Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: The not-so-Evil Empire

Russell Brown

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 09:35:51 +1200

Not evil, just a bit sad Apple opts out of green certification. This would be just like the rest, but an important point gets made over the legitamacy of Apple in education. Something I have questioned for several years now.

That's a real bummer. Apple has actually been doing really…

81stcolumn

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 03:22:38 +1200

http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2012/07/06/apple-removes-green-electronics-certification-from-products/ from @mikeloukides

Joe Wylie

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 22:04:36 +1200

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUa3np4CKC4

Sacha

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 21:08:31 +1200

You don't really own your copy of the app, rather you have a non-transferable license to use it in the form that was provided to you. It's a fundamentally different transaction, and I'm not sure whether folk always understand the restrictions that come along with it.

I'd say you're right.…

Martin Roberts

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 20:14:41 +1200

Can you buy each app with a separate login, then onsell a login as proxy for an app? And if so, would Apple authorise an app to automate the process?

JonathanM

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 17:58:18 +1200

The only difference I see is that there is only one retail store for iOS apps. If all the retailers sell out of PS 5.5 and Adobe aren't producing new copies then are you not in exactly the same position?
Correct – the fact that you can still purchase PS…

Tony Siu

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 03:54:06 +1200

So what's the actual problem here – credit card mismanagement or something else?

SteveH

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 00:30:10 +1200

In your example, you suggested that Photoshop 5.5 from Adobe would no longer be expected to be able to be purchased. A quick google shows that you can in fact purchase this still.
Note I said "from Adobe". And I think you'll find a lot of those links are "CS…

JonathanM

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 22:47:19 +1200

Yes – apologies for the confusion – the third point was an hypothesis and may not be something that Brian has observed, and may not even be possible.

Agreed regarding your point on the availability of older versions of software, though I think it highlights an interesting issue. In your…

SteveH

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 20:58:29 +1200

The third problem would be if you’re no longer able to install apps that you could have before the iOS update was available now that you’ve not agreed to the updated T&C’s for iTunes. In this case, you really have lost ability of the iPad – the ability to install apps…

SteveH

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 20:33:37 +1200

However, if the original terms included one that said that you would have to accept any new terms from time to time or else your devices wouldn’t work optimally then you couldn’t really argue with that. Does anyone know if there is a term to that effect?
All of Apple's…

Russell Brown

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 20:19:46 +1200

There’s a number of related issues here which are clouding things slightly.

You're right. Thanks for outlining them.

JonathanM

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 19:39:59 +1200

There's a number of related issues here which are clouding things slightly.

The first issue is that of whether an update of T&C's is appropriate within 5 months of purchase. The reason for the updated T&C's are because of newly added features in the updated operating system, so I'm not sure how…

Russell Brown

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 18:39:09 +1200

Brian, I appreciate you coming here. Thanks.

But are you saying this began with a billing dispute? That might make things a bit different.

Brian Fairchild

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 18:32:41 +1200

I have no problem paying for something I have purchased. Apple insisted that I had purchased something when I knew I hadn't, either on purpose or mistakenly. Because I asked them, three or four times, to identify what it was I purchased, when I purchased it and what it was,…

Russell Brown

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 18:12:48 +1200

In what way is that not true of the computer industry? There is plenty of 3rd-party iPhone servicing, for example.

And I have a choice of vendors for RAM, storage, monitors, optical drives, peripherals etc, on my iMac. Even the notorious Apple tax on cables and adapters is easing a…

Peter Graham

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 18:05:39 +1200

We should really have similar rules for the computer industry.
In what way is that not true of the computer industry? There is plenty of 3rd-party iPhone servicing, for example.

Rich of Observationz

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 17:05:17 +1200

One of the things with cars is that it's been established over the years that manufacturers can't legally lock you in to support (read parts and service). For instance, in most countries, it's legal to make an aftermarket car part that fits the original, notwithstanding patents and copyrights, or to…

Russell Brown

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:57:29 +1200

By the way, I suspect with the cooling off period he may have been thinking of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (phew). Statutorily mandated cooling-off period.

I think that's what I was thinking of too.

Tamara

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:45:34 +1200

I agree, in this particular case I don't see why the specific term in question was such a problem for him.

By the way, I suspect with the cooling off period he may have been thinking of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (phew). Statutorily mandated cooling-off period.

