Re: NPR actually covered the closed apple ecosystem this morning
 

The market changed, the world changed, we didn't. The fact that you're reading this in maemo.org tells me you're more technically literate than most. Do people ask you for help on their computers?

The problem is, we are the technically elite. I'm not saying Apple users are idiots. I'm saying that sometimes we all get tired of fighting the technology to reach our goals. And Apple realized there are a lot more people who just want it to work. For most, being locked down is a reasonable trade off for a stable, simple, easy to use, system... Yeah, you can make jokes about the iPhone, but Apple hit the mark. The masses love it. Hell I bought one. (sold it two months later when an upgrade screwed my jailbreak). :)

Apple is no longer that 80's company who produced an open system called the Apple II. I don't like it, but I don't blame them. When it comes to technology, most people want it done for them.

The masses didn't understand our desire for a "home computer" in 1980, and they still don't understand why we prefer open systems today (or even what an open system is).

Even if there were an exact iPhone clone that WAS open, and not locked to iTunes... Apple's iPhone would still beat it. They built what people want. We are not the majority.

Rise up my brothers and sisters, sell you iPhones and buy the N900. :D

Re: NPR actually covered the closed apple ecosystem this morning
 

More and more I see an eventual war between the Google and Apple worlds. The content finders and enablers versus the content providers and controllers. Not to say Google is without evil; they have a disturbing tendency to violate their own mantra against it on occasion. But I know which world I prefer, and it isn't locked.

Time will tell where Nokia falls and fits. Seems to me they want to straddle the border and that historically never works.

Neither are iDevice users. ;)

Re: NPR actually covered the closed apple ecosystem this morning
 

Google will most likely keep information free for content consumers but with a caveat - they want to mine whatever information is consumed for their ad revenue. So, it is either restricted information (Apple) or unrestricted information with strings attached (Google). If I had to choose between one of them I would choose Google but I hope there is a third choice of unrestricted information at a reasonable price (since free can't be sustained over the long term).

Re: NPR actually covered the closed apple ecosystem this morning
 

Aye, there's the rub. Seems the number of consumers not understanding that is growing, too.

Re: NPR actually covered the closed apple ecosystem this morning
 

I think the last 2 posts points at the core of the issue.

We're not talking of just ANY content. These are contents that we (generally) want, but we can't get from the new-web way. IE: non indie movies, big-5 music label releases, 'big production' apps\games, etc..

Those contents can't be replicated easily by 'the community', so we have to find a way to mediate the 'release' of them by the current holders.

@rmerren: No probs, but I hope you got my point too.

@Laughing Man: thanks.

Re: NPR actually covered the closed apple ecosystem this morning
 

thats the thing. Most of the apps available thats not some canned goods like a book or media package need a data connection for updates.

funny thing is that html5 is designed to incorporate features worked out by google (gears) and mozilla (prism) that allows a web "app" to store a local copy that can then update itself to the online server when a data connection is available. Both gmail and google reader worked with gears, but is now being converted to html5. these features work in chrome and firefox at least, and will be a cornerstone of chromeos.

heck, there is even full 3d graphics being worked on via webgl. Consider a game that one can download thats basically html5 and webgl.

the problem is, as have always been with computers, that standardized systems takes longer to come into being then proprietary equivalent. And once the proprietary variant have taken hold, it can be very hard to uproot.

Re: NPR actually covered the closed apple ecosystem this morning
 

i guess it depends on "free" as in from one source, but at no cost, or "free" as in anyone can provide a update. The latter is what FOSS works on, allowing anyone else to pick up the touch when the current carrier gets tired.

Re: NPR actually covered the closed apple ecosystem this morning
 

What an excellent thread. And what an excellent story by NPR.

If we think about it, we in Western societies like to trust democracies, where the people can influence the way things are. Here, however we see people wanting something that they don't see the repercussions of.

But I wouldn't say that all this jazz that's been covered in this thread is the only thing ahead of us in the future. I mean look at Ubuntu. It's easy to use and Linux and fairly popular. Unlucky for Nokia we don't represent a large customer base (enough) that this Ovi business wouldn't try to go the Apple way.

Re: NPR actually covered the closed apple ecosystem this morning
 

Agreed, and I was referring to "free as in beer". FOSS can certainly be sustainable (if it isn't then MeeGo is already in trouble!).

Re: NPR actually covered the closed apple ecosystem this morning
 

There is a subtle difference between the content itself and ways to obtain said content. I think you are talking about the ways to obtain content and I agree that the FOSS way is the best way and should hopefully be free. I actually don't mind paying a "reasonable" (in quotes because reasonable is quite subjective) fee for the content itself if it is worth it as long as the means to obtain content is unrestricted and free.

The other subtlety happens when you have to deal with purchased content on a long term basis. Here, things like per user or per machine licenses have made the ownership of content quite confusing and restrictive. I don't mind paying but once I pay, I should be able to use it as I see fit (use it on multiple machines, access it through any number of applications and so on) with the responsibility of not sharing it with other people if the license so dictates.

Funnily enough, Apple used to value that (and still does in this particular case) by having no restrictions on OS X once you purchased it other than a EULA that was only enforced by your own conscience. Over time, however, they seem to unfortunately be moving away from this philosophy because it is just not that lucrative. That is why, I own a Macbook Pro but as I said earlier, I would never buy an iPhone or an iPad.