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

[nStyle]

He said that there are no good wearable watches on the market right now? As opposed to unwearable watches?

I swear no one ever bothers to read.

Two articles down (in reference to watches): "Tim Cook mentioned that he found wearables to be "incredibly interesting" and went on to say that it could be a "profound area."

Also, you've never heard of a pocket watch, or a clock for that matter?

If you don't care about Tim Cook at D11, then why are you at an article titled "Tim Cook at D11: Apple to Open Up APIs in the Future, but No Chat Heads"?

Also, I didn't know saying that offering an opinion (when asked) on current wearable technology meant you were trying to be like Steve Jobs. If that were the case, there are surely a ton of people trying to be exactly like Steve, right?

As far as opinions, I have one, therefore I commented.

All I'm saying is that both ATD interviews are two of the most iconic interviews that anyone ever had with Steve Jobs (including the one where Bill Gates was next to him). Also, it was classic for Steve to say something like: "everything on the market is ****, people don't realize it, I am going to change the world". Tim doesn't have the "change the world" capability like Steve did is all I am saying. I may get proved wrong but I don't see it.

 

[Zaft]

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.

He also felt windows copied OSX yet itunes and safari were released for windows.

 

[dazed]

iCloud is mostly for Apple content anyway.

For me, photo stream is the biggie. I use this a lot with the wife and in laws for sharing pics of the kids easily. Would be nice if it was avail on android.

All the other iCloud services are easily replaceable and in most cases surpassed by other providers.

 

[rdlink]

So then don't use it.

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

Your statement is what's asinine. If you buy Apple products you absolutely DO pay Apple to make choices for you. You can decide not to do it if you want, but denying it doesn't change the facts.

Apple builds their business model around saying, "This is what WE think will give the user a more stable predictable and pleasing experience." If the user doesn't want that, they are free to go elsewhere.

But anyone who buys an Apple product needs to understand that they are giving up some control. I'm willing to do it, because it provides a more pleasant overall experience for me, and I don't need to hack my refrigerator just for the pure pleasure of knowing I can do it. I just want it to keep my food cold and work.

But if you don't want Apple to make certain decisions for you, don't buy Apple products. Keep in mind, however, that every software designer, hardware designer, integrator, etc. makes certain decisions for you. If they didn't nothing would ever get made. I just happen to like Apple's decisions overall better than anyone else.

 

[Risco]

If it means I can choose my default browser / email / music app then I am all in!

 

[jameslmoser]

He also felt windows copied OSX yet itunes and safari were released for windows.

Yes, but he never vowed to destroy Windows, and when Windows had +90% of the market, it would have just been stupid not to have.

 

[iGrip]

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

Compared to an el-cheapo $1 on contract phone, 4 inches is average.

But for a flagship, top of the line phone, 4 inches is very small.

 

[Casiotone]

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.

You said something to the effect that Apple is locking down the platform, then in the same paragraph said something about your dream of having an SNES-like controller and a Nintendo emulator on iOS.

Both things are already possible according to Apple guidelines (and already exist).

If you knew that Apple does not forbid official emulators and bluetooth controlers, why did you even mention that you wanted this after compaining about Apple restrictions? Don't you think it's a little misleading?

 

[rdlink]

Compared to an el-cheapo $1 on contract phone, 4 inches is average.

But for a flagship, top of the line phone, 4 inches is very small.

Not if I want a flagship phone without a huge screen. That's like telling me I can only have a top of the line vehicle if it's an Escalade...

 

[iGrip]

Not if I want a flagship phone without a huge screen. That's like telling me I can only have a top of the line vehicle if it's an Escalade...

The Escalade is a top of the line SUV. You can also get a 2-door RAV4. But that is far from what is being described.

But if you want a SmartCar sized vehicle, a subcompact, it will not be a top of the line vehicle. Nobody makes a miniature car in that category.

With phones it is different. The vast majority of the really great phones out there have full sized screens. But there are good phones with little screens too, like the various iPhones. I think that if Apple continues to insist on offering only phones with tiny screens, they will sell fewer total numbers than they did in the past, when the iPhone's screen was of an average size.

There might always be a market for good phones with tiny screens. But I doubt it will be a big market.

 

[wovel]

Tim Cook said:




Wow. That's pretty patronizing.

Customers always pay product developers to make choices on their behalf. He did not convey a sense of superiority. He merely stated a fact of product development.

----------

The Escalade is a top of the line SUV. You can also get a 2-door RAV4. But that is far from what is being described.

