Comments on: Steve Jobs hates the App Store http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/08/01/steve-jobs-hates-the-appstore/ This can all be made better. Ready? Begin. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:41:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jakk Ogden http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/08/01/steve-jobs-hates-the-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-117531 Jakk Ogden Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:42:10 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/?p=1583#comment-117531 Gets you thinking doesn't it! I liked the theoretical issue brought up surrounding Jobs anyway, but the bottom line is that he is a slick marketeer ;) Gets you thinking doesn’t it! I liked the theoretical issue brought up surrounding Jobs anyway, but the bottom line is that he is a slick marketeer ;)

]]> By: Adam Wride http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/08/01/steve-jobs-hates-the-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-116436 Adam Wride Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:13:43 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/?p=1583#comment-116436 Bingo - I wish I had read this when you first posted it =) But I found it for a reason. You said: "Steve Jobs hates the App Store for the same reasons I do: development for the iPhone platform is a distraction. It’s taking our eyes off the ball, and ignoring the bigger shift that’s happening beneath our feet." This is right - BUT the App Store has done something very good for web apps. Jobs has shown us the way. As in, he's shown us that when the store is done right, when the ecosystem is working, awesome things come from it and huge value is created for everyone. Web apps are just not there yet. We're all busy building (and rebuilding) purchasing mechanisms, login systems, etc. I'm not suggesting that we need a heavy handed overlord to give us the web app store that we need, but that we all start working together a little more closely so all ships rise. We recently published a spec for an open web app store api here: http://www.bigbrassband.com/blog/2010/01/app-store-for-web-apps/ and have received good feedback. But the common response is that "it's hard" or "what about the case where..." Our problem is that web apps are still so immature that we're all trying to support an infinite number of use cases and the net effect is we don't support the ones that matter. We're too busy building to connect. Bingo – I wish I had read this when you first posted it =)

But I found it for a reason.

You said:
“Steve Jobs hates the App Store for the same reasons I do: development for the iPhone platform is a distraction. It’s taking our eyes off the ball, and ignoring the bigger shift that’s happening beneath our feet.”

This is right – BUT the App Store has done something very good for web apps. Jobs has shown us the way. As in, he’s shown us that when the store is done right, when the ecosystem is working, awesome things come from it and huge value is created for everyone.

Web apps are just not there yet. We’re all busy building (and rebuilding) purchasing mechanisms, login systems, etc.

I’m not suggesting that we need a heavy handed overlord to give us the web app store that we need, but that we all start working together a little more closely so all ships rise.

We recently published a spec for an open web app store api here: http://www.bigbrassband.com/blog/2010/01/app-store-for-web-apps/ and have received good feedback. But the common response is that “it’s hard” or “what about the case where…”

Our problem is that web apps are still so immature that we’re all trying to support an infinite number of use cases and the net effect is we don’t support the ones that matter.

We’re too busy building to connect.

]]> By: iphone developer http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/08/01/steve-jobs-hates-the-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-115458 iphone developer Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:32:15 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/?p=1583#comment-115458 This is a great article but very debatable. Im going to say that Steve Jobs absolutely loves the App store simply because it has been such a huge part of the iPhones success. It has made the iPhone so much more appealing simply because of all the awesome apps that developers have created for Steve Jobs phone, the iPhone. This is a great article but very debatable. Im going to say that Steve Jobs absolutely loves the App store simply because it has been such a huge part of the iPhones success. It has made the iPhone so much more appealing simply because of all the awesome apps that developers have created for Steve Jobs phone, the iPhone.

]]> By: Mike Rowehl: This is Mobility » Blog Archive » Silicon Valley Mobile Investment Report http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/08/01/steve-jobs-hates-the-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-114888 Mike Rowehl: This is Mobility » Blog Archive » Silicon Valley Mobile Investment Report Fri, 01 Jan 2010 08:42:13 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/?p=1583#comment-114888 [...] some folks thinking about web distribution for mobile devices again. And from the looks of things maybe web distribution is what was really planned for from the start. We certainly have a much more hospitable web based mobile environment, at least on the platforms [...] [...] some folks thinking about web distribution for mobile devices again. And from the looks of things maybe web distribution is what was really planned for from the start. We certainly have a much more hospitable web based mobile environment, at least on the platforms [...]

