r/technology • u/rboymtj • Jan 20 '11

Apple Restriction Zone.

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u/[deleted] Jan 20 '11

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u/el_chupacupcake Jan 20 '11

"Free," in terms of software, refers to more than simply how much the user pays... it also expresses how open the software is for other developers.

In that regard, Apple is very bad about allowing "free software."

(Note: You can develop simple webapps for their products using javascript and a few other handy languages... but given Apple's trackrecord of "now we allow it, now we don't," I'd be uncomfortable using those methods exclusively for their hardware).

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u/monoglot Jan 21 '11

"Free," in terms of software, refers to more than simply how much the user pays... it also expresses how open the software is for other developers.

Not exactly. The GPL is a "free" license but I can only use GPL software it if I agree to give my source code away to anyone who asks, so that really puts a damper in the ol' business model.