Steve Jobs pens open letter about Flash

love it or hate it... tell you one thing... there's a crapload of folks waiting in front of the soho apple shop trying to buy that "oversized iphone that you cannot make a call..." as one genius said...

rvdw98 wrote in post #10098652
I see how that can be deterring for some people. I for one don't find it practical to edit full blown documents on a mobile device because of the ergonomics involved, but everyone is different.

I use my phone as a notebook - just create a Word document and type... one page, two pages, three pages, as many as I need...

rvdw98 wrote in post #10098652
Ah, I thought that you were referring to the 3G(S), as that is the current model.

No, to the first one. BTW the reason why I don´t like the Apple strategy is that every single feature the 3GS has was already available when the first generation was released. When you look at iPhone 3GS - this is how the first iPhone could look like if Jobs wanted. There was absolutely no reason why it couldn´t support video recording or navigation or autofocus or 3G or HSDPA or whatever - Jobs just wanted to tease us and to make us pay more money. And this is what I don´t like. When I do something (especially something creative), I want to do my best. I want my invention to be perfect. Jobs doesn´t. And not only doesn´t, he intentionally avoids it.

rvdw98 wrote in post #10098652
In other words, your preferred devices can be improved upon as well.

Yes and no. When talking about HTC, there´s nothing what HTC could improve. Yes, Windows Mobile can be improved and should be improved, but this is Microsoft´s business, there´s nothing what HTC could do about it.
When talking about Nokia - it depends. They could make the screen bigger (but only the screen, the resolution is high enough) but some people could complain that it´s too big. They could make it thinner without the hardware keyboard, but then some people could complain that they miss it.
But nobody can complain that his mobile records video or supports HSDPA - when I don´t like it, I simply don´t use it, but it won´t make the device any worse for me.

kinghong1970 wrote in post #10099019
love it or hate it... tell you one thing... there's a crapload of folks waiting in front of the soho apple shop trying to buy that "oversized iphone that you cannot make a call..." as one genius said...

Some of them with the sole intention to smash it with a baseball bat.

blackshadow wrote in post #10098934
Just more of Steve Jobs trying to justify the controlling nature of the Apple nanny state. While flash isn't ideal for mobile devices his real agenda seems to be controlling the whole Apple environment.

How does advocating the usage of an open standard such as HTML 5 instead of a proprietary format such as Flash aid in "controlling the whole Apple environment"?

MMX wrote in post #10099248
I use my phone as a notebook - just create a Word document and type... one page, two pages, three pages, as many as I need...

Why do you specifically need a Word document for that? I also use my iPhone to take notes, but I much prefer a dedicated light weight solution over a full blown desktop class word processor (http://note-taking.net …pps-comprehensive-listing).

MMX wrote in post #10099248
No, to the first one. BTW the reason why I don´t like the Apple strategy is that every single feature the 3GS has was already available when the first generation was released. When you look at iPhone 3GS - this is how the first iPhone could look like if Jobs wanted. There was absolutely no reason why it couldn´t support video recording or navigation or autofocus or 3G or HSDPA or whatever - Jobs just wanted to tease us and to make us pay more money. And this is what I don´t like. When I do something (especially something creative), I want to do my best. I want my invention to be perfect. Jobs doesn´t. And not only doesn´t, he intentionally avoids it.

I know what you mean, but again, this is not a marketing model that was invented or exclusively employed by Apple. It's common practice to spoon feed new features in order to facilitate the sale of updates, both in software and hardware development. You can't sustain a business based on one single product that does everything you can come up with; you have to plan out your future products as well. And while it may well have been possible to include some features in a first product release, it may not have been economically opportune. Technology gets cheaper as the years go by, and a component that might have exceeded the targeted price point for a product last year, can very will fit within that budget next year.

MMX wrote in post #10099248
Yes and no. When talking about HTC, there´s nothing what HTC could improve.

If that were true, than HTC would never release a new product again. Technology can always be improved, if only just marginally. For example, wouldn't you like your batteries to last just a bit longer? Or the device to be just a bit faster?

MMX wrote in post #10099248
But nobody can complain that his mobile records video or supports HSDPA - when I don´t like it, I simply don´t use it, but it won´t make the device any worse for me.

It depends. If it doesn't affect the device's ergonomics, complexity, performance or price, then I would agree.

rvdw98 wrote in post #10100566
Why do you specifically need a Word document for that? I also use my iPhone to take notes, but I much prefer a dedicated light weight solution over a full blown desktop class word processor (http://note-taking.net …pps-comprehensive-listing).

Because when I later connect the mobile phone to PC (as a standard USB device, without iTunes ) I can launch the same word processor and open the document that looks the same as it looked on my mobile phone. Then I can edit it and save it directly to the mobile phone. And when I later open it, it will look the same as it looked on PC.

rvdw98 wrote in post #10100566
It's common practice to spoon feed new features in order to facilitate the sale of updates

I know, but it´s a dirty practice that shows that Jobs is no genius inventor, just a good businessman. Because if you are a true genius, you want to be the best, not the most popular.

rvdw98 wrote in post #10100566
If that were true, than HTC would never release a new product again.

That´s the funny part - they did, but they´re not better than HD2 and I wouldn´t buy them.

rvdw98 wrote in post #10100566
It depends. If it doesn't affect the device's ergonomics, complexity, performance or price, then I would agree.

