Tim Cook at D11: Apple to Open Up APIs in the Future, but No Chat Heads

[xDKP]

So then don't use it.

Also, I absolutely do not pay Apple to make choices for me. That is profoundly asinine.

Actually I DO pay them to do that. I pay them to make a phone that just works and doesn't break down because of all the crap out there. I need my phone every single day, I need it very badly for work every single day and I love iOS (looking forward to a fresh UI though) and absolutely love that Apple makes sure the apps doesn't kill my battery or that the app store is filled up with ****! I don't have the time to look for hours around my phone to find the crap apps that might hog down the performance or battery - It should just work...

Of course there is a great amount of stuff they should not do - but rather have a bit more limited and great experience than open just for the sake of openness and a slow failing system...

 

[rydewnd2]

Tim Cook said:




Wow. That's pretty patronizing.[/QUOTE
This is the core of Apple's design methodology. Ask the question why instead of why not. It leads to simpler products that are more accessible to everyone. It's not about taking away your god given rights but sticking to principles that ensure a good user experience. Their designers goal is to create a device where the experience can't be bad. People always say just give me the choice and it will be my fault if I elect the bad experience, but that always comes from geeks on tech blogs. Out in the lay world people don't necessarily want to fidget through endlessness menus to find the right combination of options that make their device work properly. Or try to figure out why their battery keeps dying so fast.

 

[FirstNTenderbit]

I wonder if it's possible to be more ignorant than this.

Then by all means Walter, please educate me. Anything to lessen my ignorance will be greatly appreciated.

 

[shk718]

So then don't use it.

Also, I absolutely do not pay Apple to make choices for me. That is profoundly asinine.

If you buy an apple product you most certainly pay them to make choices for you - if you buy a samsung product you pay them and google to make choices for you. who do you think picks the processor, memory,camera, internet protocols, program language ..............

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not really. Steve was there when apple made WebKit open source.

Probably the single most significant decision Steve made was to port iTunes to Windows. Apple wouldn't be the company it is today w/o that choice. iPod sales skyrocketed after that happened. Steve would most certainly not roll if the correct apps were ported.

 

[Rootus]

Actually I DO pay them to do that. I pay them to make a phone that just works and doesn't break down because of all the crap out there. I need my phone every single day, I need it very badly for work every single day and I love iOS (looking forward to a fresh UI though) and absolutely love that Apple makes sure the apps doesn't kill my battery or that the app store is filled up with ****!

Sounds reasonable. Except that there's plenty of **** on the app store, and Google's Play Store doesn't seem plagued by **** even though they are less onerous with their oversight. And iOS itself is frequently the source of unexplained battery drain. How many times do we hear people here suggest resetting an iPhone back to stock and restoring it because it drains the battery in a matter of hours? If I'm paying Apple to make a better experience for me, then they need to try harder. Every time I get a call from some sales droid from outside the country, I wonder why Apple is preventing me from blocking them. Are they getting kickbacks from AT&T or something? LOL

Their designers goal is to create a device where the experience can't be bad.

Except every time I switch to a new tab in Safari and it reloads the content.

Apple is a corporation looking to make a profit. Telling you they're in it to make your life better is part of their strategy to increase their profit. Why is that so hard to understand? Apple doesn't make the software simpler to make it easier for the masses to use, they want it to be simpler so it's cheaper to make and maintain. They build an ecosystem not for your convenience, but so you can't easily take your money somewhere else.

 

[iGrip]

It's not about taking away your god given rights

No, but instead it is about taking away my desire to own those products.

I started hating iOS after owning my 3GS for about a day and a half. I kept calling AppleCare to find out how to do something, only to be told repeatedly that it could not be done. I was astounded (and kind of pissed off) that the device was so dumbed down.

The hardware was great (back in the day), but I knew immediately that iOS was a poor choice for me. I had come from PalmOS, where the devs were encouraged to stretch the capabilities of the hardware. In iOS, the capabilities were constrained officially by the OS. I was told by a salesperson at ATT that I probably was the kind of person who would benefit by jailbreaking the device.

Apple's "my way or the highway" style of lockdown turns me off totally.