]]> By: koala http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/08/01/steve-jobs-hates-the-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-114794 koala Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:54:23 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/?p=1583#comment-114794 Mobile phone development is taking where the PCs left off; there were some apps that could never be developed on the PC because you could not take the machine with you. "Owning" an application on your local machine is just too enticing to ignore. It _is_ a smartphone after all, you'd like it to be smart! Like do things. By itself. A fast net connection is never guaranteed, something that is taken as a fact by successful software like Git (brainchild of Linus Torvalds). We have survivalist tendencies, we want our tools to work, do things with least amount of dependency. Web should be treated as source or sink of info that is digestable, sendable in small chunks. There are a plathora of vision, AI based apps that can (and will) be written for mobile phones. Any Web there? No. Plus, for app developers, paying a hosting provider for servers that may or may not be used is not a risk worth taking. If an app can run disconnected, purely on mobile phone, I would write that app for local use only. Mobile phone development is taking where the PCs left off; there were some apps that could never be developed on the PC because you could not take the machine with you. “Owning” an application on your local machine is just too enticing to ignore. It _is_ a smartphone after all, you’d like it to be smart! Like do things. By itself. A fast net connection is never guaranteed, something that is taken as a fact by successful software like Git (brainchild of Linus Torvalds). We have survivalist tendencies, we want our tools to work, do things with least amount of dependency. Web should be treated as source or sink of info that is digestable, sendable in small chunks. There are a plathora of vision, AI based apps that can (and will) be written for mobile phones. Any Web there? No.

Plus, for app developers, paying a hosting provider for servers that may or may not be used is not a risk worth taking. If an app can run disconnected, purely on mobile phone, I would write that app for local use only.

]]> By: user agent » Blog Archive » What the F**k is an iPhone? http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/08/01/steve-jobs-hates-the-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-111286 user agent » Blog Archive » What the F**k is an iPhone? Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:05:34 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/?p=1583#comment-111286 [...] my last post, I linked out to some of the recent indictments of Apple on other blogs (Factory Joe, Calacanis.com, GigaOm, TechCrunch). In the comments of these posts were many devil’s [...] [...] my last post, I linked out to some of the recent indictments of Apple on other blogs (Factory Joe, Calacanis.com, GigaOm, TechCrunch). In the comments of these posts were many devil’s [...]

]]> By: henry h http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/08/01/steve-jobs-hates-the-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-110489 henry h Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:54:31 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/?p=1583#comment-110489 I don't buy it. Have you looked at the $ which are coming in from the App store (for very little work outside of creating the platform) which contributes to the bottom line? Have you look at Valve's Steam platform for distributing games over the wire instead of through retail stores? What about the Apple iTunes store? Apple knows the value of bundling a product with a service. This is what they get right every time they come to the market with something new. Have you looked at Apple competing with portable gaming systems? Do you think games will run very well over the web? What happens if you want to play a game and you have no Internet connection? Seems to me like you're taking a very myopic view. Not everything is suitable for the web. Perhaps I'm missing your point, but the App store will be around for a long time and it wasn't an "accident" or a way to "appease developers" as you're implying. My 2 cents. I don’t buy it.

Have you looked at the $ which are coming in from the App store (for very little work outside of creating the platform) which contributes to the bottom line?

Have you look at Valve’s Steam platform for distributing games over the wire instead of through retail stores?

What about the Apple iTunes store?

Apple knows the value of bundling a product with a service. This is what they get right every time they come to the market with something new.

Have you looked at Apple competing with portable gaming systems? Do you think games will run very well over the web? What happens if you want to play a game and you have no Internet connection?

Seems to me like you’re taking a very myopic view. Not everything is suitable for the web. Perhaps I’m missing your point, but the App store will be around for a long time and it wasn’t an “accident” or a way to “appease developers” as you’re implying.

My 2 cents.

]]> By: Chris http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/08/01/steve-jobs-hates-the-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-109706 Chris Tue, 25 Aug 2009 07:27:03 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/?p=1583#comment-109706 Steve Jobs has always been Agent Smith. Steve Jobs has always been Agent Smith.

]]> By: Pokpitch http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/08/01/steve-jobs-hates-the-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-109663 Pokpitch Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:34:51 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/?p=1583#comment-109663 I almost believe EXCEPT for the huge gulf between what native can do vs. Web: things like camera access, motion access, etc. Fix that (window.camera.click()) and I’ll buy your rant whole hog I almost believe EXCEPT for the huge gulf between what native can do vs. Web: things like camera access, motion access, etc. Fix that (window.camera.click()) and I’ll buy your rant whole hog

]]> By: Shawn http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/08/01/steve-jobs-hates-the-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-109483 Shawn Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:07:40 +0000 http://factoryjoe.com/blog/?p=1583#comment-109483 Fantastic and provocative post Chris. When the iPhone app store really started to get going, I was mystified. To me it felt like the days of the CD-ROM all over again (before the web as we know it existed). I expanded on your conclusion (and quoted you quite a bit) in a blog post of my own: "Why Android Will Win the Mobile App Wars" I'd love to know what you think. Find it here: http://bit.ly/5r0kA Fantastic and provocative post Chris. When the iPhone app store really started to get going, I was mystified. To me it felt like the days of the CD-ROM all over again (before the web as we know it existed). I expanded on your conclusion (and quoted you quite a bit) in a blog post of my own: “Why Android Will Win the Mobile App Wars”

I’d love to know what you think. Find it here: http://bit.ly/5r0kA

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