But if you want a SmartCar sized vehicle, a subcompact, it will not be a top of the line vehicle. Nobody makes a miniature car in that category.

With phones it is different. The vast majority of the really great phones out there have full sized screens. But there are good phones with little screens too, like the various iPhones. I think that if Apple continues to insist on offering only phones with tiny screens, they will sell fewer total numbers than they did in the past, when the iPhone's screen was of an average size.

There might always be a market for good phones with tiny screens. But I doubt it will be a big market.

What do you think the average screen size of a smart-phone is. Keep in mind we have to include every Android phone in the smartphone category. I am not sure what the exact number is, but it is considerably smaller than the iPhone 5....

 

[iGrip]

What do you think the average screen size of a smart-phone is. Keep in mind we have to include every Android phone in the smartphone category. I am not sure what the exact number is, but it is considerably smaller than the iPhone 5....

I thought that the topic was the size of high-end smartphone screens.

I agree that the iPhone's screen size is comparable to many el-cheapo entry-level phones. But the iPhone is supposed to be a high end product.

 

[840quadra]

I thought that the topic was the size of high-end smartphone screens.

I agree that the iPhone's screen size is comparable to many el-cheapo entry-level phones. But the iPhone is supposed to be a high end product.

Wasn't aware the quality or the "high ended-ness" of a portable device was depicted by the size of it's screen.

I am really hoping we don't have to start carrying around devices the size of a Chevrolet Suburban™ in 5 years, in order for them to be considered high end or modern.

Additionally, your previous car analogy is completely flawed. Manufacturers are now putting high end gadgets, materials, engines, suspension (etc) in much smaller cars than they did 10 years ago. It's almost to the point you pick the size of your car as if it was just an other box on an option list. (Though admidditly some of this is due to EU laws, however consumers are demanding features in small fuel efficent vehicles now as well)

All of that said,

I too wish Apple had more size / format options for the iPhone line. I think we can all agree that no size fits all, some like portable big screens, others like small, light and agile.

 

[D.T.]

Wasn't aware the quality or the "high ended-ness" of a portable device was depicted by the size of it's screen.

I am really hoping we don't have to start carrying around devices the size of a Chevrolet Suburban™ in 5 years, in order for them to be considered high end or modern.

Additionally, your previous car analogy is completely flawed. Manufacturers are now putting high end gadgets, materials, engines, suspension (etc) in much smaller cars than they did 10 years ago. It's almost to the point you pick the size of your car as if it was just an other box on an option list. (Though admidditly some of this is due to EU laws, however consumers are demanding features in small fuel efficent vehicles now as well)

All of that said,

I too wish Apple had more size / format options for the iPhone line. I think we can all agree that no size fits all, some like portable big screens, others like small, light and agile.

Agreed. I have a great phone, it's an iPhone 5 with a 4" display, and there are mediocre phones with displays larger than my iPhone.

There are also small, light weight, high performing sports cars like the Exige S that aren't cheap. All of Lotus' offerings are small ... some people like high performance cars/phones that aren't huge

 

[Menneisyys2]

Having an OS that requires over 2GB under normal usage is pretty damn sloppy.

Not necessarily. Think of Safari's memory usage with more than a few tabs open, particularly on Retina devices. (FYI: it's a memory hog. This is why it's closing background tabs / crashing so often on even 1GB Retina iPads.)

----------

You said something to the effect that Apple is locking down the platform, then in the same paragraph said something about your dream of having an SNES-like controller and a Nintendo emulator on iOS.

Both things are already possible according to Apple guidelines (and already exist).

If you knew that Apple does not forbid official emulators and bluetooth controlers, why did you even mention that you wanted this after compaining about Apple restrictions? Don't you think it's a little misleading?

They do forbid emulators where users can freely and easily (that is, without extensive hacking - I speak of direct, say, iTunes File Sharing one-click uploading) upload their games. Only emulators with a strict set of games are allowed to stay in the AppStore. (Hackable emulators include C64, Spectaculator and some others. These allow for running any games BUT you have to do some extensive hacking to upload games to them.)

This is why true, open emulators (ones that you can actually upload any games to - easily) only exist on other platforms, not on iOS.

 

[Renzatic]

Not necessarily. Think of Safari's memory usage with more than a few tabs open, particularly on Retina devices. (FYI: it's a memory hog. This is why it's closing background tabs / crashing so often on even 1GB Retina iPads.)

I stand semi-corrected. But...

How much ram does Safari eat up on retina displays exactly? If someone is using their fancy new rMBP mostly to look at webpages and hit up Facebook, 2GB should be more than enough to support that without any hiccups or page faults, provided they don't have 25+ tabs open at once.

