iPhone May Allow 3rd Party Applications?

[peharri]

What a complete load of absolute, paranoid, ********.

Apologies for the language, but sometimes you know people are being deliberately full of it, and this is one of those situations.

I run (unsigned) Java apps on my V635 all the time. It is not threatening T-Mobile's network, and it is not crashing all the time.

I've had a Nokia 9290 and a Nokia 9000, both /real/ smartphones that run arbitrary, unsigned, third party software, both Java and "unsafe". Neither phone crashed regularly, and neither phone posed any threat to the network I was using it on. The commonly-agreed definition of smartphone, until Apple started to use it for the iPhone, is of a phone with a computer in it that can run general-purpose user developed applications. There are many tens of smartphones in the wild, on all kinds of networks. Palm makes them. Nokia makes them. Ericsson makes them. Motorola makes 'em. And even ordinary non-smartphones, like the V635, are able to run generic apps thanks to Java, applications that can even use the data network features of the underlying phone.

I have Google Maps on my V635. And Opera mini. And an open source ssh client.

Jobs is being deliberately obtuse here. Sorry. I know he does some great stuff, but frankly, the idea that it's somehow hard to make a phone that can run arbitrary third party software without crashing or being a danger to the network it's on is, well, let's call it what it is: it's a lie.

An outright, no holds barred, no question about it, lie.

And it's time to call Apple and Steve Jobs on it, however unpopular that might be.

 

[SeanMcg]

Cover flow....

Not really.. If Apple puts OS X on regular iPods, that's too close to the iPhone. I mean, what would you want to do on an iPod in OS X that's not on the Internet?

After seeing the media player on the iPhone, I felt that we were seeing the future of the media player interface on the top iPod. So maybe I should have cut off the question at "Are we seeing the end of the PortalPlayer interface?"

...There are many tens of smartphones in the wild, on all kinds of networks. Palm makes them. Nokia makes them. Ericsson makes them. Motorola makes 'em....

And Apple makes...... 0
I don't doubt that they'll be able to create a sucessful product, but it is not paranoia to be cautious. The first iPod was limited compared to today's versions. Yet, they did upgrade even the first models to enhance their capabilities.

What I call ********** is people who obviously watch Apple say on one hand "they should innovate" but on the other say "they should do the same thing as everyone else." As someone who really isn't in the market for this device, I just want to see what Apple does that is different from everyone else. Those who are waiting to buy may feel differently.

 

[clevin]

allow is a interesting word, I think its should be "beg"

iPhone should beg for 3rd party apps.

 

[kingofkolt]

After seeing the media player on the iPhone, I felt that we were seeing the future of the media player interface on the top iPod. So maybe I should have cut off the question at "Are we seeing the end of the PortalPlayer interface?"

Ah, gotcha. Maybe they'll start using coverflow?

 

[thejadedmonkey]

What a complete load of absolute, paranoid, ********.

Apologies for the language, but sometimes you know people are being deliberately full of it, and this is one of those situations.

I run (unsigned) Java apps on my V635 all the time. It is not threatening T-Mobile's network, and it is not crashing all the time.

I've had a Nokia 9290 and a Nokia 9000, both /real/ smartphones that run arbitrary, unsigned, third party software, both Java and "unsafe". Neither phone crashed regularly, and neither phone posed any threat to the network I was using it on. The commonly-agreed definition of smartphone, until Apple started to use it for the iPhone, is of a phone with a computer in it that can run general-purpose user developed applications. There are many tens of smartphones in the wild, on all kinds of networks. Palm makes them. Nokia makes them. Ericsson makes them. Motorola makes 'em. And even ordinary non-smartphones, like the V635, are able to run generic apps thanks to Java, applications that can even use the data network features of the underlying phone.

I have Google Maps on my V635. And Opera mini. And an open source ssh client.

Jobs is being deliberately obtuse here. Sorry. I know he does some great stuff, but frankly, the idea that it's somehow hard to make a phone that can run arbitrary third party software without crashing or being a danger to the network it's on is, well, let's call it what it is: it's a lie.

An outright, no holds barred, no question about it, lie.

And it's time to call Apple and Steve Jobs on it, however unpopular that might be.

Quite right you are! I've got an older phone and I can download and run any java app I want. Jobs is full of BS.