Russell Brown

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:26:19 +1200

I also see some of the problem. I agree that it’s a raw deal if you have to keep accepting new T & Cs that may be unreasonable just so you can keep using the expensive device you bought.

I can see that's an issue: if service conditions change in a…

Tamara

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 15:04:41 +1200

To be fair to Brian, he is saying he can't use updated apps, eg the NZHerald one that he could use previously. Streets that he used to use are now blocked to him?

Bart Janssen

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 15:02:38 +1200

the car should not stop working if I decline the offer

But the car does not stop working. It just can't go to the new streets.

Really, as Brian says, the iPAD still works it just can't use the new apps.

Tamara

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 14:46:41 +1200

I also see some of the problem. I agree that it's a raw deal if you have to keep accepting new T & Cs that may be unreasonable just so you can keep using the expensive device you bought. It's changing the nature of the bargain. However, if the original terms…

FletcherB

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 14:36:30 +1200

Bart, If I buy one of these sat-navs with free car attached.... and a sat-nav upgrade comes out (new streets added to the map, or similar)..... whether the upgrade is free or cost $5000...... the car should not stop working if I decline the offer...

Bart Janssen

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 14:28:18 +1200

”..imagine if the manufacturer of your car disabled it unless you agreed for them to track you with the satnav?”

I think I understand Brian's problem now. And also the problem of the commenter. They both are under the impression that the price they paid for the hardware is the…

merc

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 14:26:46 +1200

That's been my experience as well since using Macs since '86.

Steve Ballantyne

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 14:13:16 +1200

I'm a fairly heavy user of iOS – my iPhone currently holds 297 apps (of which six are games), 680 photos, five videos and 428 songs – and my iPad is similarly loaded. So if Apple was about to abuse anyone's credit card it would probably be mine.

So far…

Juha Saarinen

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 14:11:36 +1200

I get that you have the right to refuse the T&Cs, I'm just a bit puzzled as to why you would.

That's not so hard to understand, surely? If the Ts and Cs change to the point of being unacceptable to you, then is it fair that your purchase(s) are essentially…

Brian Fairchild

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 13:11:23 +1200

The apps installed on my iPad currently show that there are 11 updates wanting to be installed. I cannot install them without accepting iTunes new terms and conditions. Similarly there is an updated operating system that addresses bugs, Safari, Photos and other items that I cannot access without accepting the…

Ian Dalziel

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 13:08:28 +1200

Have you never felt aggrieved by the action of some entity that appears to be taking your custom for granted?
In Chch that would be EQC, Fletchers and insurance companies in spades!

Russell Brown

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:42:18 +1200

Have you never felt aggrieved by the action of some entity that appears to be taking your custom for granted?

Of course. And it was Chris, not you, who characterised Apple's actions as "evil".

But the condition you object to is that they will debit your card to the sum…

chris

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:32:30 +1200

Have you never felt aggrieved by the action of some entity that appears to be taking your custom for granted?

Certainly. I'm sorry to trouble you Brian, could you provide a more detailed description of what Chris Barton was describing when he wrote:

"when the operating system had an update,…

Brian Fairchild

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:28:29 +1200

I'm not trying to convince you or anyone else for that matter, that they are evil or malicious, but I do have trouble with their ambivalence to what my 'moral compass' says is a fair and reasonable expectation. I think the question has been asked and readers will make their…

Russell Brown

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:17:39 +1200

Computers make mistakes! That’s a new one! So who placed order number M3NVN9HTXV?

Oh lord, I don't know. But it hardly seems malicious, given that they were offering to refund the purchase.

Brian Fairchild

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:12:17 +1200

Yes it applies to the 'cheapie' fares.

Computers make mistakes! That's a new one! So who placed order number M3NVN9HTXV?

chris

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:05:47 +1200

I'm not so partial to the term evil but I believe there is something in this:

when the operating system had an update, it stopped working all together

Russell Brown

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 11:57:44 +1200

An online service that will let you use the ‘cooling-off’ rule is Air New Zealand.

That’s because you haven’t used the service though. And does that apply to the cheapie fares?

