Opera Browser Not Allowed in iPhone App Store

[lifeinhd]

Because people are making Opera to be some browser that doesn't crash, I mean all browsers crash even on desktops, so if they are looking for Opera to come and save them, it won't be it. But I think Apple should still allow alternatives for those who need it.

Still, anything's better than Safari. On my old Mac, FireFox 2 ran slow, so I installed Opera, because I hated Safari so much that I refused (and still do refuse) to use it. Now FF3 runs much faster and I don't have to use Opera, and while FireFox does crash occasionally, it's far less than Safari. Plus, it quits at predictable times. If I'm trying to load half a dozen YouTube videos while I have several other apps running in the background and I get a SBBOD while using Safari, I can at least understand why it crashed. With Safari, both on my computer and on my iPod, it's never predictable; I might be scrolling through something, and it will randomly quit, even with hardly any stress put on it (like 4 tabs of picture/text). What gives???

Anything is better than Safari, and the fact that Apple doesn't want to allow alternatives just makes me want to switch back to my old Archos even more, which runs-- you guessed it-- Opera Mobile. (And yes, Opera Mobile does quit, but rarely, and at least it does so predictably.)

 

[Pooshka]

Safari FTW.

Apple don't need competition for improvement.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

opera mini on the blackberry using edge was really fast because the opera servers converted the pages into smaller images. it didnt allow the webpages to be full featured like safari but is much faster. having opera would be an excellent alternative. apple is a browser nazi. if they were confident enough in their browser they shouldnt be worried about any competition but the truth is that their browser crashes all the time.

I use it daily on an iPod touch. Never, repeat, never crashed for me. I've been to so many sites, it has never crashed for me nor my 2 friends who own iPods and use Safari.

Where did it say Opera has Flash?

That was what I was wondering this whole time when people were arguing about flash.

I'd have no problem with this if they could make a browser that doesn't crash. So far they haven't. And judging by OS X Safari, Safari will always be useless on any platform.

Safari is 3-4X faster than IE on Windows. 2X faster than FF3 on Windows. On Mac, FF3 and Safari are closely matched. FF3 is much newer btw, than Safari 3. So how's it useless? Safari never crashed for me, on my iPod or my two macs that I've owned.

I just gave feedback to Apple. I wouldn't care about Opera or not, except that Safari just sucks. Crashes every time I open a large web page, caching sucks. Write Apple to complain. Maybe they'll at least improve Safari. Here's the link to their iPhone feedback page.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

Crashes every time? Prove it. I really doubt it. Never crashed for me, and I use it daily and browsed through thousands of sites by now... Caching doesn't suck, its good for a mobile device and much better than others. Honestly, it's not that bad, it's rather pretty good.

That's a ridiculous argument. Flash uses no more battery than Youtube, music videos, movies or games. It also uses less battery than simply making a call.

Wrong. The Youtube.app plays mp4 files encoded with H.264. Youtube especially encoded most of their videos with this standard just for Apple. It's not using flash. Music videos/movies/games don't use flash either. Most of the games are java. Movies/videos are mp4 files.

 

[Fukui]

This is extremely unfortunate. Opera is the greatest browser on the planet, and there are few things I want more than it on my iPod.

Perhaps, but I don't think opera mini counts.
I have it on my phone, and opera mini blows chunks

 

[MrSEC]

Safari is 3-4X faster than IE on Windows. 2X faster than FF3 on Windows. On Mac,

That's not how it is on my MacBook with Vista installed.FF3 blows Safari away in every aspect.

 

[capnjiggins]

Areas like this are where Apple's competitors are really going to be able to close in. Seems a little cocky and short sighted to me. Same thing with not allowing Flash. But, hey, this is how Apple operates I guess.

 

[eleven59]

confused

I don't pretend to know which browser is better but 2 things come to mind that confuse me:

1- they allow other browsers on OSX on their "regular" products...

2- they don't even charge for safari to begin with...

but maybe it's just bc they don't like the way it was built or something.. like how they forced 3rd parties to re-think how to create app integration within the browser??

i dunno

 

[alphaod]

Time for the EU to step in

And they don't want Opera on their iPhones because Opera supports Flash Lite 3 (AKA real flash).

 

[dejo]

- "The majority of the consumers don't give a damn anyway..."

What? One must be a fanboy to make this statement? Try this: I think Apple should allow Opera on the iPhone. Does that change the fact that most consumers won't care? Nope.

I have an axiom: "The average consumer is an idiot." Explains a lot.

 

[carloslegarda]

Opera Browser Not Allowed in iPhone App Store

This reeks of what Microsoft did to Netscape.

