We've all heard about Apple not accepting apps because they're too similar to something they have or might introduce, but this is going to far. OSNews reports to my Google Reader that they have blocked Opera Mobile for the iPhone. They obviously don't care what people think of them. Or maybe they just realise that the only people who are going to care are in minority, just a bunch of geeks who rant about random stuff on the internet. But that's still no excuse. It's blatant anti-competitive behaviour.
Opera is much more functional than Safari, and renders most pages much better, and i guess that's exactly why they won't allow it. If they do, no one will use Safari anymore. So the solution, develop a better app, never! This seems to be the Apple way. Make everything really pretty and as unusable as possible. Leave out features, because you don't have a choice. Well my take is this, if i paid that much money for an iPhone ( which i haven't thankfully ), then i deserve to choose my browser. It's the same as network locking. By locking you down to a specific software set or a specific telecom network, they are practising anti-competitive behavior, and the authorities really should take action. But of course in the current climate, it seems that they are more likely to protect companies like Apple from consumers, than protect consumers from the big companies. If Apple weren't practicing anti-competitive behaviours like this, they wouldn't be in a huge legal battle with PsyStar.
Maybe one day the people will revolt and the authorities will stop protecting companies like Apple and Microsoft from angry customers. Sadly with the mentality of the masses, i don't see it happening any time soon.... just google "Celebrity iPhone"
UPDATE: Seems that Opera never did submit it to Apple, because they of the licensing issues ( probably
I haven't heard of this. Thanks for bringing it up:)
ReplyDeleteThis is obvious anti-competitive behavior. There is no problem with Apps "being too similar"? I think Apple is just another Microsoft in sheep's clothing, however I might be wrong. Isn't the idea behind software to be able to use what you want? Who's to say that Safari is better or that you should, by default, use it instead of Opera? Don't you get the choice? If you don't get a choice or variety, why use Mac?
This is why I use Linux. Your not forced to use a certain software. You get to choose between what suits YOU. You have the freedom to do so and that freedom means a lot.
I can understand a business move, something that is done somewhat in the interest of the company. However, when it's so selfish and inconsiderate I am automatically turned off. That company becomes a threat to freedom and the people.
The people should always come first. The company who puts the individual first, and not the majority are the companies that the people will follow.
Imagine the stink if Microsoft wouldn't let people install the upcoming mobile version of Firefox on Windows Mobile because it duplicated the functionality of Internet Explorer - there'd be uproar! Yet this is exactly what Apple are doing with the iPhone. It's arrogant in the extreme.
ReplyDeleteI read The Future of the Internet And How To Stop It earlier this year, and it was an interesting read. It actually singled out the iPhone as the first of a new generation of locked-down Internet appliances that take away the generativity of PCs and deprive end users of the ability to be in control of what their machine does. It's a sobering read, and probably worthwhile for anyone who's thinking about getting an iPhone.