Part of me is jealous every time I see someone showing off their sleek Apple notebook or iPhone. They’re so sexy, svelt, and powerful. I’m like a kid who sees that bright red, yellow, and green box of candy. The mouth waters but the eating isn’t as fun as quenching the desire. Now I know Apple theologians will think me an uninformed heretical nut job. They are in love with their MacBooks and iPhones and I’m a just an envious nerd. On the surface they are right. But the 80% rational part of my brain doesn’t want an Apple for one overriding reason: it is a walled garden. The price for beauty, svelt, and power is confinement and I’m just not that psyched to get in, no matter how cool that piece of hardware might make me in the eyes of others.
Perfect example is Wired’s report on applications cast out of iPhonedom embracing Android. It is true Android is playing catch up/me too with iPhone. Apple has the market lead. Apple’s phone is cooler, thinner, sexier. On top of that it has a great application development environment open for anyone who wants to play. But it is also true that it is Apple’s sandbox, not the developers. Just like their hardware, unless your application fits with their world domination plan you’re not allowed in the sandbox. Take your toys and leave please. Now I know Google has its own world domination plan. Call me naive but world domination by Google versus world domination by Apple seems like democracy versus communism, respectively. Both want to rule the world. One just fits what I, the lowly developer, want from that world more than the other. 1984 anyone?
Hey, great post. I think one of the things that makes Apple computers and devices work so well, is the “walled garden.” Apple only has to support one set of hardware, as opposed to dozens, as in the case of Windows. The integration of Apple hardware and software make tasks simple, and the the iPhone and iPods are well integrated and work as extensions of the OS. So controlling who’s allowed to come into the sandbox is a way to keep it clean and make sure everyone plays nicely together.
I doubt Android phones are going to be wide open and free of “evil.” Bear in mind that the banning will probably be done by someone else (a sort of “rendition” by Google). The hardware maker or the network will do their dirty work. Do you think there’s going to be porn on Android phones? What about online, offshore gambling apps? All these things are walled gardens it’s just the some have higher walls than others…every try to get an app on the deck at Verizon? I don’t think Android phones are even available to consumers yet (I could be wrong, but I haven’t heard anything on that) in which case we’re comparing apples and oranges (pun intended!). It wasn’t clear that Apple wasn’t going to allow apps like NetShare and Podcaster and I’m sure there will be things that will be banned from Android phones.
Of course I have no facts to support any of that rant, but why let that stop me!
really dug this posting and the comments even more!
agree with AC and think there’s nothing wrong with a controlled environment in this instance.
wait. Apple’s Orwellian??? brutal, ed.