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by ryanwaggoner 6008 days ago
But that's just it...Apple's products vary widely in their degree of openness, from the iPod / iPhone / Apple TV on the end to their computers on the other end. So is this thing more like a computer (you buy it, you own it, hack it to hell and put anything you want on it), or an iPhone (you're basically renting this device from us, and we're going to dictate exactly what you can do with it)?
2 comments
eli 6008 days ago
I think we're just lucky that the paradigm for a desktop computer is already settled.

Imagine if Apple started out as a company that distributes music and designs handheld devices before creating a computer. It's not hard to see a Mac OS that only lets you buy apps from an app store.

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tcdent 6008 days ago
It's my understanding that the original reason behind the closed architecture of the iPhone was to keep the device secure on cell networks. Most of the restrictions are there to protect outside access, which is a good thing for the less savvy users. Plenty believe the App Store and SDK were an afterthought, added only after people grumbled about the restrictions of web-only apps, which were the simplest way to guarantee 3rd party software was safe.

Without the risk of an insecure cellular network, greed would be the only motivating factor in keeping this a closed device.

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atarashi 6008 days ago
the original reason behind the closed architecture of the iPhone was to keep the device secure on cell networks

That's probably true for the iPhone, but it doesn't explain the closed nature of the iPod Touch. The two devices share the same core OS, but it wouldn't be difficult to let iPod Touch users download apps outside of the app store. So if its not about protecting the cellular networks, and it's not a technological barrier, what's left? I guess you could argue it's about control or about enforcing a consistent (and "safe") user experience. I'm hoping they don't apply the same thinking to the Tablet.

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mkinsella 6008 days ago
Without the risk of an insecure cellular network, greed would be the only motivating factor in keeping this a closed device.

What about the rumors that the Tablet will include nationwide 3G access, similar to the Kindle? I believe this is a necessary addition -- think about how useful the iPhone would be without Edge/3G access: not at all.

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