Apple’s Stance on iPhone and Apple TV Development
MacRumors today reports on a story at Gearlog, quoting Apple’s VP of marketing Greg Joswiak, in which he outlines Apple’s stance on iPhone development:
Apple takes a neutral stance - they’re not going to stop anyone from writing apps, and they’re not going to maliciously design software updates to break the native apps, but they’re not going to care if their software updates accidentally break the native apps either.
This to me echoes the reports that Apple was unconcerned about third-party Apple TV developers — that they would not be specifically doing anything to hamper that process, but that no support was offered and people who manage to brick their ATVs have only themselves to blame. The Gearlog story was in fact updated to clarify this with regards to the iPhone.
A second update to the Gearlog story mentions that Apple now says that “software updates will most likely break” native iPhone applications in the future. I take that to mean much the same as the Apple TV 1.1 update, which changed the APIs somewhat, but not extensively. So, after a software update your third-party apps may not function, but their developers will probably be able to create new versions without any real difficulty.
September 15th, 2007 |
I believe that Apple will support iPhone Developers at some time due to the rapid advances made by you and others. The momentum is just to high to slow down…
I wrote a White Paper several years ago (1999-2000) on Digital Libraries, it is interesting to note that the iPhone matched the functionality of our visionary effort…
WHEN a iPhone can be used as a “Portable Digital Library” which is obviously happening at the present time, our concepts will become reality.
“Imagine the Internet as your Bookshelf” then provide a means for the iPhone to connect via WiFi and Bluetooth to various devices in your home and even the kitchen, able to act as a REMOTE to those devices, and output via WiFi to HDTV, Printers… Input from Scanners, WebPages, and Streaming Videos… The iPhone will evolve, and increase in storage and performance over time, this you can count on.
Add DOCUMENTS, use CoverFlow for Selection of a DOC, output to HDTV, Printers, etc.
The iPhone as a Portable Digital Library does not have to store a file, only stream forward it to a device in the room.
Add iRED and iTRANS capability for IR and RF control of various Home Theater AV equipment, and you have a AiHome using the iPhone as your COMMUNICATOR, like in StarTrek…
The future evolution of the iPhone and the Developper Apps forthcoming, will change the way we work and interact… a quantum leap forward in fact.
Continue your great effort, there is a pony inside of the iPhone… keep digging.