 

[ruckus]

This is huge for me. That was my biggest disappointment with the expected release of the iPhone was not being able to develop for it.

To me, a device like this a neat way to make some cool applications or even games. It gives me a whole new shiny reason to buy. For me, it pretty much seals the deal.

I understand people's concerns about 3rd party software, but you just need to be smart about it. Know what you are putting on your iPhone before you do. If its a good app/game, there will be mention of it elsewhere on the internet. Read reviews and such.

 

[vga4life]

What a complete load of absolute, paranoid, ********.

Apologies for the language, but sometimes you know people are being deliberately full of it, and this is one of those situations.

I run (unsigned) Java apps on my V635 all the time. It is not threatening T-Mobile's network, and it is not crashing all the time.

I've had a Nokia 9290 and a Nokia 9000, both /real/ smartphones that run arbitrary, unsigned, third party software, both Java and "unsafe". Neither phone crashed regularly, and neither phone posed any threat to the network I was using it on. The commonly-agreed definition of smartphone, until Apple started to use it for the iPhone, is of a phone with a computer in it that can run general-purpose user developed applications. There are many tens of smartphones in the wild, on all kinds of networks. Palm makes them. Nokia makes them. Ericsson makes them. Motorola makes 'em. And even ordinary non-smartphones, like the V635, are able to run generic apps thanks to Java, applications that can even use the data network features of the underlying phone.

I have Google Maps on my V635. And Opera mini. And an open source ssh client.

Jobs is being deliberately obtuse here. Sorry. I know he does some great stuff, but frankly, the idea that it's somehow hard to make a phone that can run arbitrary third party software without crashing or being a danger to the network it's on is, well, let's call it what it is: it's a lie.

An outright, no holds barred, no question about it, lie.

And it's time to call Apple and Steve Jobs on it, however unpopular that might be.

WORD UP. Couldn't have said it better.

If Jobs were honest he'd just own up to the fact that they don't want free VOIP and IM clients mucking up the carrier's revenue stream, or 3rd-party games for which Apple doesn't get a cut. He might as well just admit this - the fanboys will just find another way to rationalize this as good for users.

 

[Stella]

If you read other posts, in this and other forums relating to 3rd party software and iPhone, there are other people that have come to the same conclusion.

Its not being cynical, its observation, and conclusions via quotes from Apple relating to this subject.

You sir, are a very cynical bastard. I could be getting a hummer from Alicia Silverstone and you could say something to make me want to slit my own wrists. It's occasionally good to bring some people back down to earth tho.

 

[Fairly]

Interesting, but how often do most users experience an application problem that kills OS X?

At least as often as people surf to pages that have that "drive-by" or similar pranks or exploits and to the extent there are other interests out there, commercial or otherwise, who see what a party it's going to be to bring good old Safari down.

And that's more than enough. Obviously.

 

[Fairly]

What a complete load of absolute, paranoid, ********.

And that in turn is a complete load of absolute fanboy ********.

 

[Fairly]

This is huge for me. That was my biggest disappointment with the expected release of the iPhone was not being able to develop for it.

Somehow the prospect of a macrumors newbie not being able to foist software on iPhone users isn't exactly bringing me to tears.

 

[twoodcc]

i don't really see this as a big deal. but i wouldn't mind having 3rd party applications on my iPhone

 

[mccoma]

Llvm

Maybe some of the work Apple is doing with the LLVM project will help Apple support 3rd party apps on the iPhone (maybe future iPod / AppleTV).

Vetting of apps will not do it (resources and ineffective). Also, those who think big company apps are less prone to errors then small company apps have never been in a big companies "do we need to fix this bug" meeting. Small companies tend to not cost analyze these decisions and just fix the bug.

Apple has a paid developer program that could do very well as a starting place for 3rd party apps.

 

[groove-agent]

Most business guys I'm sure would want access to their Word, Excel and other documents. This is the reason why I'm hesitating to buy an iPhone.

 

[insanemccain]

I hope they allow it for a certain extent...

with that said, I hope im not reloading the os on it every weekend due to some crappy software company that doesn't know what there doing.

 

[amacboy]

money money money

this was once a hit from a north-european band.


I think Steve is still playing it