I'm not well versed on antitrust, but I don't see how apple is allowed to operate.
Obviously apple makes iOS which has a very large market share in phones/tablets. Recently (well iOS 4.3) they introduced a feature in the SDK to allow companies to make apps that WONT run if the device is jailbroken.
Now, US courts have found that jail breaking is infact legal. However, apple has basically told every streaming service that if they want their apps on the app store they MUST prevent them from running on jailbroken devices.
Apple charges a commission on every app sale, and requires a $99 upfront developer account fee. How can that be legal? They make it so that most jail breakers get less of a service, and make it difficult for new developers (using cydia repos for distribution) to make it. They are also certain to make money by actively trying to reduce the user base of other distribution systems (cydia).
They are also crushing the cydia app store by doing this. How can this be legal? They are using their monopolistic position on the market to corner consumers and force them into their distribution system, following their rules and preventing legitimate customers from receiving the full experience of apps.
Sometimes apple, you can be a real lime.
Also, I'm fairly sure that if Microsoft implemented a feature in windows that made it so you could only run Internet explorer, people would start marching in the streets...
I myself work at Apple (not in the corporate offices) and 90% of what you are saying is completely invalid. The developer fee is for all the tools and ability to publish to the App store. Imagine if the app store was filled to the brim with worthless copy apps from untrusted sources. I wouldn't feel safe on the App store then. Secondly, don't forget Android also has a fee. It's a bit more reasonable but don't think that Apple is the only ones doing this. In my opinion, the jailbreak block is legal. Apple isn't the one blocking out the applications to jailbroken devices. There a many side companies that do this as a service and you can easily block it out with a tweak in the Cydia store (xCon I believe). Everyone has their own reasons to hate Apple but most of them are totally irrelevant. Apple may be overpriced but that extra money goes to the hundreds of thousands of possibilities with their products and services. OSX and Windows 7 aren't even comparable. Your last point at the end with Internet Explorer was completely irrelevant. If you don't like Apple then go back to your PC's and Android cell phones. One customer of Apple's millions isn't going to hurt them. Can you argue that most people you see nowadays have iPhone's?
The big tech wars are always an exciting thing to watch, but I agree, it starts getting nasty when policies and legalities begin entering the scene. (In reference to the 'patent' battles)
I'm interested to know the legal side of this as well.
Edit: Just read WebOutfit's reply. Thank you for clearing that up! I agree that Apple does tend to be 'villainized' left and right, which is why I'm always interested to know the different sides to a story.
(2012-02-23, 12:03 AM)VeerWeb Wrote: [ -> ]The big tech wars are always an exciting thing to watch, but I agree, it starts getting nasty when policies and legalities begin entering the scene. (In reference to the 'patent' battles)
I'm interested to know the legal side of this as well.
Are you referring to the Apple vs Samsung patent lawsuits? Apple is just trying to protect their intellectual property. If Apple has a patent then they have the right to protect it. Sure, they're blowing millions on these lawsuits but do you think a multi-billion dollar company as large as Apple is cares for that? They just want to protect themselves.
(2012-02-23, 12:01 AM)WebOutfit Wrote: [ -> ]I myself work at Apple (not in the corporate offices) and 90% of what you are saying is completely invalid. The developer fee is for all the tools and ability to publish to the App store. Imagine if the app store was filled to the brim with worthless copy apps from untrusted sources. I wouldn't feel safe on the App store then. Secondly, don't forget Android also has a fee. It's a bit more reasonable but don't think that Apple is the only ones doing this. In my opinion, the jailbreak block is legal. Apple isn't the one blocking out the applications to jailbroken devices. There a many side companies that do this as a service and you can easily block it out with a tweak in the Cydia store (xCon I believe). Everyone has their own reasons to hate Apple but most of them are totally irrelevant. Apple may be overpriced but that extra money goes to the hundreds of thousands of possibilities with their products and services. OSX and Windows 7 aren't even comparable. Your last point at the end with Internet Explorer was completely irrelevant. If you don't like Apple then go back to your PC's and Android cell phones. One customer of Apple's millions isn't going to hurt them. Can you argue that most people you see nowadays have iPhone's?
No, but apple are the ones doing this. They are trying to crush cydia by preventing jailbreaks. If they were fair they would say, " hey, we'll fix these security issues, but not spend ages trying to prevent jailbreaks from running".
As for the third party bit. Lovefilm have said the reason they won't support jailbroken devices is because apple has signed an agreement with them, in order for them to have their "player" app on the app store.