When I first sought assistance from Apple with regard to the functionality of my iPad I was accused by…

Brian Fairchild

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 11:52:18 +1200

An online service that will let you use the ‘cooling-off’ rule is Air New Zealand. But again, this isn’t the point in my view. Similarly, If I have made a purchase I would expect to pay for it. When I first sought assistance from Apple with regard to the functionality…

Russell Brown

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 11:09:37 +1200

The idea of anyone being able to ‘help them selves’ from my credit card because I clicked ‘agree’ doesn’t seem like a ‘natural’ justice to me.

Thanks for coming here and engaging, Brian.

But they're not "helping themselves" in my view — they're charging your card to the sum of…

Brian Fairchild

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 10:57:26 +1200

A lot of what is being said is a bit above me I'm afraid. I know a bit about computers but I'm not a 'techy'. I guess there's always going to be two camps on the Apple subject. I'm not an Apple 'hater' and I really was looking forward to…

Rich of Observationz

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 10:42:47 +1200

I do think Apple are missing a trick commercially:

If they had a scheme where you could sign up for a gold ID and give them full access to your credit card – you would then be couriered the fully loaded, top of the range model of all products on…

chris

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 04:52:52 +1200

Since reading of Brian Fairchild’s dilemma – unable to shake this number.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyhU2mVyFAk.

Simon Grigg

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 02:44:11 +1200

I think the onus is on the purchaser to ensure that they are comfortable with the T&C before they buy the thing. It's not like they can't find out in advance.

I had a guy in MBK (the huge phone mall for those unfamiliar with Bangkok) tell me that he was…

Joe Wylie

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 22:38:11 +1200

I suspect they have long since recovered any costs, made a voluminous profit and are in the black until Cs25 – and mostly the pricing now is simply that they can get away with it.t
That's pretty much borne out by the pricing of Photoshop Elements. If you don't need…

SteveH

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 20:44:12 +1200

The iPad is entirely useless when first purchased (or at least mine was) without iTunes. So immediately to even use the device I have to install that software and accept any terms it requires.
The original iPad stated on the back of the box that it required iTunes 9.1 or…

Simon Grigg

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 19:52:39 +1200

And other news, Apple loses to HTC in the we-invented-it-first courts.

Islander

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 19:10:11 +1200

In other sort-of-evil-empire builders news -Gina Rinehart has sold down most of her stake, to remain with 15%...

Simon Grigg

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:23:26 +1200

though for what is one of the most well-made and successful digital tools ever?

Sure.

However the full suite is close to NZ$4k and incremental upgrades (you can now only upgrade from the last version – that's a pricey change this year) are over a grand each.

Much of what…

JonathanM

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:11:53 +1200

It's worth pointing out that the increased malware on Android is primarily due to the ability for users to use marketplaces other than the Google Play store to obtain apps. With more freedom comes more potential for things to screw up if the user chooses to play outside the box.…

Sacha

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 16:02:04 +1200

the price Adobe charges for it is simply outrageous

though for what is one of the most well-made and successful digital tools ever?

Simon Grigg

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:54:47 +1200

I've become a tad meh about Pshop's added features.

Given that most of the suite is mostly CS2 tweaked over and over, the price Adobe charges for it is simply outrageous. Still, as long as people pay.....

Joe Wylie

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:08:38 +1200

the magical Content Aware.
As you might have sensed, I've become a tad meh about Pshop's added features. That one just might be worth a look, thanks for the heads up.

Simon Grigg

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:02:41 +1200

Apart from the addition of layers and multiple levels of undo, Photoshop, like most flagship desktop apps, hasn't changed essentially in the 22 years that it's dominated its market.

What it has added in CS5 and vastly improved on in CS6 is the magical Content Aware. How it works I…

Sacha

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:51:42 +1200

The 12 year old still hasn't forgiven me for paying for a Bruno Mars Piano Tribute

heh. seems fair

Lilith __

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 11:29:46 +1200

Acoustic Vases

Ian, thank you for that. Do you think some of them go to 11?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuzpsO4ErOQ

Ian Dalziel

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 11:05:41 +1200

They were compiling a datavase ...
While I realise this is merely the result of a deflected downward digital thrust, the concept resonated with a pet interest of mine – Acoustic Vases – the secrets of which are almost lost in the 21st century (Masons aside...) The Greeks and Romans…

Rich of Observationz

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 11:04:01 +1200

the fact that he can't just write new device drivers on a Mac

That's not my issue, really,

My problem is Apple's prominence in gradually turning programming and distributing software into a privileged activity.

