Analysis - Responses to Steve Jobs rant

[HEXUS]

The Apple CEO?s open letter addressing the failings of Adobe Flash has prompted many responses. Here are just a few.

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[spoon_]

Microsoft response says it all really...

[kingpotnoodle]

Microsoft response says it all really...

I agree, surprisingly I thought it was the most sensible comment - he didn't even plug Silverlight...

This does smack of megalomania from Apple/Jobs - they want total control and to keep the iGadgets as something different, I think they want to prevent you being able to get the same app on all platforms... perhaps in the hope developers will just make 1 version (for what they hope will be the dominant platform)... the iVersion...

I think Apple run the risk of setting themselves out in the cold, and if/when cross platform development tools and App stores for other phone OSs mean that the cumulative market share and revenue potential of Android/MeeGo/RIM/Win7M/Symbian dwarfs Apple/iTunes then developers will soon lose interest in fruity shenanigans.

[cordas]

To me it just seems like Jobs wanting to have his cake and eat it, as it where. No Flash isn't ideal, yes it could have certain aspects improved.... but there is an easy way for a company like Apple to make those changes happen... get involved.

[finlay666]

he didn't even plug Silverlight...

It's not really needed to plug it now, it's the de-facto standard for WP7 for media applications IIRC along with XNA 4.0, so if the device does well the support and occurrence of use will rise

[crossy]

Interesting article - but I find it kind of cool that the "best" response was from a Hexus-er - directhex. To me at least, there was more sense in that response than the others, (although a Silverlight-plug-less Microsoft would also figure in my ratings). Nice one!

The point that DirectHex makes about this being the latest move by el Jobs wanting to restrict the available development platforms is very interesting to me - so apparently, now do you not only have to pass the iTMS "inquisition", but you're also limited in what you can use to develop your app, (specifically no cross-platform frameworks like Mono etc). It strikes me as a barely-covert way to get app developers to be Apple-only.

The problem with that - of course - is that app developers are a studdorn lot, and if you start making life difficult for them, then they'll go where the pickings are easier like - for example - Android. Certainly if I was a mobile platform developer then I'd be looking long and hard at whether iTMS was still worthwhile - luckily I'm not in that position (it's the "big iron" for me). Then if the numbers of "active" app developers drops then surely the Apple platform loses it's #1 advantage - the sheer number of apps available in iTMS?

Maybe Apple need to be reminded of that old cliché about "pride coming before a fall"?

[3dcandy]

If I was a high up exec of Adobe, I'd end further development of CS5 for OSX and shift to Linux. Keep the current version, offer discounts for people to swap across to other platforms and enjoy watching as the Mac dies as a development platform...

Mr. Jobs will have got his wish then, eh? I really do believe he wants to get rid of OSX and just do phones and iplods. My son has an iplod touch and it requires a recharge at least once a day and with the non removeable battery, chances are he'll need a new one before a year is up. I feel that is the best way to ensure people keep buying them...

He loves it, so do the rest of the kids of his age (11) and even they all laugh at how crap the battery life is. Non of them actually put music on them, they just download crap free apps and games, and to be fair to them, that's all they want to do. The older kids dismiss iplods as toys and buy "real" things. Those are their words not mine. Good sustaineable business you have there Apple.