Is Apple worse for open source software than Microsoft?

[murraybiscuit]

to be honest, why would apple care?
they're making money, and consumers aren't choosing other options, let alone venturing into open source.
apple would only change when consumers start leaving, and, at the moment, consumers seem quite happy with the arrangement.

 

[freematrix]

And they wonder why they have a tiny OS market share

Umm not. Microsoft owns the market so what is your comparison on this article? MS were the first anti-competitive company and anti-opensource (you forget in one article) have been found guilty of it.
Anyway I dont think Steve jobs is to concerned with the latest results and the billions of hard cash they have. Microsoft's inability with the Zune and their own Phone OS is also to be noted. Open source desktop has been a flop as far as I am concerned. I think they increased by 0.1% last year so I dont think MS and Apple are to worried.

NB Adobe flash is crap and a processor hungry app.

 

[w1z4rd]

Wow, if you dont write an article brown nosing Steve Jobs and having babies with him... the Apple fantatics go mad! LOL@ the comments in this thread. Steve Jobs and his choices seem to be more than God like to these people... he never does anything wrong according to the Macfantatics. The general response seems to be the same as you would get about commenting about human rights in China. Put up or shut up. Thank goodness I dont put up or shut up for Steve and by iPhone is jailbroken.

I concur with the general tone of the article. Apple is almost useless to FOSS. Theyre mostly just users.

, and more recently the company has sued TomTom for using Linux in its GPS devices.

Not sure how accurate that is. I thought TomTom got sued because they used the fat system?

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Umm not. Microsoft owns the market so what is your comparison on this article? MS were the first anti-competitive company and anti-opensource (you forget in one article) have been found guilty of it.
Anyway I dont think Steve jobs is to concerned with the latest results and the billions of hard cash they have. Microsoft's inability with the Zune and their own Phone OS is also to be noted. Open source desktop has been a flop as far as I am concerned. I think they increased by 0.1% last year so I dont think MS and Apple are to worried.

NB Adobe flash is crap and a processor hungry app.

Referring specifically to the desktop/laptop market (which is supposed to be their primary line of business btw). They fail in that, ventured into the music and cellphone market and succeeded a bit. Hip hip hooray. Let's all give Steve Jobs a blowjob for how awesome his company is, while comparing them to MS and Linux who they no longer even compete with.

 

[Joe Average]

Business is there for money, giving shyte to people for free makes no business sense.

So microsoft apple and whoever else we can think to blame are there to make money not help people create free stuff. I know it is hard to believe companies want to make money but that is life.

+1

 

[ndlovue6]

 

[Aragon]

Yup, ultimately it is not Apple or Microsoft, but the environment we mindlessly accept, support, and perpetuate. So long as monetary profit and competition remain the primary focuses of society, humans (and consequently companies) will continue to behave in a manner that only considers those first and foremost. How much can I make for myself? How much better can I be than everyone else?

Everything else is a secondary concern, if a concern at all.

 

[freematrix]

Let's all give Steve Jobs a blowjob for how awesome his company is, while comparing them to MS and Linux who they no longer even compete with.

I think Steve would say thanks for finally realising that they do not want to compete with Microsoft 1 on 1 (We all know Microsoft own that market) and he would say no thanks to the bj offer as he is not that way inclined.

 

[Koolskenker]

snip...
Apple's restrictive policies on the App store are in the interest of security, compatibility and ease of use...

For basic users(people who are not all that clued up on technology and how to use it) that's great, but as I see myself as an "advanced user" I would like to have the freedom to run any piece of software on a device I bought. If software that I run on a device makes it insecure, that's my fault and I'll tinker around untill I get it right.

So personally I see Apple's devices as ideal for anyone to is not that tech-savvy and needs to be guided to a certain extent. So as a personal stand against Apple I don't plan to ever by anything starting with an 'I.'

Ipod - Why would I want it, when I can use one device as a music player and cellphone?
Ipad - Again, why would I want to use it and what for?
Mac - Overpriced hardware when compared to simliar specced pc's. Can't custom built to your own specs. Limited amount of games run on it compared to Windows PCs. Limited amount of software available when compared to Windows.
Iphone - Overpriced for what it can actually do.

 

[bwana]

Is Apple worse for open source software than Microsoft? Who cares. All I want is reliable software running on reliable hardware and that's what Apple has been providing and as long as they continue to do so I'll continue buying their product.

Of course users could simply stop using Apple's products and developers could stop developing for the iPhone and iPad. That would send a strong message. The problem is that Apple is just one of many companies heading down the road in which they control the platform and in doing so they are curtailing freedom.

No, the problem is developers are making MONEY and they like it.