They could step back from this – for instance, they could enable iOS devices to run…

mike.riversdale

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:52:30 +1200

"(It’s a contrast to Android, since Google wants better advertising, which necessitates weaker privacy – and some people are happy to make this trade)."
citation required!

Each and every Android app before installing (or if they change permission requirements) tells me what they required – I choose if I want…

Russell Brown

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:43:39 +1200

As for tracking who you’ve called, I believe this is simply untrue.

Fair enough. I felt bad because I'd mocked the whole idea and then saw some evidence that it might not be a completely misguided belief.

Joe Wylie

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:40:24 +1200

Mac / PC...
Dangerous extremists,
who seemingly can't abide the middle,
but can't survive without it...

...bring on the singularity!
Mac / PC, bah humbug, they'll have to pry my singularity from my cold dead hands.

Russell Brown

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:39:12 +1200

Do we really need to turn someone’s personal choice of telephone / laptop / tablet / television / toaster into a dividing line between “ordinary folks” and the rest? Please.

I was responding to Rich's complaints — and my point was just that the fact that he can't just write…

Ian Dalziel

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:17:06 +1200

The Two Marketeers...
Do we really need to turn someone’s personal choice of telephone / laptop / tablet / television / toaster into a dividing line between “ordinary folks” and the rest? Please.
It's the American Way©,
they need a duopoly:
Good / Evil;
Rich / Poor;
McDonald's / Burger…

Tony Meyer

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:04:19 +1200

I'm pretty sure that Russell is wrong about being wrong about Angry Birds (the update turns a great piece into a not very good one).

Rovio's FAQ is easily found and it clearly explains the requirement for location data: Crysal (the social gaming network; widely used before Game Centre) needs…

Joe Wylie

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:00:35 +1200

The one thing that stands out with Photoshop is the instantness of everything. I use PS on both a PC (CS5) and a Mac (CS6) and the waiting time on the MS box just kills me – so mostly I don't.
Photoshop 7 on a legacy 1 GHZ Win XP…

Kumara Republic

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 09:49:37 +1200

If there was only one genuine complaint about Apple products, it’s the requirement to use proprietary components, which I’m not sure is still in effect. Where I work, we actually installed generic DDR3 laptop memory in a MacBook 2010 model, and it didn’t like it so we had to order…

Bart Janssen

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 09:49:36 +1200

Do we really need to turn someone’s personal choice of telephone / laptop / tablet / television / toaster into a dividing line between “ordinary folks” and the rest? Please.

For as long as I’ve used computers (27 years) there has always been a vocal group that trashed Apple. They…

Bart Janssen

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 09:41:13 +1200

I need every part of my screen plus some.

Oh YES! I learned early on that being able to use the entire dining room floor and part of the lounge helped enormously while writing my thesis. The same principle applies to screens. The more space you have to spread things…

Zach Bagnall

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 09:15:53 +1200

Guess everyone’s really stupid. Or maybe they’re just really good devices.

I fully accept that Macs don’t meet your particular needs. But they work really well for ordinary folks.FYI this attitude is exactly why a lot of people are turned off Apple products.

Do we really need to turn someone's…

Simon Grigg

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 02:44:13 +1200

Even after all these years I suspect that the design community's apparent Mac bias is a legacy thing from that brief heyday when Adobe was a Mac-only developer.

The one thing that stands out with Photoshop is the instantness of everything. I use PS on both a PC (CS5) and…

Joe Wylie

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 23:52:37 +1200

Every graphic artist I work with and pretty much every product designer I know uses Macs. I'd much rather use Photoshop and Dreamweaver on this MacBook Pro (with an added screen) than the PC box upstairs running Win 7
While I can't speak for Dreamweaver, I'd seriously question whether the…

kiwicmc

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 23:12:40 +1200

Here's another couple – in app purchases being enabled by default – that's evil. Dodgy iTunes song titles and artists with similar names to popular tween crap pop songs fooling dumb dads with superior musical taste... The 12 year old still hasn't forgiven me for paying for a Bruno Mars…

Harry Musgrave

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 21:52:04 +1200

My gripe with apple? That I had to install iTunes on my home PC in order to load music onto my daughter's iPod. Every other music player I have acquired over the years has happily accepted files from the original music management software I set up when I first moved…

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 21:24:39 +1200

Russell, I was talking about non-Apple devices, like HP, Dell and ASUS. Like I said upthread, I personally run a MacBook Pro for the reasons stated.

