Dear Steve Jobs: Don’t punish legitimate iPhone developers
Posted by riactant on September 27, 2007
A Letter to Steve Jobs
Dear Steve:
The word today from the blogosphere is that iPhone firmware update 1.1.1 not only re-locks iPhones unlocked from the AT&T network, but also prevents access to any third-party apps installed on the iPhone, such as installer.app and other community apps installed by installer.app.
For those of us trying to develop legitimate businesses and services for the iPhone and iPod Touch, this action by Apple turns us into casualties of war. While it can be argued that you, as a result of your committments to AT&T, must actively counter the efforts of hackers and developers who have released apps that unlock iPhones from the AT&T network, there is no argument for punishing legitimate developers from producing useful, in-demand services and applications for the iPhone by preventing the installation of third-party applications. If Microsoft prevented the installation of applications on Windows they would be subject to public rage in a matter of seconds and most likely a cadre of lawsuits; why has Apple taken this blanket offensive approach against developers who simply want to let consumers take full advantage of the “revolutionary Internet device” they carry in their hands? If Apple’s concern is that such apps might pose danger to the AT&T network, then create a protected mode for iPhone’s OS like was done with DOS years ago. Additionally, there should be no reason to prevent third-party apps on the iPod Touch since there is no connection to AT&T’s network.
iPhone developers are, indeed, some of your most vocal evangelists. If these tactics continue to impact legitimate development our current enthusiasm will quickly evaporate and cause us to devote our time and money to developing for other mobile platforms (Windows Mobile, Symbian, etc.).
I urge you and Apple to reconsider your tactics against the iPhone unlocking effort and choose a course that doesn’t penalize legitimate development.
Sincerely,
Mike Brophy
CEO, Riactant Development
Seattle, WA
[Update 09.27.2007 14:08 PDT]
Gizmodo puts it perfectly in a post from today: http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/iphone/iphone-re+reviewed-verdict-dont-buy-302075.php
September 28, 2007 at 9:23 am
Give them time. It’s Apple’s first device and I don’t blame them for wanting to hold it tightly while they develop apps to take full advantage of the device (and work out the kinks without having third-party apps damage the device’s brand as shiny and stable). If you want to build a business around a new device, I suggest the Blackberry 8320, which has Wi-Fi. Comparing the iPhone to Windows is irrelevant… compare it to their computers, which we all know took a while before they were open to third-party development.
September 28, 2007 at 9:27 am
Come on Steve, have some pity! We’re trying to make Apple money!
September 28, 2007 at 7:56 pm
I’ve held off on doing the upgrade because I will miss that silly “butterfly” game Erica Sadin wrote for iPhone. I don’t want to kill off poor Butterfly!
You know, nobody would care a whit about this if iPhone wasn’t such a fantastic device. I almost feel sorry for Steve and his control freak nature. i feel really lousy about being in this crazy war with Steve when I love iPhone so much.
But I will really miss some of the third party stuff. Didn’t someone at Apple say company policy on third party software was that it was allowed but not encouraged, and they would not take steps specifically to kill it.
I wonder why that policy changed or whether it really did.
D
October 6, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Isn’t this protective attitude what killed the Beta machines and let the VHS dominate the market?
December 6, 2007 at 11:08 am
I think it did. He need to just let the consumers do their thing.