Apple Is Growing Rotten To The Core, And It’s Likely AT&T’s Fault

by foppr on 7/28/2009, 12:42 AM with 62 comments
  • by blasdel on 7/28/2009, 2:23 AM

    Oh man, AT&T might be rotten, but Verizon is actively evil when it comes to this. Like cackling Emperor Palpatine levels of evil.

    They heavily modify the software running on the phones they sell, and they don't allow any others on their network.

      Modifications include:
  * Shoving their logo into every orifice
  * Leasing you access to the GPS chip in your phone (or even the E911 data)
  * disabling all file transfer methods to try to get you to pay for MMS
  * disabling native Exchange support to upsell you to enterprise bullshit
  * blocking any media content that doesn't come through their bizdev
  * Still pushing motherfucking WAP (Gopher over telegram, I tell you)

  • by mcantelon on 7/28/2009, 3:08 AM

    I am quite happy to invest my time learning Android. Apple has taken Microsoft's place as the biggest bully on the block.

  • by mdxch on 7/28/2009, 2:45 AM

    On the flipside, cheers to T-Mobile for not squashing this fantastic app on their Android phones. I love my G1.

  • by zacharypinter on 7/28/2009, 1:11 AM

    Though it's probably questionable for Techcrunch to keep posting about the same story, I think Apple's anti-competitive practices deserve the extra notice.

  • by ntoshev on 7/28/2009, 7:48 AM

    Why edit the bit that contains actual information out of the the title?

    Official Google Voice App Blocked From App Store

  • by jsz0 on 7/28/2009, 1:24 AM

    "Palm, if you’re looking for marketing material — take note."

    They can't. They don't offer a Google Voice client either. The SDK they have released (that doesn't let you publish apps yet) doesn't appear to be capable of it either. Good marketing material for RIM perhaps.

  • by callmeed on 7/28/2009, 4:25 AM

    It's funny how helpful and nice T-Mobile was when I brought in my unlocked iPhone. They got me setup on a pay-as-you-go plan in no time.

    After 2 years of being a loyal customer, AT&T shut my account off for "excessive use of partner coverage" ... even after repeated begging and pleading, they wouldn't restore my service.

    Sometimes it feels like they don't want my money.

  • by awolf on 7/28/2009, 3:23 AM

    I hate to jump on any sensationalist bandwagons, but shame on Apple.

    Of course this a techcrunch article- so I have to ask: is there any other side to this they are leaving out?

  • by dpatru on 7/28/2009, 3:47 AM

    Seems like this might be an anti-trust issue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_Antitrust_Act

  • by tybris on 7/28/2009, 10:01 AM

    Apple is the most closed software company I know of. I see no reason to blame it on someone else.

  • by stavrianos on 7/28/2009, 2:00 AM

    There's gotta be a way outside of the App Store to get software onto the iPhone, right? If nothing else, developers gotta test their apps out. If that whole process (whatever it is) were wrapped into a neat little app, an entirely new distribution channel could be opened up. Has this happened yet? And if not (I assume not), why not?

    edit: not an iphone app, a regular-type computer app.

  • by bigwill on 7/28/2009, 10:43 AM

    As an iPhone developer, Apple vs. developers reminds me a hell of a lot of the MPAA vs. filmmakers as documented in "This Film is Not Yet Rated". The more I've experienced, the more it amazes me how true this analogy is.

  • by lallysingh on 7/28/2009, 6:57 AM

    I'd like a moratorium to stop Apple puns.

    It's just sickeningly bad.

  • by jodrellblank on 7/28/2009, 1:27 AM

    It’s Likely AT&T’s Fault [..] it’s not hard to guess who’s behind the restriction: our old friend AT&T. [..]Apple is now actively stifling innovation [..] All the more upsetting is that this comes from the company that Steve Jobs built. [..]

    Make your mind up! Is it AT&T or Apple you want to whine about?