Ah. Gotcha now. I was surprised by the crack about design :-)

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 21:23:12 +1200

A couple of comments: Firstly those password nags from Apple should be taken notice of.

I possibly didn't phrase that very clearly. It wouldn't accept my old (pretty lame) password but didn't make it clear why. It was quite sensible to force everyone to fix their passwords, but it took…

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 21:19:19 +1200

Even allowing for exchange rate differences, that’s a helluva difference, and it can’t even be attributed to the better quality of OSX or Apple hardware.

Or to Apple. That's the local rights-holder making a killing. $34 for an iTunes version of a collection of old TV themes is absurd.

Rich of Observationz

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 20:48:06 +1200

Well, 2008 MacBooks had 2G of RAM and 250G max of disk, which would be a bit poor today.

10 years ago, the Powerbook G4 packed 512M of RAM and a 60M hard disk.

I have a 2003 unbranded PC under my desk, but it's had everything swapped except the…

kiwicmc

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 20:39:52 +1200

I base this on my 4 year old MBP, I've upgraded the memory from 4 to 8GB after a couple of years, and recently the hard disk to a 512GB SSD. Both these upgrades (non- Apple h/w incidentally) have meant that I can still use it for my fairly heavy…

Kiwiiano

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 20:05:24 +1200

Retina MBP a throwaway after 4 years? Judging by the MacBooks still going strong in their ex-factory state, I would expect the RMBP to see 2020 out easily, unless we see HUGE strides in the OS that renders them 'under-achievers'.

On the other hand, I've seen several 3-4 year old…

Kiwiiano

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 19:56:06 +1200

I just struck an example of Apple's Evil Empire, I went to iTunes music looking for the Andy Griffith Show theme and struck pay dirt! "American Originals" which includes not only the TV theme but several other fondly recollected tracks from the distant past. But Holy Hell ..... NZ$34 for…

Simon Grigg

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 19:55:00 +1200

One thing Apple have disappointed me with is the non-upgradeable (or repairable) Retina Pro Mac book, essentially this beautiful piece of kit is a throw away after 4 years...

And the demise of the 17". I need every part of my screen plus some.

kiwicmc

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 19:14:37 +1200

A couple of comments: Firstly those password nags from Apple should be taken notice of. My iTunes account was drained of funds recently, having been protected by a not entirely stupid password, but not the best either. Apple did refund the money after a bit of whinging from me. What…

Peter Graham

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 18:44:57 +1200

And don't insist on taking a cut on everything that I do – sell your hardware for enough that you make a profit and be done with it
Apple claim to make very little money from the app store.

Assuming you don't mind your laptop being slow, having the design…

Rich of Observationz

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 18:36:19 +1200

Russell, I was talking about non-Apple devices, like HP, Dell and ASUS. Like I said upthread, I personally run a MacBook Pro for the reasons stated.

Bart Janssen

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 18:18:45 +1200

Not in the way Apple is

Some data to support this claim would be nice

From my experience, limited, all technology companies patent heavily and when awarded patents defend them vigorously. That is the nature of the business. To accuse one company in particular is unreasonable.

Simon Grigg

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 17:34:42 +1200

Must be SEA. No idea why.

Edit: maybe somebody in NZ said something mean about Lee Kwan Yu or the Thai king????

My blog was blocked by an algorithm here last year for a day or two.

Chris Waugh

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 17:29:46 +1200

PS: Much of NZ (nobody else) seems to be offline to Asia at the moment – I’m getting this via a proxy.

No problems in northeast Asia.

Simon Grigg

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 17:26:49 +1200

I fully accept that Macs don’t meet your particular needs. But they work really well for ordinary folks.

And loads of folks who do kinda professional things with them. Every graphic artist I work with and pretty much every product designer I know uses Macs. I'd much rather use Photoshop…

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 17:14:33 +1200

Assuming you don’t mind your laptop being slow, having the design values of a Christchurch 19-year-old’s Subaru, more stickers than my record box and spooling the fan up to 737 levels every time you give it any work to do, then yes, there are competitors.

Yep, there are tons of…

Morgan Nichol

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:36:08 +1200

I've heard that. I've never had any desire to jailbreak, but maybe it's time to do it now.

Gareth Ward

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:33:54 +1200

I just wish I could set the newly released Chrome for iOS as default browser on my iPad.