 

[jamesjingyi]

Could iOS 7 be the iOS that we have wanted since iOS 4? Things change, like Apple was so stubborn about a wallpaper behind the homescreeen, then all that changed...

This is the best news I have heard all day.... Bump

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Sounds reasonable. Except that there's plenty of **** on the app store, and Google's Play Store doesn't seem plagued by **** even though they are less onerous with their oversight. And iOS itself is frequently the source of unexplained battery drain. How many times do we hear people here suggest resetting an iPhone back to stock and restoring it because it drains the battery in a matter of hours? If I'm paying Apple to make a better experience for me, then they need to try harder. Every time I get a call from some sales droid from outside the country, I wonder why Apple is preventing me from blocking them. Are they getting kickbacks from AT&T or something? LOL

Apple does not control blocking, AT&T does, they're the phone carrier and control calls.

 

[pirg]

No, but instead it is about taking away my desire to own those products.

I started hating iOS after owning my 3GS for about a day and a half. I kept calling AppleCare to find out how to do something, only to be told repeatedly that it could not be done. I was astounded (and kind of pissed off) that the device was so dumbed down.

The hardware was great (back in the day), but I knew immediately that iOS was a poor choice for me. I had come from PalmOS, where the devs were encouraged to stretch the capabilities of the hardware. In iOS, the capabilities were constrained officially by the OS. I was told by a salesperson at ATT that I probably was the kind of person who would benefit by jailbreaking the device.

Apple's "my way or the highway" style of lockdown turns me off totally.

Well not totally, right?

 

[marksman]

I'll believe it when I see it. Lip service has been Apple's specialty for the first few months of the year. That and litigation, I wonder how long it will be before Apple sues the developer that "codes it wrong".

The aggressive stance of Apple has shown it's ugly head in recent times, which may be but one reason they aren't doing as well as they would like in China.



http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/05/28/samsung-apple-china-smartphone-market-share/

Yeah what percentage of those Samsung sales are the flagship model?

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I thought I was the only one to take offense to that statement. It sort of... I can't quite articulate it, but I know I didn't like it.

So you guys don't expect apple to exhibit a certain level of judgement and responsibility when designing their products? It is certainly something that does seperate apple from most of its competitors and you would be in the minority of not appreciating it.

The alternative is to let the end user just figure everything out themselves. Sorry that is not how apple became one of the most reliable brands.

Do you not expect apple to do all they can to minimize your risk of exposure to viruses and malware on their oses? That is expecting them to make decisions for you.

 

[iGrip]

I'm pretty sure Tim is talking about the thousands of choices Apple makes that result in the final user experience. It's no different than any other product.

You interpret his statement as being something trivial that makes Apple "no different from any other product'.

I disagree. I think he was actually saying something. Something about Apple. Something that makes Apple different.

I'm not sure why you think he said something like "Apple tries to make saleable products" or "We work hard".

Clearly he was saying something that he thought differentiated Apple from other companies, and was not just spouting banalities.

 

[j4zb4]

No chat heads...?!

Thank God for small mercies... Oh thank you...

 

[iGrip]

Well not totally, right?

Until recently, the hardware has been better than that offered by other companies.

But as of now, the squared-off, tiny-screened iPhone is a joke compared to what others are offering.

Look at the HTC One, or the Galaxy S4 or the S3. And if you don't like the size, you can get phones jsut as powerful with smaller screen sizes, or phones just as powerful with larger screen sizes, like the Note series.

 

[rmwebs]

Dont get too excited. We've heard this before - Apple has no incentive to open iOS at all. They will only do it when the EU clamps down and forces them to allow 3rd party appstores.

 

[3282868]

If developers have more access to native iOS apps/functions, what does this mean for application "sandboxing"?

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Dont get too excited. We've heard this before - Apple has no incentive to open iOS at all. They will only do it when the EU clamps down and forces them to allow 3rd party appstores.

Case in point, FaceTime. So much for making it cross platform and open.

 

[paradox00]

Until recently, the hardware has been better than that offered by other companies.

But as of now, the squared-off, tiny-screened iPhone is a joke compared to what others are offering.

Look at the HTC One, or the Galaxy S4 or the S3. And if you don't like the size, you can get phones jsut as powerful with smaller screen sizes, or phones just as powerful with larger screen sizes, like the Note series.

