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Some have recently have had quibbles with AT&T and Apple regarding their Iphone: ...A year and change later, Apple has exhibited a pattern of inscrutable tyranny in its numerous, poorly-explained rejections of programs (though in some cases, it's backed down after public embarrassment). Developers have had to guess what's allowed and what's not; witness, for instance, this attempt to piece together Apple's rules, based on what programs have been rejected in the past. This isn't just a matter of inconvenience or delay for iPhone developers. An App Store rejection amounts to a death sentence--one handed down only after months of work writing code that can't readily be used on another phone platform. Earlier this month, Apple made this situation even worse by not only rejecting one application--a program Google had written to connect to its Google Voice service--but also evicting such previously-approved, third-party Google Voice software as GV Mobile and Voice Central from the App Store. There's evidence suggesting that AT&T leaned on Apple to get those applications yanked, but it's Apple's name on the iPhone. Whoever's at fault, people are not amused. Longtime Mac developer Steven Frank wrote that he was "furious" with Apple and AT&T, calling the iPhone market "toxic." TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington wrote that he'd even pay a $175 early-termination fee to quit the iPhone. Telecom blogger Dave Zatz pronounced himself "about done with both Apple and AT&T if things continue like this." The Federal Communications Commission has taken notice as well; as my colleague Cecilia Kang wrote on Friday, it's asked Apple and AT&T to explain the Google Voice rejections..... [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/04/AR2009080401576.html] The whole "App Store" entity idea is no doubt a hassle for many developers, and seems to be a gamble, the fate of your software rests in the hands of Apple's pencil pushers(it's an expression). Perhaps there can be, if there isn't already, a database of free, open source apps, not overseen or moderated by Apple, in addition to the regular functioning app store. This would grant developers/hobbyists free reign.... AT&T and Apple need to step it up, or Palm's new Pre may quickly dominate. |