Apparently there's a jailbreak way to do this...

Morgan Nichol

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:24:30 +1200

switching to Chrome as my default browser has considerably improved matters

I just wish I could set the newly released Chrome for iOS as default browser on my iPad. Safari is such a piece of shit by comparison. Chrome everywhere is great, device sync works brilliantly well.

Rich of Observationz

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:16:58 +1200

There are plenty of competitors so I don't see this being a problem

Assuming you don't mind your laptop being slow, having the design values of a Christchurch 19-year-old's Subaru, more stickers than my record box and spooling the fan up to 737 levels every time you give it any…

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:10:17 +1200

The answer to that is more complicated than simply being a comparison between the technical restrictions of the two OSs. There’s a human element in getting an apps into the Apple store that both reduces the possibility of malware ending up on an iPhone *and* makes getting an app to…

Kumara Republic

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:08:46 +1200

Meanwhile, Telco Commissioner Ross Patterson has not had his contract renewed, most likely because he had SKY(NET) in the regulatory crosshairs.

Peter Graham

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 16:04:49 +1200

You’re right, but access to the address book isn’t the same thing as malware.
I think an app copying my contacts without my knowledge is malware. Similiarly, I don't want an OS to send location information to its creator without at least telling me first.

computer programming will have become…

Andre Alessi

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:52:39 +1200

So why haven’t we seen hundreds of thousands of iOS users infected with malware, the way Android users have been?

The answer to that is more complicated than simply being a comparison between the technical restrictions of the two OSs. There's a human element in getting an apps into the…

Paul Campbell

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:39:23 +1200

yeah – that's it for me too – I used to be an Apple fan boy – designed hardware and software for them – not any more – I don't want Steve Job's ghost looking over my shoulder telling me what I can't do. And don't insist on taking a…

Rich of Observationz

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:30:37 +1200

Anyways, my real problem with Apple isn't the risk of malware from games, or the fact both I and my employer will need a bloody expensive retina display sidescreen when I upgrade my mac. It isn't even the fact I have to carry a DisplayPort adapter around with me.

It's…

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:07:36 +1200

It is written in the app description.

That was my recollection. I didn't find it misleading or confusing in the slightest.

Tony Siu

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 14:42:24 +1200

In the Herald, the Brian might got confused with the in-app purchase for a Newsstand app compared to a stand-alone app. Newsstand app are all tied subscription in which publication gave away trial membership or offered limited content until the user enters a monthly/weekly/day-pass subscription. It is written in the…

Gareth Ward

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 14:35:35 +1200

That Apple invented the smartphone and gave us the design concept seems to have been handily absorbed into 21st Century mythology but the truth may be a little more complex.

Yes quite true, as per: http://i.imgur.com/vJpcW.png
The iPad/Galaxy Tab design case was quite interesting for this; the Judge included in…

HORansome

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 14:27:48 +1200

Russell, you're not telling the full story (or you failed to read the subtext); when I said this wasn't an example of a conspiracy I also said I was delivering that comment on a new MacBook Pro (the screen really is lovely; I normally use a dual monitor setup but…

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 14:26:56 +1200

Also, I believe iOS allows any app access to your address book without requiring any privileges. I think that’s most likely a genuine mistake, and it’s going to be fixed in the next iOS, but the idea that iOS protects you from malicious apps in a way that Android doesn’t…

Simon Grigg

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 14:15:36 +1200

Or you could conclude that HTC/Android (whole thing seems to be a proxy war against Google) ripped off the design work Apple did in both hardware and software.

I remember standing in an IT mall in Malaysia about a year before the iPhone arrived looking at new HTCs on offer…

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 14:15:15 +1200

the idea that iOS protects you from malicious apps in a way that Android doesn’t is simply false.

So why haven’t we seen hundreds of thousands of iOS users infected with malware, the way Android users have been?

As you say, iTunes can't absolutely guarantee the behaviour of any app,…

Lyndon Hood

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 14:14:03 +1200

Speaking of not asking about Facebook, has everyone checked the emails in their address book? http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2012/07/03/facebooks-email-system-does-what-now/

Peter Graham

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 14:10:06 +1200

I am not at risk of downloading malware via the iTunes Store
It is possible to get malware from the iTunes Store, although there might be much less than in Play or whatever Google is calling it today. It's simply not possible for Apple or Google to guarantee that an…

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 14:07:49 +1200

But there is a tendency for apps to wind up asking for a wide slather of privs, even when they make marginal use of them. It’s hard to tell if an app wants ‘telephony’ for some half baked in-game feature, as a simple error by the coder, or to build…

Brodie Davis

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 13:49:11 +1200

Apple’s devices and the services attached to them do generally just work.

