Apple may ban development of music player application for iPhone
By Will Park on Thursday, March 20th, 2008 at 2:31 PM PST In Apple, Developer, Rumors, iPhone, iPhone OS
Talk about lockdown. In a move that should make anti-trust litigators foam at the mouth, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has reportedly banned the development of any music player application for the iPhone.
The new iPhone SDK apparently restricts applications from accessing iTunes functions, effectively prohibiting developers from accessing the iTunes music library or expanding on the iPhone’s music-player. That means services like Amazon and eMusic will most likely be unable to create an iPhone application that allows iPhone users to purchase and download music outside of Apple’s iTunes (desktop or iPhone-based).
We’ll have to see how this pans out. The banning of any application accessing the iPhone’s music files or the development of an music applications outside of iTunes may be a veritable pitcher of sweat tea to the buzzing swarms of lawyers waiting to file suit against Apple. But, if Steve Jobs’ past decisions are any indicator, he might just try to lock down the iPhone’s music capabilities. The iPhone’s music capabilities are pretty impressive as it is already.
[Via: MacWorld]
+1 reason to hate the fruit company
+2 I prefer peaches
Apple starts to be like Communist China. Ban this, restrict that…another reason why i never touch any product with a half eaten fruit logo. Which to me like a spoiled produce. Why should anybody crazed about leftover is beyond understanding.
Why shouldn’t they!!, they develop a phone and software costing them millions, its up to them what they do with it.
Would you spend millions on a product then let other people hack it for nothing!, dont think so
You hate apple cus your jealous, no other reason
Hey Lowey,
Jealous? give me a break!. I spent $2000 USD on a toy heli just for laugh, but never a cent on Apple products. Never mind their engineering talent, as an engineer myself i know what is good and what is left out.I just don’t like their communist marketing philosophy ” Our vision and implementation is beyond question” approach, and others jumping on the band wagon just to be patriotic Americans helping it along with over-praises and hype. The public bought it because Apple has symbolize the American know-how at the beachhead in the face of technological onslaught from foreign countries. There is plenty other products out there that stand proud with their merits without nationally concerted hype and promo. Remember the demonizing frenzy of Iraq’s WMD? Every scribe with a pen, keyboard or intenet connection joined in the fun. So, cut the propaganda crap and see the Ipod, and Apple for what they were: 20% solid innovative engineering, and 80% overhyped crap!
To all those Apple haters. You know that the reasons Apple is Apple today is because of their control on what is allowed on their awesome devices and machines and I am all for it. Apple products are awesome because of this very fact. To the one who wrote “another reason why i never touch any product with a half eaten fruit logo”. I think you can’t afford Apple products.
There are less control products and that is called Microsoft. Go and try their Zune product.
John, kidding?
Large touch screen and UI are the only good things in iphone. All hype and no features.
Right. John. 80% or more of the world chose differently than yours. Drive your F1 Mclaren or Ferraris, turn up your nose and leave the thinking to us foul smelling commoners…
Vinnie,
You really are totally jealous of the apple, and just wont admit it!, john, very well said.
The majority of mp3 players are apple and the iphone is a great add on to this already massive and fantastic company who produce great products and support them properly.
Nothing to do with politics or being american, im english, from the UK and buy quality products that happen to be made by apple!!
I’ve heard no one ever whined about not being able to create another music app on the Mac. Could it be that people are rushing to the iPhone hoping to cheaply piggyback on a device they think will make them loads of money or give them the 15-min of fame? The iPhone and iPod are great devices as they are even w/o any 3rd party wares. Let’s see how good/crappy the new apps done with the ‘limitations’ in the SDK first before rushing to the “if only they allow this or that…” paper ware argument to judge Apple. If you don’t like Apple don’t buy its products and don’t waste your creative talents developing for it. If you want to develop for a platform, any platform, show us how good you really are by following the rules or hack around them.
It would be nice to have a music player app on the iphone with some visuall effects instead of using the stock player. Since there is no pluggin support for the stock player, I can see plenty of legit reasons for people to develop an enhanced player.
It would be laughable for Apple to try this -
but it’s just plain scary because they have a good chance of pulling it off.
To you Apple fanboys… the reason people would like a different music playing app is something
that the majority of Apple users fail to understand: FUNCTIONALITY.
Apple are trying to dominate the music market (of course they are – look at how much money they
are making off it). I don’t blame them for this, it’s good business sense. They use their iTunes DB and music store to
try to force users to use iTunes. If you use iTunes, you are more likely to use the iTunes store.
If you use the iTunes store and iTunes, you are more likely to buy an iPhone. Then you might by a mac. Etc. etc.
Luckily for those of us who prefer freedom and functionality, there are other ways.
I don’t use iTunes at all, yet I can put video, music and photos on my iPhone using a file
browser from my computer (just like moving files to an external drive). These can be of
almost any format. I use linux which isn’t even supported or acknowledged by Apple. My iPhone
could do more than the 3.0 firmware allowed a year before Apple released it. I can wirelessly
sync my iPhone. I can move files to and from my home computer from anywhere in the world
via my iPhone!
Oh, and all of this is 100% FREE.
Apple’s stranglehold on the iPhone app market is disadvantaging every iPhone user.
The iPhone is an excellent piece of hardware, and has the potential to be a truly amazing
device if you forsake Apple’s pathetic attempt to strangle the software market.
So, next time you jump to defend Apple, just think about how much you’re missing out on.
I don’t know what are you guys babbling about. In the end, Apple have the final say about this. LOL!.
Apple is doing business and it is their call to limit any access to any of their own products. If you decide to plant a peach tree in your backyard because you like to eat peaches so much, can your neighbor say no?
All of you who complained here are obviously jealous, or you are one of them pirates, who wants everything for free.
Nuff said.