No you can't. Samsung released an S3 mini with lower specs and will likely do the same with the S4. Last year, HTC launched the One X and the smaller One S (which is still bigger than an iPhone). The One S featured a different chipset, lower quality screen, and smaller storage options. HTC currently hasn't announced a smaller version of the One, and probably won't.

Android devices went to larger screens to differentiate themselves from the iPhone. That resonated with a lot of people, but the fact remains that there aren't any flagship Android phones in the iPhones size range or smaller, so there's no use pretending there are.

 

[pirg]

Until recently, the hardware has been better than that offered by other companies.

But as of now, the squared-off, tiny-screened iPhone is a joke compared to what others are offering.

Look at the HTC One, or the Galaxy S4 or the S3. And if you don't like the size, you can get phones jsut as powerful with smaller screen sizes, or phones just as powerful with larger screen sizes, like the Note series.

I agree that there are better phones out there, but calling the iPhone a joke is a little brash. Some people here think that apple has just packed up and gone home and that they're just sitting around in Cupertino twiddling their thumbs. As if they're not aware that they're not as popular as they were, and that they're NOT trying to fix that. That kind of mentality really doesn't make sense, but there's no use arguing with those people because their purpose is pretty well known.

It amazes me how the media has turned on apple too. I think Apple will shut a lot of critics up at wwdc.

On macrumors it's another story. The astroturfers will never be pleased.

 

[xDKP]

Until recently, the hardware has been better than that offered by other companies.

But as of now, the squared-off, tiny-screened iPhone is a joke compared to what others are offering.

Look at the HTC One, or the Galaxy S4 or the S3. And if you don't like the size, you can get phones jsut as powerful with smaller screen sizes, or phones just as powerful with larger screen sizes, like the Note series.

To call the iPhone 5 tiny-screened and a joke is a bit overreacting. I get that there is a market for the huge-screened Notes and GS3/4, but that doesn't make 4" small for a phone

 

[KentuckyHouse]

Apple does not control blocking, AT&T does, they're the phone carrier and control calls.

Wrong.

The phone and it's software is what determines whether you can block certain numbers from calling/texting you, not AT&T. Sure, you can call AT&T and set up a block list, but they charge you for that (surprise, surprise).

Doubt me? I'm sitting here with a HTC One that has the option of blocking numbers on it's stock firmware. My Note 2 doesn't have that ability out of the box, but I've also got the option of downloading any one of a hundred apps that will allow me to do it.

No you can't. Samsung released an S3 mini with lower specs and will likely do the same with the S4. Last year, HTC launched the One X and the smaller One S (which is still bigger than an iPhone). The One S featured a different chipset, lower quality screen, and smaller storage options. HTC currently hasn't announced a smaller version of the One, and probably won't.

Android devices went to larger screens to differentiate themselves from the iPhone. That resonated with a lot of people, but the fact remains that there aren't any flagship Android phones in the iPhones size range or smaller, so there's no use pretending there are.

FFS...

Is there REALLY that big of a difference between a 4" screen and a 4.5" or 4.7" screen??? No. My HTC One literally feels JUST LIKE my iPhone 5 in the hand (ever so slightly wider and taller, but the FEEL of it is the same). My point being...you CAN get a phone that's not 5+ inches with high-end specs. Stop spewing nonsense.

You people that cling to the small screen idea are the reason Apple doesn't innovate in that area anymore. The same people that used to say "3.5 inches is the PERFECT screen size!" are the same hypocrites that now say "4 inches is the PERFECT screen size!" Guess what? If Apple were to introduce a 5 inch screen this year or next year, those same hypocrites would be standing in line to buy it, crowing about how "5 inches is the PERFECT screen size!"

It's fine if Apple people want to stand their ground on something...but for god's sake...pick something to stand on and stop changing what's perfect based on what Apple TELLS you is perfect.

/rant

 

[dolph0291]

So then don't use it.

Also, I absolutely do not pay Apple to make choices for me. That is profoundly asinine.

Of course you do. Simplest example: what does the power button do? Apple decided what it would do. When you personally design and manufacture an entire telephone, then you won't have anyone making those choices for you. Until then, don't be so asinine.

