like it's a negative?
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Windows Phone
It's being copied by Apple right now with iOS 5
Apple needs to play catch up now.
It's alway Apple VS. Microsoft
You knew that
LOL
You are probably right about Windows replacing Android in a few years. But I don't think it will be a strong competitor unless developers can make some money.
Not to mention the completely different set of questions.
All the "na" results from 2008 aren't due to the answer being 0, they're due to the question not being asked.
really, what we have is that 20 people said they were iOS developers, 10 Mac developers, at what was still predominantly a Mac developer conference (iOS development had *JUST* been announced,) in 2008. In 2011, we had 45 iOS developers and 4 Mac developers at what has become predominantly an iOS developer conference.
WebOS, Windows Phone 7, and Android didn't even exist when the survey was taken in 2008!
For PCs, in their current form, the direction is down. Unless they're taking cues from mobile tech. Mobile tech is the well from which everyone drinks. The mobile sphere is currently the main influence for nearly all consumer tech.
If you're a consumer tech company and you don't have a smartphone/app store/tablet strategy, you're doing it wrong. And if you deal in the enterprise side, you'd better get moving *now* before someone else does in a big way.