 

[portishead]

You said something to the effect that Apple is locking down the platform, then in the same paragraph said something about your dream of having an SNES-like controller and a Nintendo emulator on iOS.

Those are 2 totally separate things.

Both things are already possible according to Apple guidelines (and already exist).

Nintendo has not released an emulator.

If you knew that Apple does not forbid official emulators and bluetooth controlers, why did you even mention that you wanted this after compaining about Apple restrictions? Don't you think it's a little misleading?

You're misleading. I stated Apple locks down iOS, which they do. I also stated that I'd like an SNES like controller (some controllers exist, but they are not great, and the games aren't written with this in mind. I'd also love a Nintendo emulator (official), which I realize would probably never happen. That's why I said "my dream would be...".

 

[mdelvecchio]

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

you misunderstand your place in the world. because you do pay every product designer youve ever purchased from to make decisions for you. home builders, electrical engineers, ergonomic experts, software designers, etc... you pay all of them to make decisions and build products for you that meet your expectations. when they (and their decisions) fail to meet your expectations, you dont do business.

simple as that.

 

[Menneisyys2]

I stand semi-corrected. But...

How much ram does Safari eat up on retina displays exactly? If someone is using their fancy new rMBP mostly to look at webpages and hit up Facebook, 2GB should be more than enough to support that without any hiccups or page faults, provided they don't have 25+ tabs open at once.

20-80 Mbytes / tab, depending on the length, complexity of the page. Basically, it's more than two times more than on non-Retina iPads and even more than on iPhones. (With iPhones, the same relation apply: a non-Retina iPhone requires far less memory to keep a Safari tab in memory.)

I'll post some more exact figures, along with some test pages I'll create, later, probably in a separate article here in the MR forums (most probably, the Programming one).

 

[mdelvecchio]

The vast majority of the really great phones out there have full sized screens.

define "full sized screen" for us. by what metric? because the way i see it, you just made that up, since is there is *no* metric that defines a "full" sized mobile screen. there are only different screen sizes.

if Apple continues to insist on offering only phones with tiny screens,

again, ive never found my iphone 5's screen to be "tiny". in fact, it's "bigger" than my 3.5" screen iphone, and much bigger than all my nokia feature phones. so to me it's large.

they will sell fewer total numbers than they did in the past, when the iPhone's screen was of an average size.

...you do realize the iphone is the single-largest selling handset in the world, right? so far the size doesnt seem to be marketing disadvantage at all. in fact, people like up to buy them send inventory into backorder. *every year*.

There might always be a market for good phones with tiny screens. But I doubt it will be a big market.

 

[Tech198]

- Good for finally opening up API's (What took em soo dam long to realise this) people wanna develop, not to be limited. Then again,, will this be the end of secure IOS as we know it.. ? However, ya, its probably a bad idea..... Let some API's out now, and this will be a growing trend.....

Suddenly, before you know it, IOS is now "open source" ... (that makes me shudder)

- But bad for chat heads ...

oh well.... 1 out of 2 ain't bad.

 

[chagla]

I hope they allow plug-and-play /USB storage mode. Not being able to use all the storage as-i-see-fit and convoluted way of putting files-inside-app* on ios are the reasons why I went Android. lets hope ios7 will change that.


*=assuming that app supports a specific type of file. you still can't put any file you wish.

 

[toaster64]

I swear no one ever bothers to read.

Two articles down (in reference to watches): "Tim Cook mentioned that he found wearables to be "incredibly interesting" and went on to say that it could be a "profound area."

Also, you've never heard of a pocket watch, or a clock for that matter?

He said "wearables", not "wearable watches", and he's referring to "wearable technology". And yes, I don't read every article that comes up.

 

[j26]

Excuse me, have you ever used an Android phone with the Facebook/Messenger app? Chatheads are there even if you don't want them to be there. They are part of the apps and I haven't founded any way to shut it off.

In the messenger App - Settings - Notifications - Chat Heads. Untick the box beside it.

 

[757015]

Having an OS that requires over 2GB under normal usage is pretty damn sloppy.

What? RAM is there to cache things and increase performance by having the things you are using, just used, or use frequently... stored so that it loads much more quickly.

The "Fusion Drive" is a very similar concept.

Vista and 10.5 (and newer) are both capable of managing your RAM with this modern mindset. Prior, the practice was to use as little as possible so that demanding programs wouldn't just barge in and crash your computer when it's trying to take more RAM than you have available.

This would never happen barring some nasty bug while using a modern PC OS.