 

[pirg]

FFS...

Is there REALLY that big of a difference between a 4" screen and a 4.5" or 4.7" screen??? No. My HTC One literally feels JUST LIKE my iPhone 5 in the hand (ever so slightly wider and taller, but the FEEL of it is the same). My point being...you CAN get a phone that's not 5+ inches with high-end specs. Stop spewing nonsense.

You people that cling to the small screen idea are the reason Apple doesn't innovate in that area anymore. The same people that used to say "3.5 inches is the PERFECT screen size!" are the same hypocrites that now say "4 inches is the PERFECT screen size!" Guess what? If Apple were to introduce a 5 inch screen this year or next year, those same hypocrites would be standing in line to buy it, crowing about how "5 inches is the PERFECT screen size!"

It's fine if Apple people want to stand their ground on something...but for god's sake...pick something to stand on and stop changing what's perfect based on what Apple TELLS you is perfect.

/rant

I love when people say this. Care to show just one person who said 3.5 was perfect, and now says 4 is perfect? Just point out one hypocrite. Sounds like you've seen a ton of hypocrites, so should be easy to just provide one example.

Now back in non generalizing land, the truth is some people like 3.5 and some like 4.

For people who swear they love choice, you android users sure hate when people have differing opinions...

 

[Casiotone]

Nobody has released a decent controller, and the only emulators that kind of work force you to jailbreak so it's not worth it.

Your original post was that you couldn't have your dream of an SNES-like controller with an official Nintendo emulator because Apple locked down the platform too much.

I was showing you that no Apple restriction was preventing what you described.

The fact that nobody has released a decent controller (according to your tastes) is not Apple's fault.

But unlike what you previously implied, it seems that you don't want an official Nintendo app that can play NES and SNES games but rather a no name emulator that can play all the pirated ROMs you want.

You can jailbreak or go to Android if you want to easily pirate games.

 

[jameslmoser]

not really. Steve was there when apple made WebKit open source.

What does that have to do with it?

Steve Jobs felt that Android was basically a stolen idea from Apple, and he vowed to destroy it. He would never have said Apple would port some of its Apps to it in the future.

 

[AZREOSpecialist]

Who the fk cares about Tim Cook at ATD. He can't top Steve's legacy, why even try? He is trying to be too much like Steve, especially with the comment on wearable watches: "nothing good on the market right now".

it's true

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I'll believe it when I see it. Lip service has been Apple's specialty for the first few months of the year. That and litigation, I wonder how long it will be before Apple sues the developer that "codes it wrong".

The aggressive stance of Apple has shown it's ugly head in recent times, which may be but one reason they aren't doing as well as they would like in China.



http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/05/28/samsung-apple-china-smartphone-market-share/

Seems like an emotional response.

 

[jameslmoser]

Probably the single most significant decision Steve made was to port iTunes to Windows. Apple wouldn't be the company it is today w/o that choice. iPod sales skyrocketed after that happened. Steve would most certainly not roll if the correct apps were ported.

You guys are missing the point. Steve Jobs was out to destroy Android. He felt that it was an idea stolen from Apple. I'm not commenting on the "open source" aspect or the idea of porting apps. I'm talking about Apple making an App for android. It has never happened, and under Steve Jobs I am fairly certain it never would have (and I'm very skeptical if it ever will).

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"I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple's $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong. I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this." -Steve Jobs

 

[portishead]

Your original post was that you couldn't have your dream of an SNES-like controller with an official Nintendo emulator because Apple locked down the platform too much.

I was showing you that no Apple restriction was preventing what you described.

The fact that nobody has released a decent controller (according to your tastes) is not Apple's fault.

But unlike what you previously implied, it seems that you don't want an official Nintendo app that can play NES and SNES games but rather a no name emulator that can play all the pirated ROMs you want.

You can jailbreak or go to Android if you want to easily pirate games.

I specifically said I don't want to jailbreak (in my original post). Also Nintendo could release an official emulator (as I said in my original post), and game companies could release games for it. Stop putting words in my mouth. You showed me nothing as I never blamed Apple for a lack of controller, but yes, I am correct that they lock iOS down quite a bit to devs.