Comments on: Don’t Touch Steve’s iPhone Dock! The Reason Apps Get Rejected?

By: John B. Kendrick

John B. Kendrick — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:43:32 +0000

I think there is a point in assuming that Apple holds some things sacrosanct and too competitive, however, I believe there may be something said for Apple wanting to maintain the reliability of the phone as well.

I wrote about this in a blog post at http://johnkendrick.wordpress.com/2008/08/06/was-steve-jobs-right-with-iphone-10/

By: Alice

Alice — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:34:33 +0000

It's very simple. I can't believe so many 'smart' guys are pretending not to understand it:

Apple can do what it wants. Did you REALLY foolishly think Apple would let you write software that replaces "Phone, Mail, Safari, and iPod"???
Users don't want to have to choose between 3 different phones, 5 different mail-clients, 7 different browsers, and 5 differ ipod apps.

Duh.

Why not just say we DISAGREE with Apple... instead of saying "duh, we don't understand the NDA or why Apple is doing this horrible thing".

It's really very simple and very clear.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 01:54:11 +0000

@Ryan,

I do not begin to say I understand Apple's decisions on the App Store. But most of the the apps I mentioned have been available for a long time in the App Store. Not like NetShare which went poof. I was one of the lucky ones that bought NetShare when it was available and it still works fine. I only use it sparingly however.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:54:22 +0000

Stephen, thanks so much for pointing those apps out that violate this rule. Now don’t be surprised if they go poof next week.

By: scott

scott — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:49:26 +0000

Interesting article. While reading this article I can’t help to remember in the 80s and 90s Apple made everything a pain for game makers. I remember playing some awesome games when the first Mac came out. Then while looking for any game there was just no selection of games for the Mac or even Apples themselves. I would have figured they would app friendly after those fiasco times.

By: Stan Shire

Stan Shire — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:53:36 +0000

Nice thought, but if true, Steve would have “locked” the dock apps. Don’t tell him but I’ve moved Safari and replaced it with iCal.

By: Dalekkiller

Dalekkiller — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:24:28 +0000

As Stephen says, there are apps that shouldn’t be available if this rule applied. Maybe they just don’t want apps that would compete too well with their native apps. Then again, there doesn’t seem to be any logic with Apple. Some apps that do very little get through and then some are rejected for “limited functionality”. Anyone think Apple are using a Magic 8 Ball to decide what gets through?

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:01:52 +0000

If this was true explain Fring a new VoIP app or Pandora, Simplify Media, Last.fm, vSnax, AOL Radio, Tuner, Flycast and Stitcher all compete with the iPod? Flycast competes with the iPod and Safari.