Comments on: An Open Letter to Steve about the iPhone SDK

By: Devin

Devin — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:53:43 +0000

Sorry if I’m an idiot, but I am having a really hard time understanding exactly what you are upset about. It seems you are aware of the upcoming SDK from apple, so you aren’t complaining about the lack of native apps (or are you?). Are you making a distinction between “native apps” and “widgets” (if so, please explain to me how these would be different beasts on the iphone)? Are you upset because there are reports that the SDK will limit apps’ access to certain features of the phone? I’m trying to fully understand what you are saying, I read your letter twice start to finish, am I missing something?

By: htiawe

htiawe — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 14:55:28 +0000

I agree, the open letters are getting a bit too much.

And if you really want Steves secretary to read this (he wont read it himself until it has been deemed interesting) then you should cut down on the “lets write words just because we know them”, put some structure into the text and make your point simple and clear.

But preferably not before the SDK has been released.

By: Richard Pollock

Richard Pollock — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:40:34 +0000

I agree.

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:25:21 +0000

Am I to understand that you are complaining about the lack of an SDK features, the ability to “put 3rd widgets on our iPhones”, prior to the SDK even being released?

Either wait until the SDK is released, so that you can talk facts, or write about the features you hope will be in the SDK.

By: Joseph

Joseph — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:00:23 +0000

As a fellow web developer, I agree with you wholeheartedly.

That being said, I think the simple truth of the matter is that the SDK (either in the form of Mobile Safari-specific HTML and CSS or a native Obj-C SDK) - like the iPhone - simply isn’t done.

Apple pulled peopled off the Leopard project to get the iPhone out in time, and given the obvious features that were left out (MMS, Video, true Exchange support to name a few), it seems painfully clear to me that these apps simply weren’t done. Steve has stated candidly that each of the areas I’ve just named are being worked on, so it’s a waiting game more than anything else.

In short, we’ll have our day. I think 2008 - not 2007 - will be the year of the iPhone, and it’ll be because of developers writing both XHTML+CSS and Obj-C.

By: steve

steve — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:11:30 +0000

I bet all this will happen. I would put a dollar on a new multi touch tablet to coincide with the Iphone / multi touch cocoa sdk……probably a stripped down version of OS X (like apple TV). I bet much of the delay in Iphone apps has to do with the coming tablet and getting things ready for developers to create powerful multi-touch applications….just my guess. just wait….it will come…

By: Ian

Ian — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:07:34 +0000

Um, didn’t Steve say Apple were releasing a n SDK next year?

By: Warren

Warren — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 20:57:12 +0000

I’d recommend proofreading the letter for typos too if you decide to send it. (”very welcomed”, “causal user”, “there’s be”)

By: Honza

Honza — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:27:27 +0000

Me too.

By: Jan Cornelius

Jan Cornelius — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 14:30:19 +0000

In absolute agreement with Eric Crist.

By: Eric Crist

Eric Crist — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:08:44 +0000

Just my two cents, but I’m really, really, really sick of all the ‘open letters’ bloggers are writing. It’s old. How about you write them a letter and send it off?