Apple is heading down the path to the darkside. If they continue on this path, I'll have to consider other options for my gadget needs.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

No one should be surprised. Apple doesn't want to COMPETE with ANYONE. They want to monopolize their own markets. That means they don't want anyone to install OS X on any hardware but their overpriced, limited choice hardware and it means they don't want any software competing with their own software (like Safari). If Microsoft did something like this, the justice department would be on their butts in a heartbeat, but because it's Apple, it's supposed to be OK somehow. The underdog is allowed to do whatever they want, apparently. Frankly, if Apple doesn't want to COMPETE, they should move their company to Russia.

 

[archurban]

well, this is wrong. of course, Apple set a rule what is allowed or not. but after they threw iphone apps development limitation, this movement is totally backward. even it is internet browser. competition is always good in the market. what Apple problem is that they set their own rule not to open any source which could be affecting their business. of course, they need to protect the most important thing inside. other than that, they should allow any thing especially for iphone apps. so I just wonder how Mozilla will consider this attitude. they already released alpha version of Fennec which is mini firefox for mobile device. I wish that I could run Fennec on my iphone. this time, Apple is wrong.

 

[dejo]

That means they don't want anyone to install OS X on any hardware but their overpriced, limited choice hardware and it means they don't want any software competing with their own software (like Safari).

That explains why I can't install Firefox or Opera or whatever on my Mac. Oh wait...

 

[Rondogg96]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5F136 Safari/525.20)

Well Apple can do this if they want. There's a chance that some would like it better than Safari, and they would lose some users, and then they wouldn't be able to tout Safari as the best mobile browser out there. I personally would love to see Skyfire make it in there but Apple would never allow it.

 

[Van Wildonher]

Release it for jailbroken phones.

 

[rols]

How where these developed. The SDK. The SDK clearly states that you cant have access to certain things, that to make a browser, you would clearly need.

like what? You need a TCP connection which is easy, and a custom view, which you could write if you wanted to, that's a browser. What you don't have access to are some of the lower-level phone functions and the bluetooth, all regrettably as they would be rather useful things but I can think of nothing required to write a browser which the SDK doesn't provide.

That's different from the agreement for developers which says apple can choose what to, and what not to, put on their store and it's pretty clear that a browser is something they wouldn't. Nothing however stops you writing one with the available SDK functions and using it on your phone, or sharing it with 99 of your friends on an 'ad hoc' basis.

 

[aristotle]

Opera? People still use that bloated piece of adware?

 

[spikedfo]

apple dont want people to get any other choices

 

[Sketchee]

Apple has been dictating things for awhile but yet they seem to be doing alright, for example I can only use ipods and iphones with itunes and only install Mac OSX on Apple hardware.

Great point. Except that you can use ipods with programs that are not itunes and OSX can be installed on non Apple hardware (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_clone)

Competition is great for the consumer since it would force Apple to compete and improve their products, but not great for companies. If we are seeing the iPhone and Touch as mobile computing platforms, then the idea of locked down software becomes ludicrous. If they were to release a computer with these kinds of limitations, very few would accept it. And that's what the situation basically is. These devices have the potential to run applications just like your desktop if not for these limitations.

 

[tutubibi]

Opera? People still use that bloated piece of adware?

I guess you didn't use Opera lately?

 

[orionpaxon]

Completely anti-competitive if you ask me. Almost very Microsoft-like. The difference here is that everyone is easy to hate on Microsoft and show love to Apple by saying Safari is the best thing since sliced bread. I think both Microsoft and Apple are great in their own rights, but I also think it's very hypocritical too.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

I've gotta say, as an investor, I liked Apple a hell of a lot more before they showed their true colors in all this iPhone maneuvering. I certainly hope people are getting fired for these decisions.

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

Apple is being anticompetitive.

Apple is soon becoming the master of evil design. Apple, you have lost my faith completely...

 

[teme]

I was waiting for a another browser to AppStore, because Safari has some interface features I don't like at all (for example, when there are tons of links in the website and I want to scroll the page, I usually end up clicking some link or banner by accident).

 

[rayz]

Last I checked there is an Apple offering and quite a Linux following in the OS market, 3 seems > 1 which means Microsoft is not a monopoly and never has, Microsoft gets in trouble for monopolistic behaviour, not being a monopoly.

Apple doesn't have to allow competition, but they look right stupid when they don't.

Well said.

There is nothing illegal about having a monopoly. What Microsoft was (rightly) convicted for, was using its position in the market to create entry barriers for other competitors.

It seems to me that Apple is doing the same thing here; but that depends on whether or not you see the iPhone as a market in its own right.