I have to disagree on this point, in my personal experience Apple's devices work as long as you stick to the workflows that their designers have thought of. As soon as you step outside of those workflows everything…

Paul Campbell

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 13:42:04 +1200

One of my neighbours breaks stuff for a living – designers of products pay him to break their stuff before the black-hats do

You should be as worried by the practices (announced and otherwise) of the apps you load as the device you load it in to – for example:…

Kumara Republic

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 13:40:31 +1200

Google is the new Apple. Apple is the new Microsoft. Microsoft is the new IBM. IBM is the new... well, you get the picture. It seems to be a cyclical thing.

Rich of Observationz

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 13:37:12 +1200

...I didn't agree with the fact that [they] could access my location and identify who I am calling...

I don't have an iPhone (though I do have a MacBook, so I don't fully qualify as a 'hater') so can't look, but I assume that iOS apps are like Android apps…

Steve Barnes

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 13:16:40 +1200

Apple’s devices and the services attached to them do generally just work.

And Steve Jobs did make the trains run on time.
Oh, wait...

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 12:25:45 +1200

I also find the Apple OS doesn’t work how I’d like and for my work my system is far more suitable.

I haven't been terribly happy with Lion myself, but switching to Chrome as my default browser has considerably improved matters.

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 12:23:02 +1200

The iPad is entirely useless when first purchased (or at least mine was) without iTunes. So immediately to even use the device I have to install that software and accept any terms it requires.

Since iOS5 you can activate and use your iDevice without a PC. You don't even need…

Dylan Reeve

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 12:10:09 +1200

The upgradeability of the product he bought is compromised – the product as he bought it when he bought it remains exactly the same. The question is whether or not condition-free upgradeability is an implicit function you are purchasing…

I guess, although to some extent it can become core functionality…

Clint Fern

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 12:07:41 +1200

The only bit of Apple kit that I have is an iPad which I use without having entered credit card details, and it works fine.

I'm very far from an Apple fanboy – I have a self built PC system with quality parts which I find better than factory built…

Gareth Ward

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:52:00 +1200

The iPad is entirely useless when first purchased (or at least mine was) without iTunes. So immediately to even use the device I have to install that software and accept any terms it requires.
I wonder if you can return an iPad immediately post purchase if you don't accept the…

merc

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:50:04 +1200

Ahahhaaaa http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/02/microsoft-announces-39-99-windows-8-pro-upgrade-offer-for-most/

Ben Curran

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:48:12 +1200

All apps are evil. No matter who you download them through. They are designed to send personal information home so that the relevant companies can target you with advertising. All apps can access you phone/text messages and send them back to the mother ship.

I don't get this attitude. As…

Dylan Reeve

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:45:09 +1200

The story in the Herald was weird and seemed to contain a lot of conflicts, but there is an interesting point and one that troubles me about the Apple's i-devices and to a lesser extent many other smartphones and tablets...

I buy a product but the use of that product…

Jake Pollock

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:43:43 +1200

f I want to update an app on an iPad will the update proceed even if it's not able to run on the installed iOS?

I installed Angry Birds Space on my four year old iPod Touch. It installed but wouldn't run because the graphics chip in the iPod wasn't…

Tony Meyer

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:38:12 +1200

No, if you're updating on the device itself, it will explain that a newer version is required. If you're updating the apps in iTunes, then the newer version will be downloaded (iTunes doesn't try and predict/track what versions of all the devices that syncs with it are using), but the…

Gareth Ward

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:24:41 +1200

And now I look like I'm defending the Apple patent war – so will make it a little clearer: I get the background to Apple's claims (they feel there isn't progress and innovation from others, just copying of a successful idea) but they are arguing too widely on what constitutes…

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:21:14 +1200

Here's a case where I do think Apple has behaved badly — selling an extra year of AppleCare warranty without making it clear to customers that Italian consumer law already requires a standard two-year warranty. They've rightly been slapped.

