BusinessWeek: Why I Won't Buy an iPhone

I WILL get my iPhone and will use it just as Apple intended. It is still the nicest phone out there. I'm too busy doing other stuff (having a life, actually) to start hacking and modding stuff. That's why I converted to Apple prods. in the first place. Got tired of "opening the hood" on my PC's. Macs just work for me. Don't like it, get something else. Good luck with that one thou!

Alex/#60: "Maybe if Apple's claims had any truth to them we would feel differently, see the difference here is _we know better_."

No, you don't.

@59: That isn't true. The only thing those in favor are doing is congratulating Erica and the Dev Team, that's it. This isn't the first thing that Erica posted that started getting people lashing out at her, so that is where the "Prepare for the backlash from Apple apologists" is coming from, because it's happened before.

There are a lot of posts about hacking your Mac and stuff on here, but no one ever calls out the authors and tells them stuff like "If I wanted to read a programming blog I'd read them"

That is the problem. People are not seeing the iPhone for what it is. It is a COMPUTER. it has a ~600mhz (i could be wrong on that) CPU and runs Darwin with a specialized version of OS X on top of it.

Apple's OS X is made up of at least 50% combination of GPL'd / open source software.

Maybe if Apple's claims had any truth to them we would feel differently, see the difference here is _we know better_.

The s/w unlock does not damage the phone. Apple saying that they're locking down the phone because that's the only way to avoid EA's upcoming games being pirated is a statement which makes Apple either a liar or highly incompetent at locking things down, which hahahah look at 1.1.1, i think they are pretty competent at locking things down.

Look at iPhoneSimFree, look at Bioshock (and other games that require calling home to actually use the product), look at Steam, look at MSGA in Windows Activation.. there are a plethora of ways to stop piracy without locking out anyone with the skills to program for the iPhone.

They claim that it's to prevent damage to AT&T's network. The existance of a massively fertile open development community for Blackberry, Symbian, PalmOS, Windows Mobile, and other devices PROVES. THIS. WRONG.

The bottom line is we're pissed about Apple lying through their teeth trying to be greedy and profit from the iPhone.

If they keep this up the iPhone is going to end up being a fad that no one wants to remember 3 months after a better device comes out WITH easy and open development options.

#58 - very few people are bashing her...just telling her Apple made a business decision to go after a larger market. Most of the bashing is coming from the "open source" club calling those defending the iPhone "apple apologists".

You know what I'm sick of? People bashing Mrs. Sadun because they personally are too dense to understand the meaning of "open development platform."

Listen up. If it wasn't for open development you wouldn't be on the Internet, because 90% of the Internet is built on open source software development.

Anyone who calls iPhone hackers losers is just a gimp who doesn't have a clue, and your opinion is immediately considered null and void by anyone with a brain. just something to think about.

You want people to not think you're a dumb*** don't act like a high school jock.

That's really all I have to say, I won't say anything about the iPhone AT ALL because there's nothing to be said, except that this IS a good article because at least it's based on fact and not some stupid opinion about how iPhone sucks because it's exclusive to AT&T (like it's the first phone to ever be locked to a carrier.. yeah right) and other such nonsense.

And TUAW is about news about Apple. Erica has no input on what someone from Business Week writes but this is valid Apple news..

I'm sorry but I'm sick of reading about all the bashing of TUAW because you don't like coding or reading about coding. I and many others do.

I think the problem many people have is a simple matter of human nature. People want things and even other people to live up to their potential, always pushing forward for greater advances. When they experience a device like the iPhone that gives them a glimpse of what the future of mobile computing is going to be like they get real anxious. Standing on the sidelines and waiting for the device to live up to it's potential can be maddening for the people that know what's coming next. For me the iPhone is both the best device I've ever owned and the most frustrating. I can't wait for either a better e-mail client or Apples to get better. I can't wait for a real IM client, Apples or otherwise. I don't really care who writes the software or how it's delivered as long as I'm getting something useful, of high quality, and high value.

I agree completely with this article. Unfortunately I already bought an iPhone.

Steve Wozniak should speak out on this issue.

If he's on the right side, of course...

Well - I really like the iPhone, and am looking forward to when it finally arrives in the UK.

The only thing that really winds me up about it is that I cannot put on my own ring tones. And I am not talking about stolen, downloaded music. But I cannot even put my own created sounds on there. Or whatever - if I record my kids laughing and want that as a ringtone, I couldn't do that.

Maybe that's Apple's way of getting rid of really embarrassing ringtones - but still, I had this option any any super-simple cheap phone ever.

I'm chiming with the rest STUPID ARTICLE. That's my stance. Hackers shouldn't claim Apple is "punishing" them. Since WHEN did fixing security on a device you released constitute "PUNISHMENT". Apple has consistantly said, "We're looking for a secure way to get apps on the phone." I think they are. I hacked my phone. I loved the work that's been done, but so help me, this type of complaining is really a poor substitute for decent coverage of the iPhone's ongoing development. A vocal minority that is beginning to make the LARGER majority more than a bit annoyed (considering we should actually WANT a secure phone platform). Almost 90 days, but not even.

I have been an Apple user since 2001 (Powerbook, MBP, 2 x iMac, aTV, 2 x iPod). Love the products.

Until and unless Apple free-up the iPhone, I won't be buying either. Apple should have sold this sim-free worldwide and supported/encouraged third party development. I want to be able to Skype on this thing. I also want to be able to use it as a bluetooth modem. I also want 3G.

By the time Apple "get it" - the clones will be close enough that Apple will have squandered this opportunity.

Pity really. 'Cause otherwise, the iPhone rocks.

GB