(2012-02-23, 12:06 AM)Tom K. Wrote: [ -> ] (2012-02-23, 12:01 AM)WebOutfit Wrote: [ -> ]I myself work at Apple (not in the corporate offices) and 90% of what you are saying is completely invalid. The developer fee is for all the tools and ability to publish to the App store. Imagine if the app store was filled to the brim with worthless copy apps from untrusted sources. I wouldn't feel safe on the App store then. Secondly, don't forget Android also has a fee. It's a bit more reasonable but don't think that Apple is the only ones doing this. In my opinion, the jailbreak block is legal. Apple isn't the one blocking out the applications to jailbroken devices. There a many side companies that do this as a service and you can easily block it out with a tweak in the Cydia store (xCon I believe). Everyone has their own reasons to hate Apple but most of them are totally irrelevant. Apple may be overpriced but that extra money goes to the hundreds of thousands of possibilities with their products and services. OSX and Windows 7 aren't even comparable. Your last point at the end with Internet Explorer was completely irrelevant. If you don't like Apple then go back to your PC's and Android cell phones. One customer of Apple's millions isn't going to hurt them. Can you argue that most people you see nowadays have iPhone's?
No, but apple are the ones doing this. They are trying to crush cydia by preventing jailbreaks. If they were fair they would say, " hey, we'll fix these security issues, but not spend ages trying to prevent jailbreaks from running".
As for the third party bit. Lovefilm have said the reason they won't support jailbroken devices is because apple has signed an agreement with them, in order for them to have their "player" app on the app store.
But here we are again talking through some company with a streaming app. I'd like to hear Apple's side of the story first. Apple cannot prevent the jailbreak and they never will. They don't spend ages to try and prevent them the jailbreak team is slightly corrupt. Two former jailbreaker's now work at Apple and their are some that share information with Apple from time to time. The jailbreak is not about piracy nor about being mad at apple. The jailbreak was simply created just to give the user more power. The jailbreak allows the end user to do what they want to do with their iDevice and not what Apple wants.
(2012-02-23, 12:06 AM)WebOutfit Wrote: [ -> ] (2012-02-23, 12:03 AM)VeerWeb Wrote: [ -> ]The big tech wars are always an exciting thing to watch, but I agree, it starts getting nasty when policies and legalities begin entering the scene. (In reference to the 'patent' battles)
I'm interested to know the legal side of this as well.
Are you referring to the Apple vs Samsung patent lawsuits? Apple is just trying to protect their intellectual property. If Apple has a patent then they have the right to protect it. Sure, they're blowing millions on these lawsuits but do you think a multi-billion dollar company as large as Apple is cares for that? They just want to protect themselves.
Actually I didn't mean anything by it, just saying that the legal side of things always tend to shake things up for both user and company. I understand that the whole patent thing is blown way out of proportion against Apple, specifically the recent Motorola cases (they're trying to sue using 'FRAND' patents).
Also your point on pricing was far less relevant than mine on an antitrust case very similar to this. Ie: Microsoft vs Netscape.
Similar principle, Microsoft made it nigh on impossible for Netscape to survive, by making its products ship with Internet explorer (ie: the app store in this case) and preventing users from using another browser ( cydia in this case) by implementing strategies and features that made it harder for users to switch and use the alternate browser (Jailbreak detection API?)
(2012-02-23, 12:11 AM)Tom K. Wrote: [ -> ]Also your point on pricing was far less relevant than mine on an antitrust case very similar to this. Ie: Microsoft vs Netscape.
Similar principle, Microsoft made it nigh on impossible for Netscape to survive, by making its products ship with Internet explorer (ie: the app store in this case) and preventing users from using another browser ( cydia in this case) by implementing strategies and features that made it harder for users to switch and use the alternate browser (Jailbreak detection API?)
Wasn't Microsoft rumored to have 'blown up' Netscape offices...?
(2012-02-23, 12:12 AM)WebOutfit Wrote: [ -> ] (2012-02-23, 12:11 AM)Tom K. Wrote: [ -> ]Also your point on pricing was far less relevant than mine on an antitrust case very similar to this. Ie: Microsoft vs Netscape.
Similar principle, Microsoft made it nigh on impossible for Netscape to survive, by making its products ship with Internet explorer (ie: the app store in this case) and preventing users from using another browser ( cydia in this case) by implementing strategies and features that made it harder for users to switch and use the alternate browser (Jailbreak detection API?)
Wasn't Microsoft rumored to have 'blown up' Netscape offices...?
>rumoured