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:17:55 +1200

If I want to update an app on an iPad will the update proceed even if it’s not able to run on the installed iOS?

It would be a bit surprising, given that any installation on MacOS will check for OS compatibility first. But I dunno: maybe.

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:16:12 +1200

In the end it is consumers like us that are being prevented purchasing devices of our choice…but that has always been Apple’s way, you get to choose, so long as you choose Apple.

Lord forbid anyone should have to defend everything Jobs said: he was eminently capable of being both…

Gareth Ward

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:15:34 +1200

Gareth, so progress has to stop just because Apple says it should?
Huh? The whole point of that suite of lawsuits is that HTC/Google et al are making NO progress and just rehashing the form factor and design of Apple's initial progress in 2007. That they haven't borrowed bits n…

Tom Ackroyd

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:12:33 +1200

If I want to update an app on an iPad will the update proceed even if it's not able to run on the installed iOS?

Don Christie

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:05:12 +1200

Gareth, so progress has to stop just because Apple says it should? That's pretty borked. Consider this:

""we borrowed bits and pieces of our design from previous versions, a long-standing software tradition"

http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2011/05/paul-allen-201105

And Steve Jobs made very similar comments about great artists stealing.

In the end it is consumers…

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:03:20 +1200

Could you expand on that? I don’t see the hoop and loops of Apple as noticeably more hoopy or loopy than those of Google, Microsoft, Facebook etc?

One day, perhaps, Google will find a way to let my Google Apps profile work with Google+. That would be good.

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:01:56 +1200

Russell, you describe Apple critics as “hordes of haters”. I’m simply returning the favour.

I was referring to some of the commenters under Chris's column. I don't think it's an inaccurate description.

Don Christie

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:00:34 +1200

Russell, you describe Apple critics as "hordes of haters". I'm simply returning the favour.

"Everyone's fighting the patent wars, though."

Not in the way Apple is and that also doesn't excuse their odiousness on that front.

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:58:57 +1200

until recently Popular Mechanic via Zinio

I'm not such a fan of Zinio, on the basis of my experience with a subscription to Harper's. The pages were just flat PDFs and it took a lot of zooming and fiddling around to make the type readable. Couldn't complain about the price,…

Gareth Ward

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:58:32 +1200

Speaking from the "hordes of haters" to the "arse licky lovers" – do you not think that the hoops and loops Apple put their users are just a tiny bit ridiculous? I am stunned at how you consider these normal.
Could you expand on that? I don't see the hoop…

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:55:19 +1200

Speaking from the “hordes of haters” to the “arse licky lovers” – do you not think that the hoops and loops Apple put their users are just a tiny bit ridiculous? I am stunned at how you consider these normal.

Oh, behave. I'm not being an "arse-licky lover", I just…

Peter Griffin

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:51:37 +1200

totally agree – the article conflicted greatly with my experience of using the iPad for managing subscriptions. I subscribe to the New Yorker, Wired and Backstory in the iTunes library, to Rolling Stone and until recently Popular Mechanic via Zinio and get access to hundreds of newspapers via Press Display…

merc

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:45:05 +1200

...the 90's called...and they don't know how to leave a message.
..sorry XKCD http://xkcd.com/1072/

Deborah

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:43:06 +1200

I've never given Apple my credit card number. I run my iTunes account using giftcards, and that's worked perfectly well for downloading apps and music and movies and whatever I want. And my technically challenged father has manaed to run his iPad perfectly satisfactorily without giving Apple his credit card…

Don Christie

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:38:28 +1200

And then of course, there is this form of "evil".…

Russell Brown

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:37:52 +1200

I assume this guy has refused to update iOS because of Apple’s new terms (fair enough) and therefore has gotten to a point where app upgrades mean the app fails because it won’t run on an out-of-date version of the OS.

Ah. I was puzzled too, but I suspect you're…

bob daktari

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:36:37 +1200

whilst all the above may be well and true... for me the crux of the entire story is how stupidly complex and long the T&Cs are – which isn't a uniquely apple thing but its is a very valid gripe

Gareth Ward

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:30:38 +1200

It wasn't long before various applications on his iPad stopped working and soon, when the operating system had an update, it stopped working all together. Brian couldn't get the updates because he hadn't agreed to the terms and conditions.
This struck me as the one interesting point in the article…

Public Address

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:30:38 +1200

Discussion from blog post.