[shireboy]

Let's talk for a minute about why all the Apple things aren't open. There is zero about iMessage or AirDrop that should be proprietary. The only reason I know of is vendor lock-in, and that stinks for users. It would be way more helpful to way more people if these features were ubiquitous, open, and standards-based like SMTP or IMAP is for email. We wouldn't except an Apple-only iMail, why do we accept iChat and iPhotoShare?

[Terretta]

OK, I'll talk about why...

What does Apple sell? A commodity computing device running undifferentiated software? Or the experience of a holistic tool?

When someone distributes a Messenger by itself, you don't ask why it isn't open. You don't ask why the hardware device isn't open. Why should a vendor unbundle the two just to make you happy?

What if it doesn't really unbundle, what if the capabilities combine to offer most buyers something they value more than pieces parts?

[shireboy]

I totally get that argument for things that aren’t commodity. Chat and file share should be interoperable services in 2019. Like Email is and has been for ages (though not always as any GroupWise or BBS user will tell you). The vendors can bundle and have closed source implementations, but by definition they should work with any provider. But I feel the same way about “you can only iMessage other iPhones” as I would if I could only email other iPhones (or as a better analogy if emails to non-iPhones were reduced in functionality.) and yes, they should make me happy- I’m the customer.

[lawnchair_larry]

I agree that they should be open, but there are some advantages to the current model besides vendor lock-in.

Requiring a device certificate to communicate puts a pretty high bar on the integrity of the system. Being closed also allows unrestricted innovation at a faster pace.

It’s very difficult to add features once an open standard is out. Just look at the evolution of the major web browsers for example.

[rtkwe]

> Being closed also allows unrestricted innovation at a faster pace.

Theoretically but has there been any new actual development in AirDrop though? From the outside it seems like it's been the same since it was released but my only Apple device is my iPad Pro so I don't really have a use for it.

[azinman2]

Never assume things are static. Or will remain static, just because it might seem like that from the outside.

[rtkwe]

Yes but it's been out for 8 years surely if it being closed allowed quicker development we would have seen something visible from the outside in that time.