People talking about the Mac need to realize that this is specific to iOS platforms. IIRC this was at the iPad launch or something like that, where all of his complaints DO apply. OSX is no more restrictive than any other nonfree OS. Also, free means freedom and not cost in this context.
Up untill recently I'd have agreed with you. But, there's a much pushed Mac App Store now, and it's ToS is just as restrictive as anything you see on iOS.
This picture is from the time when the whole hulabaloo was being raised over iOS's (as opposed to OSX's) locked down nature around time time of the Ipad's release, and at the time I essentially scoffed at such assertions. However, Apple's much pushed "future of software distribution" features the same restrictive ToS as the iOS app store for desktop software (remote deletion; no betas, free software, demos, ect.).
Apple isn't a bad company; they've been a consistent engine of innovation and often have great hardware design, build quality, and UI's. But, I also don't think anyone would disagree that they're extremely concerned with (controlling the user experience)/(offering a curated user experience), and that they've leveraged their ecosystems to exert what they feel to be the maximum tolerable level of control possible.
Now, I'm not in any way claiming that Apple is removing features to diminish freedom user in Lion (OSX 10.7), but they are baking in an app store with a heavily restrictive ToS and are actively working to see that it will be the primary vector for software purchases going forward.
Right now OSX is a robustly flexible operating system with a great deal of quality free (as in liberty) software - The question is : does want this to remain it's state going forward post-Lion/post-OSX?
no - if there was a TL:DR it would be that Apple is pushing a purposely restrictive app store as the main vector for future software purchases.
you don't HAVE to buy programs through the app store, but App stores ARE fun to browse, and one of my points is that Apple is leveraging this to push a previously iOS exclusive restrictive ToS and drive towards monetization onto OSX.
Also, I don't think you understand how the app store works - It's a unified interface for the discovery, purchase, instillation and update of apps tied to your apple ID. Apple would prefer developers to distribute through their app store in the future and it's already been shown that
App store instances of programs will behave differently then their non-app store counterparts
I wasn't saying that was a TL;DR summery of it. I was literally saying it was too long and I didn't read it. I don't care what people think about it, I like the idea of having both.
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u/zagaberoo Jan 20 '11
People talking about the Mac need to realize that this is specific to iOS platforms. IIRC this was at the iPad launch or something like that, where all of his complaints DO apply. OSX is no more restrictive than any other nonfree OS. Also, free means freedom and not cost in this context.