 

[Tpex]

I find this article very agreeable, which is why I don't see myself buying an apple product (aside from a mac) for a very long time

 

[eltherza]

Apple doesn't include Adobe Flash on the iPhone. I am so sick of hearing this, it's because Flash is a dog on ARM processors! What phone can run Flash currently? None! And I'm not talking about that Flash Lite crap.

You are right, flash on a cellphone is a stupid idea. But flash on the ipad isn't. The real reason flash isnt supported is because it can actually provide a platform to write web type apps OUTSIDE of apple store. Thats what's got everyone angry, no flash on iPad [no one cares about flash on the iphone]. Oh, and Nexus one and HTC desire and HTC legend can all run flash. Actually, any andriod 2.1 phone could.

150 000 Apps. 97.5% of all mobile app sales. Yeah it's been a huge failure with no innovation

Sales does not imply innovation.

Is Apple worse for open source software than Microsoft? Who cares. All I want is reliable software running on reliable hardware and that's what Apple has been providing and as long as they continue to do so I'll continue buying their product.

Yeah, give credit where it's due - Apple have always done justice with the hardware quality.

 

[ponder]

...and more recently the company has sued TomTom for using Linux in its GPS devices.

Incorrect, they were not sued for using Linux but for patent infringements relating to the FAT32 file system which Tom Tom used.

Pretty much agree with the rest of the article though, it's a slippery slope for consumers.

 

[w1z4rd]

Not sure how accurate that is. I thought TomTom got sued because they used the fat system?

Incorrect, they were not sued for using Linux but for patent infringements relating to the FAT32 file system which Tom Tom used.

Pretty much agree with the rest of the article though, it's a slippery slope for consumers.

Snap!

 

[icyrus]

This is really a pathetic article.

Apple didn't start webkit. It forked Khtml and the result was Webkit. Under Khtml's license it was forced to opensource webkit. The same happened with BSD but it's license doesn't require Apple to opensource any changes it made to BSD, so they didn't.

You have no idea what you are talking about so I would suggest keeping your ignorance to yourself.

Apple derived Webkit from KHTML.

They forked KHTML but took it from marginal use to the best rendering engine available.

Wow, if you dont write an article brown nosing Steve Jobs and having babies with him... the Apple fantatics go mad! LOL@ the comments in this thread. Steve Jobs and his choices seem to be more than God like to these people... he never does anything wrong according to the Macfantatics. The general response seems to be the same as you would get about commenting about human rights in China. Put up or shut up. Thank goodness I dont put up or shut up for Steve and by iPhone is jailbroken.

I concur with the general tone of the article. Apple is almost useless to FOSS. Theyre mostly just users.

Despite your shrill generalizations most people dislike this article because it is one-sided garbage.

You are right, flash on a cellphone is a stupid idea. But flash on the ipad isn't. The real reason flash isnt supported is because it can actually provide a platform to write web type apps OUTSIDE of apple store. Thats what's got everyone angry, no flash on iPad [no one cares about flash on the iphone]. Oh, and Nexus one and HTC desire and HTC legend can all run flash. Actually, any andriod 2.1 phone could.

There is no good reason for flash to be on any device, let alone the iPad. Everything that can be done in flash can be done in open standards compliant tech.

Funny how this crappy article doesn't mention the fact that Apple are pushing open standards adoption in that respect. Complete and utter trash.

 

[eltherza]

There is no good reason for flash to be on any device, let alone the iPad. Everything that can be done in flash can be done in open standards compliant tech.

Well, only recently with html5 but main reason ipad needs flash : www.towerdefence.net

Think of all the flash pages now that need to support the ipad? It'll cost the industry millions! Flash will die (eventually), but that's not going to happen overnight and those that use it now are getting skrewed by apple and thats what people are beginning to fear. Flash today, HTML5 tomorrow, http in the distant future?

 

[w1z4rd]

Despite your shrill generalizations most people dislike this article because it is one-sided garbage.

Sorry, its hard to understand what you are saying through your fanatical ravings. (See I can post just like you)

 

[icyrus]

Think of all the flash pages now that need to support the ipad? It'll cost the industry millions!

For what? To port crappy advertising and games?

Flash will die (eventually), but that's not going to happen overnight and those that use it now are getting skrewed by apple and thats what people are beginning to fear. Flash today, HTML5 tomorrow, http in the distant future?

How is Apple screwing anyone? They have made a choice for their mobile platform. People can choose to use it or not. They are not a monopoly, not even close.

 

[semaphore]

Well, only recently with html5 but main reason ipad needs flash : www.towerdefence.net

Think of all the flash pages now that need to support the ipad? It'll cost the industry millions! Flash will die (eventually), but that's not going to happen overnight and those that use it now are getting skrewed by apple and thats what people are beginning to fear. Flash today, HTML5 tomorrow, http in the distant future?

HTML5 and CSS 3...

 

[angotull]

Apple envy?