Thursday, January 11, 2007

Only Apple Apps on the iPhone?

Ed Hardy of Brighthand reports that Apple will not be allowing third party companies to produce apps for their new OSX-powered iPhone (provided Cisco's lawsuit doesn't prevent them from calling it that). Good thing I wasn't planning to get one. Sorry, but third-party apps are what make the Smartphone world go 'round. Where would we be today without developers like Astraware, Chapura, DataViz, Epocrates, Good Technology (Wow, I didn't know Motorola was buying them!), Phatware, Resco, Qusnetsoft, SoftMaker, WebIS and scads of others? Where would we be without those cool, free apps that many developers give out of the kindness of their hearts (and/or the desire to make names for themselves)?  I'll tell you where: nowhere I want to be.

Part of me gets Apple's stance. While I can well understand wanting to avoid the tech support hassles resulting from users' indiscriminate installation of flaky third-party products, I can't help but be on our, the consumers', side in this. For the record, my money will be spent on phones that let me install what I please.

 

 

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