There was an Apple/Flash feud that started last spring. App programmers were a little puzzled that Apple actually let up in their statement on Thursday to relax iPad and iPhone app restrictions on developing tools. Apple also explained its app approval guidelines could be made public shortly, adding to the shock. Adobe’s common app toolkit is now part of Steve Job’s app authorization process although Apple didn’t actually announce Flash was the reason for the change. Adobe stock went up a ton after the Apple statement hit news.
Fight Apple-Flash player had
Apple made a list of approved languages that iPhone and iPad apps could be made on, which is why last April, the Apple-Flash player fight began. PC World reports that Apple’s policy excluded Adobe Flash CS5 Flash Packager for iPhone and iPad. Adobe CS5 was mostly used for the iPhone with the Flash Packager. The iPhone’s other platforms were what the Adobe’s Flash cross-platform toolkit was made for. Then there was Steve Jobs. He thought that was a terrible plan. That has changed. It was different before. All was better Thursday. Now developers can use Flash to build an app that runs on both Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android, while only having to publish it once.
Public gets to see app approval process for Apple
Apple’s draconian app approval process has not only been modified, it is being made public. The Apple App Store Review Guidelines used to be secret rules that decided on whether or not the iPhone or iPad would allow the developer’s app to be used. As outlined by Wired, “fart apps” or junk applications, were starting to be more and more as the App Store authorization kept flight development talent from making any iPhone and iPad apps. Before Thursday’s announcement, developers wouldn’t know if they had broken a rule until their app was rejected by Apple. There was so much wasted time because of this. Money was wasted by it as well. Programmers just want to know what the rules are, although what they are does not really matter, says Wired.
Why Apple changed its tune
Apple will open app development to Adobe Flash and other third-party tools and make App Store Review Guidelines public — but the company didn’t say why. Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Fortune is just one of the bloggers that has made his own opinion on what happened. DeWitt says that most think it has to do with competition, regulation and developer feedback. He dismissed feedback straight away, given Apple’s history of forcing developers to bend to its whims. There is a good chance the Android-powered smartphones and Android tablets are part of this. Apple likely feels threatened by it all. The Federal Trade Commission has additionally been investigating Apple’s ban on cross-development platforms which happened with the Apple/Flash feud. Apple isn’t as lucky as Adobe. Adobe got what it wanted.
PC World
pcworld.com/article/205114/apple_lifts_app_store_approval_shroud_for_developers.html?tk=hp_new
Wired
wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/09/apple-lifts-app-store-flash-ban-publishes-app-review-rules/
Fortune
tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/09/09/why-did-apple-lift-its-ban-on-flash/
