"5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G", Recommends the FreeRunner.

Dylan Semler dylan.semler at gmail.com
Sat Jul 12 06:00:48 CEST 2008


On Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 9:56 PM, Kelvie Wong <kelvie at ieee.org> wrote:

> On Friday, July 11, 2008 19:56:29 Marco Trevisan (Treviño) wrote:
> > Nigel wrote:
> > > http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/5-reasons-to-avoid-iphone-3g/
> >
> > Thanks for sharing this. Please, to reach more people digg it at:
> > http://digg.com/linux_unix/5_reasons_to_avoid_iPhone_3G
> >
> > Thanks!
>
> Or, digg the original at:
> http://digg.com/linux_unix/5_real_reasons_to_avoid_iPhone_3G
>
>
I wouldn't want to promote that article too much.  It's written like it's
complete FUD: it makes outrageous claims and doesn't cite any sources.  I
myself have a hard time believing two of the five points:

*  "iPhone completely blocks free software. Developers must pay a tax to
Apple, who becomes the sole authority over what can and can't be on
everyone's phones."  I can believe that Apple has authority over some
central official repository of software, but do they really prevent people
from distributing software independently?  If there is no way to get
software on the iPhone without going through Apple, how does anyone test
their applications before releasing them?  If there is a way to distribute
software indepentent of Apple, do iPhones check the liscense of the app and
"completely block free software"?

*  "iPhone won't play patent- and DRM-free formats like Ogg Vorbis and
Theora."  If you can install third-party apps, you can probably install
third-party codecs and media players.

The tone of the article deminishes the credibilty of the auther and it's
obvious he's trying to push his agenda.  I would argue that this article
serves the author at the detriment of the free software movement.  It
provides him a public avenue to vent about the iPhone while the lies and
exaggerations alianate those who don't know or care about free software.  A
well written article with actual analysis and citations that doesn't resort
to slander or exaggeration would do much, much more for the free software
movement; for an example, see [1] about Windows Vista.

[1] http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html
-- 
Dylan

Type faster. Use Dvorak:
http://dvzine.org
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