How can 3G support or video affect this? Even the cheapest piece of crap supported it in 2007 (except the "revolutionary" iPhone by Apple who decided to support it one year (3G) or two years (video) later)

constrict wrote in post #10098601
All this talk from Apple (Steve Jobs) regarding the 'openness' of Flash vs. HTML5 and yet we still have to install Quicktime to view videos on their site...in Safari nonetheless...hmmm....

I hope the video format of Google became free and after that used as a standard format video on html 5.

I have a better solution: Don't buy Apple products. They aren't selling anything that can't be had cheaper and just as good from other manufacturers.

I have an Ipod and wish I wouldn't have gotten it. I also have a regular MP3 player that is just like a flash drive. Drag on/drag off. No nonsense, and the sound quality isn't any different.

MikeFairbanks wrote in post #10102612
I have a better solution: Don't buy Apple products. They aren't selling anything that can't be had cheaper and just as good from other manufacturers.

I have an Ipod and wish I wouldn't have gotten it. I also have a regular MP3 player that is just like a flash drive. Drag on/drag off. No nonsense, and the sound quality isn't any different.

Love Apple haters. Completely, have no idea what they're talking about.

MikeFairbanks wrote in post #10102612
I have a better solution: Don't buy Apple products. They aren't selling anything that can't be had cheaper and just as good from other manufacturers.

I have an Ipod and wish I wouldn't have gotten it. I also have a regular MP3 player that is just like a flash drive. Drag on/drag off. No nonsense, and the sound quality isn't any different.

If you want sound quality, buy a phonograph. Nobody expects quality from a device which is no bigger than a credit card.

MMX wrote in post #10101782
Because when I later connect the mobile phone to PC (as a standard USB device, without iTunes ) I can launch the same word processor and open the document that looks the same as it looked on my mobile phone. Then I can edit it and save it directly to the mobile phone. And when I later open it, it will look the same as it looked on PC.

Can't you do the same thing with Notepad?

BTW... USB? This is the age of cloud synchronization man.

MMX wrote in post #10101782
I know, but it´s a dirty practice that shows that Jobs is no genius inventor, just a good businessman. Because if you are a true genius, you want to be the best, not the most popular.

He has to be a businessman to keep his enterprise afloat and profitable. That doesn't mean that he can't still be a genius inventor (not saying that he is or isn't). A true genius is either p*ss poor, or (also / working for a) good businessman.

MMX wrote in post #10101782
That´s the funny part - they did, but they´re not better than HD2 and I wouldn´t buy them.

Which is ultimately bad for business. That's the point I was trying to make. Somehow you have to find a balance between perfection and sustainability.

Young_Werther wrote in post #10102732
Love Apple haters. Completely, have no idea what they're talking about.

not an apple hater, but don't see how his post showed that he had "no idea what [he was] talking about."

when i was shopping for a new mp3 player, i was interested in the attractive designs and layouts of the apple and sony offerings. however, itunes/sonicstage/othe​r proprietary file management software was frustrating and i was turned off the the fact that these companies decided to sell products with hardware-crippling software and limitations. i ended up buying a a cowon in the end because they offered everything the ipods and walkmans did while offering me full control of the device i purchased. plug and play usability, template and code customizable GUIs, and no DRM. these are all things that certain companies insist on crippling their own products with just to exercise control over their systems at the expense of end users.

MMX wrote in post #10102876
If you want sound quality, buy a phonograph. Nobody expects quality from a device which is no bigger than a credit card.

with an amplifier and a good set of speakers or cans, the iriver and cowon players i've used are superior to the audio quality that the ipods i've listened to crank out. don't assume people don't care about audio quality just because you don't.

this isn't a rip on the ipod, it's just a different device. the touch is meant to be a multifunction device, whereas my s9 for example is a much more dedicated audio/video player. the touch can access wifi, play games, do your taxes or whatnot, but as an audio and video player, it's pretty average. my s9 can't get online, its games suck, and it doesn't do a whole lot else, but as an audio and video player, there are very few other DMPs that can rival it's audio characteristics nor it's gorgeous AMOLED screen for picture or video viewing.

horses for courses i suppose, but i assure you that audiophiles do travel outside of their homes, and portable music players are not all created equal in terms of their output quality.

constrict wrote in post #10098601
All this talk from Apple (Steve Jobs) regarding the 'openness' of Flash vs. HTML5 and yet we still have to install Quicktime to view videos on their site...in Safari nonetheless...hmmm....

| Byte size: ZERO | Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE

Excellent point; Apple is all about open standards...until its not. Same thing with AAC and the use of the OS X.

RWatkins wrote in post #10109402
Excellent point; Apple is all about open standards...until its not. Same thing with AAC and the use of the OS X.

There are plenty of apps that can open mov containers and all of Apple's trailers are encoded in MPEG-4 h.264 and with AAC audio (even my Apline car stereo plays AAC), both of which are open standards, unlike Flash.

Tony-S wrote in post #10109975
There are plenty of apps that can open mov containers and all of Apple's trailers are encoded in MPEG-4 h.264 and with AAC audio (even my Apline car stereo plays AAC), both of which are open standards, unlike Flash.

Sorry, I was not clear enough; more specifically I meant the protected AAC files, that can only be played on Apple audio players (iTunes, iPod) and one Motorola phone as far as I know. Depends on how the .mov files are made; not all are encoded with H264.

I don't begrudge Apple for its closed ecosystem; there are many times such a system makes sense. However, to lambast others for being proprietary while you do the same thing is the problem many are having.