My god, this is getting out of control. It seems like every Apple announcement provides an oppurtunity for self professed pundits to extrapolate how Apple action X equates to something bad Y. Usually this revolves around Apple’s crippling of the device for whatever reason. In the iPhone’s case, they are controlling third-party applications to ensure consistency and security. Oh, and it uses FairPlay (as do the iPods, etc).
Here is something being missed: this device is not out for six months and few people have actually used it in person in its current form. In fact, I could theoretically host a dinner party for those people in my townhouse.
So lets examine the hand-wringing points:
Closed OS: Yes, its closed. Surprised? Why should you be? Apple’s reputation currently is about security, consistency, and “it just works.” Any talented 13 year old could write an OSX app with minimal fuss. Any person can download said application and install it. If its malicious, it dies among the noise of the platform, being that the OSX platforms install base ensures that any such problematic software would be eliminated by virtue of chaotic choice.
If any talented kid could write an iPhone app, would malicious code, stupidity in programming, etc be as carefully controlled? I wager not. I also wager that the cause of the close-out of the OS is not necessarily totally necessary save for the stupidity of US cell phone networks. If the cell phone was missing as a means of IP communication from the device, I think that the system would be open for third party development. Just my opinion.
Could you imagine for a second the press if malware got onto the iPhone and spread? Think about it: fingers would point in so many directions it would look like a meeting at work. It’d be amazingly cluster-fuck worthy. AMAZING.
Anyhow, don’t for a second think that this won’t be hacked. And when it does, the barrier to entry for use of hacked third party apps will mitigate the potential for disaster. It always works this way. Its why the ringtone market exists still even though any moerately talented computer guy knows how to side-load a song onto their phone.
Cingular Only: It required extensions to the GSM network for its “innovative” features (which really, I have them on my IP based phone at work…), so no T-Mobile. That is just business. Sucks, but its true. It sucks that we can’t have unilateral access to the Internet from mobile devices.
But… its not innovative at all! Then why are people talking so much? If there was one phone that did everything the iPhone does (even in its current beta state), then why hasn’t anyone seen it?
Not enterprise class: Yahoo didn’t invent anything new to do push-email people. Expect reverse engineering and quick patches to appear pretty much instantaneously. You know how Seven’s push solution works? SMS is sent to trigger the phone into syncing…..
But… the keyboard! Won’t anyone think about the keyboard! My 13 year old cousin can type 60 wpm on a cell phone, I think we’ll manage.
Apple sued a blogger! Yes, and Cisco didn’t defend their trademark. These things go hand in hand. If I’m not mistaken, Digg C&D’ed anyone that uses their trademark too. They just apologize after. Its the way trademark law works folks.
It uses FairPlay: Here’s a solution: buy a CD, rip it, sync it. Or just wait a few months as I think the DRM situation will be changing fairly quickly.
The hand wringing is out of control. Lets put things in perspective for a minute please.
Apple made a big show out of a beta product which will be released in June. It has some amazing features and the customary Apple feeling of “tightness” in terms of integration, design, capabilities, technology and paradigm shifts in expectations from comparable devices. They also have released TWO major trojan-horses into the market place in terms of spreading their tentacles of integration into different facets of people’s lives. Apple is about integration, and they get that tight integration through equally tight control over communication between the constituent parts of their system.
You do not HAVE to use Apple products, just as you don’t have to use Microsoft. I use Apple and like it, and I’ll be getting two iPhone’s on release for the same reasons I have two powerbooks, a Mac Book Pro, two Airports, a Mac Pro and an iMac.
All those wishing for Apple to be Microsoft or Linux are completely missing the point, but it does make for good Digg bait, now doesn’t it?
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Agreed. This is getting exceedingly tedious - Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria.
Yet another example of techmeme-itis, I think.
Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 9:14 am ¶Thank you Ethan. I’ve been looking for a twelve-step program to help me end my iPhone obsession. I’m yo-yoing pro-, anti-, must buy, can’t buy…. I’m about to run screaming from the room.
Maybe you’re my first step on the path to sobriety.
Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 1:13 pm ¶Amen. I couldn’t agree more. I am to the point where I shudder when I see the word iPhone in my RSS feeds now.
Hopefully this will all calm down before the release in June, where another incredibly rabid round of love and hate will surely dominate the tech aggregators.
Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 1:24 pm ¶Aw, c’mon Ethan — lighten up. What would the blogosphere be without something to pile onto and let the self-professed experts (including me) opine about? I for one am having a grand old time.
