Thanks Josh! :) Can I also put a bit of another spin on this thread?
People are talking about Apple having serious restrictions on app functionality and App Store approval; at least the guidelines for creating successful and approvable apps are clearly laid out in Apple's Human Interface Guidelines. When developing for iOS, if you simply follow these you can be pretty sure your app will cruise right through and quickly show up in the App Store. Within reason of course. :) Android does not adhere to this kind of model, and it shows if you look at the accessibility of many apps on both platforms. On iOS, it's safe to say that many apps, if not completely accessible, are extremely and productively usable for people with disabilities. This is due in part, to Apple's Human Interface Guidelines. The same sort of thing that people are off-handedly referring to as being some form of tyrannical control mechanism. NOw let's contrast this with Android and what do we see? First, we see a platform that cannot even be easily labeled by its own developers because they cannot predict which devices a user will have, which OS said devices will be running, and furthermore, what modifications to that OS version have been made not only by the phone carrier but also or alternatively, by that phone's manufacturer. So in essence what this means is that at this point, the developer at the best of times, is left salvaging the lowest common denominator of features and functions that will work on any given user's device at any given time. This sounds like much more of a wild and unpredictable set of restrictions to a developer really wanting to be creative and free than any supposed restrictions on Apple's part in their particular ecosystem. this is not even taking into account any accessibility needs people might have. When we look at this from an accessibility standpoint, Apple's guidelines start looking mighty clear and open in comparison to the restrictive murk of what Android is now. When you're writing for iOS, you know exactly what the device you are writing for can and cannot do, and you know exactly how to make that happen so your app works well on the device and gives the user the very best experience they can have. Furthermore, as a developer, you not only have access to all of the development tools you need for any given OS, or device that a user will be running, but you have them all in one place. This is a huge advantage to developing productively. So in practice, while people may feel that Apple's so-called restrictions are a problem, when it comes down to it, developing in the real world, Apple is pretty much a cakewalk. This is not to say what platform people should or should not develop for. I just felt I needed to also jump in here a little bit as it seemed like there was a whole lot of speculative rhetoric going on. ;) As Josh says, I also do not necessarily agree with everything that Apple does but in this case, to say that they are really restrictive to their developers is just not accurate. Look, this is a singular platform. Apple spends a great deal of time and money nurturing and growing this platform. This is awesome for us as it means that the support that is integral to these devices also sees this kind of backing. Now people can argue that more can be done, and yes it can, but when this is contrasted with the current catch-as-catch-can approach of accessibility on Android, there is a huge reason to opt for the consistency of a platform like iOS. I hope for the day that Android sees this kind of consistency. I truly do. The more choices we have, the better. For now though, I would urge people to seriously consider the full scope of these kinds of arguments on restrictions and such as they apply to people with varying needs and abilities. Thanks for reading and for a terrific discussion! Y'all rock! Smiles, Cara :) --- iOS design and development - LookTel.com --- View my Online Portfolio at: http://www.onemodelplace.com/CaraQuinn Follow me on Twitter! https://twitter.com/ModelCara On Nov 22, 2013, at 6:01 PM, Draconis <[email protected]> wrote: Just a few thoughts on this thread where regards Apple and developers on their platforms, as Draconis is. The restrictions of the App Stores for iOS and Mac have both pros and cons for both end users and developers alike. There are so many ways in which iOS is a better mobile platform for end users and developers, though, that there is really no competition between it and Android. There is a reason why nearly all developers create apps for iOS first, and many, if not most, are exclusive to iOS. The problems with the restrictions are largely overblown, and only impact certain types of apps. The relaxed approach of the Android Play store has made it a haven for malware and the unwillingness of Android users, overall, to pay for apps a dead-end for many developers. That is before the support and compatibility nightmares of Android are even taken into account. Your mileage may vary. This is what we have found to be true for us. We have gone through the Apple submission and review process for three apps now. ChangeReaction was rejected on the first try with a request to make a very minor addition to the apps main window. Ultimately, this change turned out to serve us well and saved us some headaches going forward. Both SilverDollar and DoItWrite were accepted with no problems whatsoever, which given the size, complexity, and depth of the Draconis Engine we found to be a little surprising. As for your preferences in programming, Tom. All of our apps are 99% or more C++. If you do not like Objective-C, you can avoid using it for the majority of the app. It’s true that you cannot eliminate it entirely, but it is easy to minimize its use to an large degree. It is very easy to throw stones at Apple for the App Store restrictions, but the reality is that there are very good reasons for the vast majority of them. (Notice I do not say all.) People like to exaggerate perceived problems for drama, headlines, attention, or to further their own agenda. I find it ironic that Dark, and plenty of other people, talk about situations like how George Orwell’s intentions with 1984 were misrepresented in an introduction to the book, then promote those who do the same with things like the App Store restrictions. All this being said, I certainly don’t agree with all of Apple’s rules and regulations. But they grow less restrictive all the time as solutions to the technical reasons for many of them are developed and released in iOS. --- Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to [email protected]. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to [email protected].
