Apple Thoughts: Is Apple Really the Bully?

"Long before Apple even announced its new iPad, media companies were going nuts about the device, for two reasons. First, they believed they would be able to create apps that would be gorgeous and stunning and way better than anything they've been able to do on a Web browser. Second, money."

Image Credit: Macblogz

Of course the rub, according to this author, is that they have to work with Apple, and that Apple doesn't exactly play nice with others that don't follow along with their vision (think Flash and Adobe). Don't play by our rules and we really don't want to deal with you. His article is meant to serve as a warning to those that want to "play in Apple's garden" and he advises, DON'T DO IT! A recent article at the Mobile Opportunity blog takes a different tact, that it is only about the money, but that Adobe and Apple are both to blame and the customer is the "innocent victim" in all of this. Personally, I don't Apple is a "bully" and I certainly don't think the customer is an innocent victim, however I do agree it is about money.

For developers, if you want to get on an Apple product, you have to play by their rules. Simple as that. If you don't like it, I say go elsewhere. No one is forcing you to write software for Apple's devices. I do feel, and I've posted about this here in the past, that Apple does needs to get their approval process ironed out. If you allow developers (and in this case I think depend on is more appropriate) to provide content, it shouldn't be so confusing for the developers to know what will or won't be allowed. It just makes good business sense, aka it's about the money. But if they don't clarify and iron out the problems, the developer has the option not to write for the platform. This hurts the developer and I think it hurts Apple, at least in the case of the iPhone OS since it is so dependent on developer content. Apple gets this, and from what I've read for the most part does try to work with developers that feel the process hasn't been fair. Again, Apple chooses to work with them and if they decide not to, well, that is also a choice Apple has the right to make. No, I don't think it is very smart from a business perspective, but it is Apple's choice to make.

As far as customers being victims in all this, I think they know full well what they are getting into when they buy an Apple product. Apple makes their own hardware and has tight controls on the software it allows on their machines, common knowledge and when you buy an Apple product. you should be well aware of this fact. So if you buy the device knowing it isn't going to run Flash, I don't think you have any basis for a complaint. Period.

And of course it is about money, that is why they are in business. They can run their business anyway they want to within the boundaries of the law, and if that helps or hurts them, so be it. They will suffer the consequence if they make the wrong decisions, but so far the market appears to be saying "keep going, nice job!" I think Jason Snell hit the nail on the head in his editorial in Macworld when he said "Apple is neither a charity nor a public utility. It's a profit making corporation." But it does remind me of an old saying, "live by the sword, die by the sword."