Apple's iPhone SDK Press Conference

[Hurmoth]

^ Microsoft announced it will port Silverlight to Nokia phones, but I doubt they'll port it to the iPhone anytime soon though.

[MrA]

Um, this could be a problem (from the SDK agreement):

3.3.2 An Application may not itself install or launch other executable code by any

means, including without limitation through the use of a plug-in architecture, calling other

frameworks, other APIs or otherwise. No interpreted code may be downloaded and used in

an Application except for code that is interpreted and run by Apple's Published APIs and built-

in interpreter(s).

[Menge]

wow at first i was amazed at the SDK's habilities but now i see that they REALLY crippled the SDK with the license and store limitations...

shame. i was REALLY REALLY excited.

[PyX]

We shouldn't care about that, it will help developers to do apps and put them on repositories so jailbroken ipods will be able to download them.

[Elliott]

wow at first i was amazed at the SDK's habilities but now i see that they REALLY crippled the SDK with the license and store limitations...

shame. i was REALLY REALLY excited.

Actually, I'm pretty happy about that limitation. We won't receive crappy Java applications and can instead enjoy the full CocoaTouch glory of these apps. However, I think Apple will allow Sun to do it anyway. Plus, would Sun really announce it without looking through the SDK terms?

[osirisX]

Search is coming to the iPhone OS?

http://blargkaboom.com/2008/03/08/new-feat...ne-software-20/

[Menge]

Actually, I'm pretty happy about that limitation. We won't receive crappy Java applications and can instead enjoy the full CocoaTouch glory of these apps. However, I think Apple will allow Sun to do it anyway. Plus, would Sun really announce it without looking through the SDK terms?

the point is that with the limitations they put, it kind of rules out lots of potentially useful apps.

for instance, the limitation that no 3rd party app can run in the background completely rules out IM clients - because once you do something else, you're offline.

the limitation regarding dynamically loadable code rules out any plugin based program.

and that's just two of the limitations. there are many others included... it's not about if we're gonna get good programs or not. it's about if we're gonna be able to get the programs we need/want or not.

[giga Veteran]

the point is that with the limitations they put, it kind of rules out lots of potentially useful apps.

for instance, the limitation that no 3rd party app can run in the background completely rules out IM clients - because once you do something else, you're offline.

the limitation regarding dynamically loadable code rules out any plugin based program.

and that's just two of the limitations. there are many others included... it's not about if we're gonna get good programs or not. it's about if we're gonna be able to get the programs we need/want or not.

I think there are still some thing we're missing though.

I particularly remember Steve saying in the keynote that the applications would give notification if there's an update--that would at least require some background helper app to be incorporated.

AIM was presented as well at the keynote and I highly doubt it'd be a log in, chat, get a phone call, get disconnected from aim. But if it was, I'd understand--it's just a cell phone with limited amounts resources and they have to ensure that the device is stable.

Think about the things already running in the background: The Phone, SMS, Clock, iPod, and Mail. Put too many at once and problems will come up. It's limiting, but a necessary move imo to keep the platform stable.

[osirisX]

I particularly remember Steve saying in the keynote that the applications would give notification if there's an update--that would at least require some background helper app to be incorporated.

App Store is an Apple app. It would run in the background and check installed app versions against the list it has online and then notify via icon badge.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

None of the main programs on the iPod/iTouch actually run in the background, any ones that have "live updates" just communicate with daemons.

Of course, we can't make daemons with the SDK, which limits the usefulness.