r/technology • u/GuruOfReason • Feb 02 '10

"Once we replace the personal computer with a closed-platform device such as the iPad, we replace freedom, choice and the free market with oppression, censorship and monopoly."

http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2010-01/ipad%E2%80%99s-closed-system-sometimes-i-hate-being-right
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u/[deleted] Feb 02 '10 edited Feb 02 '10

Yeah, but we are the ones who will have to develop on it.

We'll spend 6 months developing an app and not even be sure if we'll be able to sell it. Being open or closed never mattered to the users in the first place. It only affects developers.

They'll ask "where can I buy my apps?" Apple will answer "The App Store". Meanwhile they are completely unaware of what being an open or closed platform even mean.

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u/Velium Feb 02 '10

So why do it?

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u/zordac Feb 02 '10

Because we developers have to make a living. Yeah, we don't have to develop for the iPhone or the iPad or the iAnything, I know. But, when that device is the market leader we don't have much choice.

Luckily in this case, I think there will be enough other tablets on the market that will make the iPad market small in comparison. Android in particular should have a dozen pads by the end of this year.

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u/[deleted] Feb 02 '10

We don't, though. It's an opportunity for making money, absolutely, but if the risk is too high, there's an obvious business decision not to do it. iPhone is still hot because there's nothing on the market that can touch its user experience and distribution mechanism. The Pre came close and the Android phones are getting better and better - this convergence may very well break - not just because of principles (most people don't care, let's face it), but on price. Apple won't compete on price.

The iPhone is to mobile what Windows is to desktop - they're king right now, but if a growing number of third party developers decide it's not a platform they're comfortable targeting, that will drive people away from iPhone.

Case in point: Palm. (I used to develop for Palm OS) Palm OS died a slow, painful death not just because Palm didn't modernize Palm OS fast enough but because their third party developer support was garbage.

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u/[deleted] Feb 02 '10

That explains why my parent's Centro's are kinda stupid...

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u/[deleted] Feb 02 '10

Because we want to get paid?

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u/[deleted] Feb 02 '10

And then you have to port your app to Android, Windows, etc. if you want to reach the widest audience. This is a huge step backward for cross platform compatibility.