Saying that Apple has completely stopped piracy is a bold statement. Hackers will always ways to crack systems, and I don't want to say it'll never happen, but I doubt we will find a completely impenetrable security system for software.
Somehow hackers are pirating iPhone apps right now (you can find pirated apps for free to install on jailbroken iphones). I don't know how they are doing it, but if the Mac App Store will work the same way, they've already solved it.
This is all such a distraction from what we all should really be working on: enhancing the web to become the desktop. I really hope the Mac App Store does not take off, as it is a setback for the web to revolutionize desktops.
Actually, the Mac app store could turn that trend on its head.
There are several main attractions of web apps over desktop apps:
* Easier to update/prototype/iterate/etc
* Cross-platform by nature unless you do something stupid
* Easier to charge (piracy is pretty much impossible)
The Mac App Store solves at least the last one. For quite a few developers, that may be enough to make the Mac market more appealing than the web market, which also has its share of disadvantages, such as the difficulty of creating a really great user experience, cross-browser issues, limitations of javascript and browser and the like, hosting costs, and so on.
Yes, there are advantages to native apps, and Apple has made sure to make them sexy and attractive.
But I don't want them to be sexy. I want the web to be sexy. And it can happen. The disadvantages of web development are shrinking quickly as javascript is getting incredible attention and browsers are converging on standards. And the web has the greatest benefit of all: no proprietary-ness, no walled gardens. I know that's overused, but it's very true.
And the web has the greatest benefit of all: no proprietary-ness, no walled gardens.
Web apps typically end up storing all your data on somebody else's system, and they can limit or revoke your access at any time. I don't see how that's less proprietary than local apps.
There's a difference between data and software. Free software important. Free data is important, too, but local/remote storage is a different issue than proprietary/cross-platform software.
Apple didn't stop piracy, but they did something almost as amazing: get the average person to spend money on software. Just look at the anemic PC software sections in any Best Buy. The average person hardly buys any PC software. Maybe a virus scanner and this year's edition of QuickTax. The App Store changed that and opened the market to any developer with $99 to spare. Thanks to the App Store and it's clones, one guy in his basement can now reach millions of customers without negotiating with manufacturers, retailers, or mobile network operators.
This is a matter of preference, but I'm glad that the App Store reinvigorated client apps. I don't see web apps as an inherent good. The best web app interfaces today barely approximate the usability of the desktop software I had on my PC 15 years ago. I'm not thrilled about the ads, either. I'll happily pay for client apps, and I'm thankful the app stores make that possible.
Somehow hackers are pirating iPhone apps right now (you can find pirated apps for free to install on jailbroken iphones). I don't know how they are doing it, but if the Mac App Store will work the same way, they've already solved it.
if i'm not mistaken, on the iphone they've just disabled the kernel checks that require binaries to be signed before running.
Disabling the kernel check means after you take the program off one iPhone, modify the binary to disable any DRM check, you can then copy it to another iPhone which is able to run the unsigned binary.
It's really exposed the emptiness of some of the high-minded excuses pirates have long used. It's no longer expensive software from massive companies with huge revenues. It's no longer 'sticking it to the man'.
Comments
Saying that Apple has completely stopped piracy is a bold statement. Hackers will always ways to crack systems, and I don't want to say it'll never happen, but I doubt we will find a completely impenetrable security system for software.
Somehow hackers are pirating iPhone apps right now (you can find pirated apps for free to install on jailbroken iphones). I don't know how they are doing it, but if the Mac App Store will work the same way, they've already solved it.
This is all such a distraction from what we all should really be working on: enhancing the web to become the desktop. I really hope the Mac App Store does not take off, as it is a setback for the web to revolutionize desktops.
Actually, the Mac app store could turn that trend on its head.
There are several main attractions of web apps over desktop apps:
* Easier to update/prototype/iterate/etc
* Cross-platform by nature unless you do something stupid
* Easier to charge (piracy is pretty much impossible)
The Mac App Store solves at least the last one. For quite a few developers, that may be enough to make the Mac market more appealing than the web market, which also has its share of disadvantages, such as the difficulty of creating a really great user experience, cross-browser issues, limitations of javascript and browser and the like, hosting costs, and so on.
Yes, there are advantages to native apps, and Apple has made sure to make them sexy and attractive.
But I don't want them to be sexy. I want the web to be sexy. And it can happen. The disadvantages of web development are shrinking quickly as javascript is getting incredible attention and browsers are converging on standards. And the web has the greatest benefit of all: no proprietary-ness, no walled gardens. I know that's overused, but it's very true.
And the web has the greatest benefit of all: no proprietary-ness, no walled gardens.
Web apps typically end up storing all your data on somebody else's system, and they can limit or revoke your access at any time. I don't see how that's less proprietary than local apps.
There's a difference between data and software. Free software important. Free data is important, too, but local/remote storage is a different issue than proprietary/cross-platform software.
Apple didn't stop piracy, but they did something almost as amazing: get the average person to spend money on software. Just look at the anemic PC software sections in any Best Buy. The average person hardly buys any PC software. Maybe a virus scanner and this year's edition of QuickTax. The App Store changed that and opened the market to any developer with $99 to spare. Thanks to the App Store and it's clones, one guy in his basement can now reach millions of customers without negotiating with manufacturers, retailers, or mobile network operators.
This is a matter of preference, but I'm glad that the App Store reinvigorated client apps. I don't see web apps as an inherent good. The best web app interfaces today barely approximate the usability of the desktop software I had on my PC 15 years ago. I'm not thrilled about the ads, either. I'll happily pay for client apps, and I'm thankful the app stores make that possible.
I think the move from $40 apps to $1-5 apps had a lot more to do with things. A lot easier to buy cheap stuff, and a lot less incentive to pirate.
Somehow hackers are pirating iPhone apps right now (you can find pirated apps for free to install on jailbroken iphones). I don't know how they are doing it, but if the Mac App Store will work the same way, they've already solved it.
if i'm not mistaken, on the iphone they've just disabled the kernel checks that require binaries to be signed before running.
http://www.saurik.com/id/8
i'm not sure how apple is doing it on osx because it has to run lots of binaries that will never be signed.
Disabling the kernel check means after you take the program off one iPhone, modify the binary to disable any DRM check, you can then copy it to another iPhone which is able to run the unsigned binary.
I have to say, I really don't understand piracy when you're talking about a lot of sub $5 apps.
But then again, it seems like a lot of people have issues paying $3 for an app on a device that conceivably costs hundreds of dollars.
It's really exposed the emptiness of some of the high-minded excuses pirates have long used. It's no longer expensive software from massive companies with huge revenues. It's no longer 'sticking it to the man'.
It's frankly kind of pathetic.