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Take the new iPods. Apple added a hash to the iTunes database, and its sole purpose was to make it impossible to use the iPod on Linux. I would define that as something Apple did on purpose -- the database file worked fine on the older iPods without the hash, so what functionality was added on Macs by adding the hash?
On the iPhone, consider how easily Apple could do something similar: since the iPhone isn't supposed to support any third party apps, it'd be pretty simple to checksum the Applications folder. Or add code that removes any non-image files from the Media folder, etc. If that's what's happening after an update, then I'd say the odds are quite high that the sole purpose of such a change would be to prevent third party apps from running -- would you agree?
-rob.
Editors' Notes Weblog: Don't break my third-party iPhone apps
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#58
griffman 
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Posted 19 September 2007 - 06:15 PM
Yes, they did. It's now been cracked, though, so Linux support is once again available (or soon will be, as I understand it).
-rob.
-rob.
#59
drimwit
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Posted 19 September 2007 - 06:22 PM
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Ah, so if all computers are exactly the same, please, do tell us the third party mods you have for your car's various computers? I imagine playing Doom on your microwave is teh bombz0r too. Of course, you can use your Nokia as part of an Apache cluster, and it has totally AWESOME WebDAV features, right?
Yeah...see, a computer is not a computer is not a computer.
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What a load. It's a computer. My Nokia is a computer. My microwave oven is a computer. So is my Mac. They all have input devices, output devices, firmware and sometimes third party software. The principles for maintaining all of them are the same. Firmware is just low-level system software, one step removed from the hardware. The iPhone runs most of its software off of the flash disk, which is a regular file system, and is being updated with third party apps. If it all goes wrong you can reset it, just like re-installing the system on your laptop. It makes absolutely no difference and doesn't justify restricting the device.
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It's an embedded device, not a general purpose computer. That means updating the OS/firmware safely and reliably trumps all.
It's an embedded device, not a general purpose computer. That means updating the OS/firmware safely and reliably trumps all.
What a load. It's a computer. My Nokia is a computer. My microwave oven is a computer. So is my Mac. They all have input devices, output devices, firmware and sometimes third party software. The principles for maintaining all of them are the same. Firmware is just low-level system software, one step removed from the hardware. The iPhone runs most of its software off of the flash disk, which is a regular file system, and is being updated with third party apps. If it all goes wrong you can reset it, just like re-installing the system on your laptop. It makes absolutely no difference and doesn't justify restricting the device.
Ah, so if all computers are exactly the same, please, do tell us the third party mods you have for your car's various computers? I imagine playing Doom on your microwave is teh bombz0r too. Of course, you can use your Nokia as part of an Apache cluster, and it has totally AWESOME WebDAV features, right?
Yeah...see, a computer is not a computer is not a computer.
You're obviously not very well informed about how people use their machines. Enthusiasts modify their car's engine management system all the time (see http://en.wikipedia....ki/Chip_tuning), modifying game consoles is common place. My Nokia S60 device has a POSIX compatibility library which means I could port Apache or WebDAV if I wanted. The point is that you, ignorantly, think that the corporate sausage that manufacturers squeeze out is all that is possible and what is right for all of us. Some people want something different and better and there is no technical, moral, ethical or other reason why it shouldn't happen.
