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Director of Firefox fires opening salvo at Apple's tyrannical Mac App Store
Basically, you can forget about downloading any kind of demo or beta from the Mac App Store. If an app even exhibits a bug, it will be rejected -- does Apple know how many apps, open-source or otherwise, have bugs?
If you thought that was bad enough, the guidelines continue in a similar, it's-our-sandpit! vein: apps that require optional installations (such as Java) will be rejected; apps that require root privileges will be rejected; apps that require license keys or implement their own copy project will be rejected... and so on.
The strict, chaste censorship rules made popular with the iOS App Store are also present -- there won't be any pornographic or violent apps on the Mac App Store, I'm afraid.
Finally, it's fun to compare the startling differences between Mozilla's recently-announced Open Web Apps initiative and Apple's new offering. I know: open isn't everything, and Apple's vice-like control of the user experience is impressive -- but at this rate the Mac is fast becoming a 21st century re-imagining of 20th century AOL. "Don't try to peek over the wall -- this is all the Internet you need!"
Comments
30
Subscribe to commentsFezOct 20th 2010 6:15PM
"I know: open isn't everything, and Apple's vice-like control of the user experience is impressive"
It is everything if the company in question touts itself as being "open". Steve Jobs is such a hypocrite.
Sebastian AnthonyOct 20th 2010 6:32PM
Hehe, my favourite was today -- the live event was streamed using 'open standards technologies', but was only viewable on Apple products... awesome.
LiquidmarkOct 20th 2010 8:04PM
Apple never claimed to be the most open company in the world...
hazardOct 21st 2010 6:57AM
Apple loves Open Standards .. when they own the Patent rights.
This was my favourite line though:
"Apps that are not very useful or do not provide any lasting entertainment value may be rejected"
bkj216Oct 20th 2010 6:29PM
I'm all for the Mac App Store (and a Windows one too for that matter)
But Apple is gonna have to lower those standards if they really want it to work. People can still install software from anywhere else on the net, but the only real advantage they'll get through the MAS is recognition to a broader audience
bkj216Oct 20th 2010 6:29PM
Actually, I can't wait until someone makes a competitive App Store, such as Cydia for Mac or something. This will get interesting
Sebastian AnthonyOct 20th 2010 6:36PM
Yes, the fact that the 'world wide web' (what a crazy thought!) is just a click away will be an issue.
The problem is... Apple users seemingly _like_ being spoon-fed Apple-approved nourishment.
Seriously -- they'll take anything, even if it's considerably worse than the alternative. Sheep...!
benOct 21st 2010 12:56AM
In some ways macupdate.com is already an app store.
Anyway if you don't like Apple's policy, then don't join the app store.
XCode is free for everybody anyway.
richard.gaileyOct 20th 2010 6:57PM
Welcome to Apple. The Third Reich of the digital age.
.......and you WILL love us
Maxime RouleauOct 20th 2010 7:35PM
Wow, people are missing the point, Mac users will still be able to download application freely without going trough the Mac App store ... Especially if their favourite applications aren't available on it / want to try out betas and / or Nightly builds of browsers such as Webkit and so on...
The Mac App Store won't be any different than the official apple download page ( http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/ ), users will actually have someplace less crappy to buy / try / discover new apps.
And what about people who are on older versions of Mac OS X or that use applications that are too old / aren't available on the M.A.S ( probably like the Adobe CS suite) ? Apple can't block those apps or force the developer to publish them on the App store against their will, too much money ( for business and lawsuits) is at stake.
Plus, there is a "Mac App Store" app. It's called Bodega ( http://appbodega.com/ ). And most of these apps can also be downloaded from the developer's websites without being forced to go through that app. It's basically made for independent developers to be able to sell their apps a lot more easily.
The Mac App Store won't be a reflection of some Orwellian novel as some people think it will be.
Maxime RouleauOct 20th 2010 7:43PM
Also, if Microsoft and other OS groups did the same thing, I could only see it as a benefit for independent developer to be able to showcase their applications side by side with the bigger ones. Maybe then ... People will actually lean a bit more towards open source technologies due to their cheaper retail price ...
As for porn and fart apps ... Do people seriously need a desktop app for that ? It's a waste when you've got cross platform internet...
the.contrarianOct 20th 2010 7:51PM
... yet.
Maxime RouleauOct 20th 2010 8:05PM
Haha, I'm pretty positive the FTC would do something about it if it they went too far.
DohapOct 20th 2010 8:11PM
"Wow, people are missing the point, Mac users will still be able to download application freely without going trough the Mac App store."
Sure, for now...
AnthonyOct 21st 2010 12:22AM
The thing about it that you don't seem to get, though, is this simple thing: if it's right there in front of them, the majority of people will go for whatever is right there. People will have less incentive to search for other products that aren't listed in Apple's "approved-app" walled garden. That is what everyone is saying is detrimental to the open-source and small development groups. Granted, everyone will still be allowed to go look for and install it. They just don't want to have to look too far.
Mike PirnatOct 20th 2010 8:02PM
I think you mean vise-like, not vice.
Sebastian AnthonyOct 20th 2010 8:01PM
Hehe -- forgive me. It's 'vice' in British-English :)
KevinOct 20th 2010 8:34PM
well ok, at least the no copy-protection/license keys part is a good thing to reject
gltovarOct 20th 2010 9:17PM
You last sentence is something I touched on in this tweet i wrote:
http://twitter.com/#!/gltovar/status/13743255608
ojflOct 20th 2010 10:43PM
Where does ti say that there will be no app installations outside of the App Store? If they want to restrict what goes through the App Store and you do not like how it is distributed just publish it outside of the App Store. Is that not easy? Mozilla for instance should do it outside of the store. As easy as that.