Steve Jobs and Apple: Insane? Or Just Evil?

At this point we’ve all seen the unfortunately worded, revised iPhone Developer Program License Agreement banning Flash, Java, Mono (and really any non-Apple-tooled) apps:

3.3.1 Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs. Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited).

A lot of insightful things have been written about this and I agree with much of what is being said. Flash developers are in an uproar and rightfully so. Longtime Apple users are switching back to Windows and looking to Android for their next mobile device. Open source advocates are horrified at what this means for computing in general. A lot more will be said before this is all over.

There are two items I’d like to submit to the discussion based upon my own experiences and observations:

1) The majority of Apple supporters have traditionally been users of Adobe software. Almost everyone I know at Adobe uses a MacBook Pro and carries around an iPhone. Adobe employees have consistently stated that they’d like to work with Apple to address any concerns over Flash and their iProducts. Apples recent actions are an affront to their traditional user base. What reason would there be for a company to turn against its foundation user base? Insanity.

2) While Adobe, Google, Mozilla, and various members of the Open Screen Project work to make Flash, browsers, and plugin architectures more integrated, stable and open; Apple remains within its own closed little bubble, refusing to play with anyone that doesn’t buy into their cleverly contrived App Store and now iAds (really!) ecosystem.

While the rest of the Web moves forward and tries to work together to improve things for everyone, Apple stands in the way with a closed system, elitist mentality, and insane policies.

Or are Mr. Jobs and Apple simply evil?

7 thoughts on “Steve Jobs and Apple: Insane? Or Just Evil?”

  1. I’m incensed at this. I’m commenting on every blog, retweeting every tweet, etc. because I’ve gone from Apple fanboy to absolute hater instantly. I lierally put in an order to sell all my Apple stock tomorrow morning. I’m returning my iPad tomorrow as well, 10% restocking fee or no. I can’t support the Apple Gestapo any more, and will be much happier working with a different platform. I wish I could get my Apple Select developer membership money back as well as my iPhone developer membership. Thats about $600 I’m out plus the iPad restocking fee of about $50, but I’m willing to do it because of how bad I think this is for the technology industry. You’re dead to me, Apple.

  2. On the bright side….there is nothing Apple’s competitors could have done to drive a wedge between creative types and Apple that could come anywhere close to rivaling what Apple has just done to itself. Truely is insanity.

  3. I’m sure Apple has dug it’s own grave on this one and this terrible mistake will backfire on them immediately.

    They are killing off their loyal developer base, killing revenue, and most importantly killing trust in the platform. No more “halo effect” from these guys, I’m sure…

    The bright side is that the new terms of use should not fly with EU anti-competition commission, since it secretively forces you to buy new Apple’s hardware and software to continue developing on iPhone platform. It’s so outrageous it almost amounts to extortion.

  4. As far back as I can remember, Apple has always been arrogant and treated their developers like crap. I once presented at WWDC where they absolutely refused to give any of the presenters a conference bag with all the pre-release software inside. We didn’t qualify. When enough of us made a stink they finally relented. I really like the MacOS, but this change in the iPhone SDK is the last straw. Time to checkout Windows 7.

  5. Wow, that’s first time ever I’m really proud I’m not apple customer. My Windows 7 Toshiba laptop, Nokia n900 phone, Spotify service, Google accounts, Amazon bookstore works perfectly..all in half price of one stupid mac book pro. Apple who?

  6. The idea of a corporation isn’t bad until the company puts profit before humanity.

    Apple has become all about profit.

    Before the uproar about green living, they were one of the worst polluters in computer manufacturing. They went more green not cause it’s a great idea, but because it’s marketable.

    Now they are trying to make the internet a pay per use system. Trying to find a restaurant nearby? There’s a $3 charge for that.

    Jobs is evil. He even declined to offer even a smidgen of help to Dr. Albert Hoffman, when the good doctor hand wrote him a very kind plea for support at the tender age of 101. He didn’t even offer $30 – then he goes around saying that Dr. Hoffman’s work is one of the reasons he founded Apple. Dr. Hoffman has since passed away.

    What an iDouche.

  7. Apple is obviously just going for the mainstream user marke and no longer gives a shit about making great workstations for designers who use adobe. Windows is a fine option here and an order of half as expensive.

    The creative tools they push are their own, iMovie iPhoto, aperture And fcp. Its obvious why they don’t care about people using adobe products.

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