Saturday, August 8, 2009

Apple, their products and their restrictions

Published by ST on 8/08/2009 04:46:00 PM
This week, I passed by lots of things. I got a cold and in that condition my new workmates and I were attending to a kind of training about some methods in order to improve software development. Well, the point is that I couldn't miss the instructor seemed to be a totally Apple Inc.'s fan. Yes. Firstly, a Macbook, then an iPhone, finally, a Steve Jobs picture in one of the slides of his PowerPoint presentation... Believe it!
Well, leaving aside all that evident fanatism, lets remember some news across this week... Yes, Apple was important in the news this week, but I have 3 of them in mind.

First of all, lets remember a date. August 6th, 1997 is commemorated as the day Microsoft helped Apple t o be saved, maybe from a totally sure bankruptcy. That day, a surrended version of Steve Jobs on an Apple convention announced to the world that Apple and Micro$oft where making a alliance. With this, Microsoft undertook to develop their Office Suite "Microsoft Office" for both, Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh. Also Apple agreed to include Microsoft Internet Explorer as the default browser on Mac OS. The opinions were divided, as you can listen to boos and claps from the audience.



It seems Jobs had to forgot that Microsoft stole from them what Apple stole from Xerox, so Apple agreed also to forget everything about patents and similar. Better you watch the video, you can also watch Bill Gated appearance and Steve Jobs boring speech about "we have the 100% market..." etc etc...

This week and specially today I read more about Apple. It was about theire well-known iPhone (by the way, I have to say I would never buy this phone)... First of all, the potencially dangerous and explosive (it's not a joke) iPhone, and how Apple is working in order to silence people who were a victim or a witness of these facts.

These explosions were caused by Lithium components inside Apple products batteries. Although there where studies in Japan that alerted about that all, it seems that Apple deciced to run their own risk, or maybe they let that to their costumers.

Finally, I red about the infamous "Apple App Store"... Yes, that restriction Apple gives to all iPhone and iPod related products. I cannot imagine how people can accept that condition. Then you can only install in your iPod/iPhone the software Apple wants you to have, and you cannot do anything against it... well, not in a "regular" way...

A razonable solution appeared soon called "jailbreaking" which permited to install unsigned software in your i"Whatever", also sites with that kind of software appeared soon. Well, the article I read was about iPhone developers that was "escaping" from Apple Apps Store and where publishing their applications throw these unsigned application websites... Good solution...

Now, I'll put here all news... please, think before buying Apple stuff and don't trash your freedom.

Sources:
  • http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/cydia-app-store/
  • http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article6736587.ece
  • http://pildorasdehistoria.blogspot.com/2009/07/microsoft-compro-apple.html




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