Edit: I wrote this two years ago apparently. I have no idea why anymore but I am keeping it here for the time being.
5/22/2012.
There was a time in my life that I thought the entire Apple Computer Company, Steve Jobs, The Woz, et al. were and would forever be on my eternal list of heroes. There was nothing that I could think of that they could do to change this. Yes, Apple has been on quite a roll recently with the introduction of the iPad and iPhone OS 4; however, a few questionable decisions may make my once solid list need a revision.
You see, my first computer was an Apple II GS. One particular model in a line of computers that launched my and countless others interest in computers. It may be a lesser known model but it was a beast. More importantly, it had the key components that made Apple so highly respected. Notably: design, durability, ease of use and a sense that you could let your imagination run wild and actually bring your dreams to fruition.
So what are these questionable decisions?
The most notable, from a developer standpoint, is the new iPhone/iPad Developer Program License Agreement. A mouthful to say the least. There is a new clause (3.3.1) which demands that all applications are "originally written" in specific programming languages. While this may not seem to affect anyone except developers, it has far reaching consequences.
Applications can take ages to complete and the length of time only increases with complexity. To reduce this length of time and to focus more on the key components, developers can choose to use code written by someone else. If this code is not written in one of the above languages the developer will now be out of luck.
Apple claims all of this is simply to ensure quality. I can surely understand their desire to satisfy their customer base with top notch products but when you restrict the developers to programming inside a box you stifle creativity. Furthermore, a few applications that Apple has praised itself have been written with said middleware. It makes me wonder if they have thought this through fully.
The main example of now restricted code that comes to mind is Flash. Flash is everywhere. Everywhere except the iPhone and iPad it seems. Sadly, it is evident that it is going to stay that way. While there was once a way around it there is no longer a chance.
It all comes down to this, the App Store is one of the biggest sources of income for the company and with the iPad's release, the App Store only becomes even more important. Programmers are geeks. Geeks like to tinker. Giving geeks guidelines restricting how they can tinker makes them find a new toy. With 'Apps' disappearing already and new ones being pulled before release, will customers start to notice and turn to another platform?
Maybe this is why Apple is suing HTC. It's no secret to people that know me that I have a T-Mobile G1, a Google Android based phone and competitor to the Apple's iPhone. Google places no restrictions on their developers, even holding yearly "Summers of Code" offering prizes up to a quarter of a million dollars. They are suing for patent infringement in hundreds of cases, most highly questionable.
To top it off, most of the patent infringement allegations aren't even HTC's fault. Apple should be aiming at Google. Something tells me they know that this is a fight they could not win; HTC is a much smaller company.
These are just two of the major decisions that I see as Apple failing to think through. If you go to Digg.com and search for Apple, it would seem that Apple has been a rather sour roll recently. This is not what I expected from the company that told us to "Think Different."
So what is it? I am not perfect. Am I biased and Apple is just playing ball or is Apple going down the wrong path?