Besides, it prompted a great rant from you, and there’s definitely some value in that
Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 2:13 pm ¶The “iPhone malware” argument really doesn’t hold much water. Most cell phones already allow third-party applications. If it’s a problem at all, it’s a problem now.
But ehh, we’ll see. A lot could change in six months.
Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 2:24 pm ¶Sure, nokia, windows and blackberry allow 3rd party apps, but would any of them pass the “apple test”? Maybe gmaps and berry411.
Don’t confuse malware with apple-malware. Apple malware is an app with a shitty color scheme, and I am only partially kidding.
Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 2:29 pm ¶Well said! These idiots with a computer and an agenda are getting ridiculous! Thanks for putting things in perspective and calming the rabid, insane fools out there.
Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 3:09 pm ¶Personally I think a lot of people are criticising something they haven’t used, or indeed know very much at all about. It’s like people who criticise the Mac having never used one. It’s like people who criticise Vista having never used it. (Not that they’re wrong, it’s still Windows, sadly.)
It’d be nice if they could get at least midlet support on there, but I don’t know how well that’d cope without the usual phone interface.
I’m guessing Visual Voicemail is IP based, just like the IP phone.
Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 3:17 pm ¶Well said. A couple things to me stood out to me:
1) People love to pretend they are willing and ready to buy something, “if only it had…x or y..as it stands, I’m not buying it” When you realize of course, they will latch onto any convenient excuse as to why they aren’t going to buy something they really have no intention of buying.
2) Bloggers have found that in order to get attention/hits, you can’t just say “Looks interesting/not that interesting”, you have to flail around and make predictions of glory or doom. Best example to date? Robert Scoble (a blogger I actually used to enjoy reading when he was with Microsoft) on the two Apple products announced. Apple TV, because its 720p only..”REALLY REALLY REALLY SUCKS, and IS DEAD ON ARRIVAL” and the iPhone, “if Microsoft had shipped this you’d be deriding it as the worst cell phone ever shipped!!!” Oh, and “NETFLIX IS DEAD” too, according to Scoble, did you know? ;P
3. You knew this would be the reaction-remember the comments about the first iPod, not just from Slashdot etc. but from many of the “Apple faithful” as well? http://37signals.com/svn/archives2/original_ipod_announcement_thread_at_macrumors.php
Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 6:54 pm ¶“just wait a few months as I think the DRM situation will be changing fairly quickly”
… Elaborate on that?
Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 9:06 pm ¶Ethan, I think you’re clutching at straws and making yourself look a bit silly in the process. The iPhone stands out as a brilliant product, with amazing industrial design and a unique interface ( just like the iPod).
However under close analysis there are some downsides for some groups of people (just like the iPod).
It’s only right that the blogosphere digs these out. By bringing out spurious arguments against these valid analyses, you seem to be clutching at straws. The anti-iPhone-hype is not a witch hunt.
http://www.gadgetophile.com/iphone-anti-anti-hype/
Posted 14 Jan 2007 at 10:23 pm ¶3G, anyone? Not?
Posted 15 Jan 2007 at 2:16 am ¶Ok, welcome to 1999!
Article is bob on. It appears that all the Apple-denigrators waited for the unprecedented euphoria to die down, and are now cutting up rough to vent their hatred of success. and Apple in particular.
I owned Microsoft-based products for ten years before seeing a viable alternative to the unholy mess that Windows ecosystem had become. And moved to Apple. Clean, easy, elegant, no bloody endless hassle with blue screens, crashes, spyware etc etc.
Posted 15 Jan 2007 at 5:15 am ¶“and I’ll be getting two iPhone’s on release for the same reasons I have two powerbooks, a Mac Book Pro, two Airports, a Mac Pro and an iMac.”
The reason being: you have a lot of money to throw around?
I’m happy with my iBook G4, but those MacBook Pros sure do look nice. And expensive. My student budget cringes.
Posted 15 Jan 2007 at 9:04 am ¶What a knucklehead you are! First, the iPhone is crap. Second, I cannot believe what an inflated ego you have! Do you really think anyone gives a rat\’s ass? Quit trying to earn \”geek cred\” and do something useful!
Posted 17 Jan 2007 at 7:55 am ¶did you really just call me a knucklehead? Gosh darn it!
I think I have enough Geek Cred as it is btw.
my ego is inflated… like a fox.
Posted 17 Jan 2007 at 7:57 am ¶How many of the people making noise about the iPhone are taking the perspective of regular non tech savy people like my sister, mother or uncle.
I think Apple is looking at these people just like they did with the iPod .. take the concept and make it easy to use and cool to have. ( perception may vary )
Just my two cents…
Posted 21 Jan 2007 at 4:43 pm ¶Post a Comment