> there's a lot of supposition in the whole "Apple is going to lock the Mac down" line of thought.
True. Actually, I doubt they will lock it down.
However: Apple's online stores, beginning with iTunes, and heading into the various app stores, have been a huge success, and, from a business standpoint, they would be foolish not to do something almost identical for the Mac. (I know they're going to do it; it's the "almost identical" part that I'm pointing out.)
And then, of course, from developers' point of view, Apple has created something wonderful. It is now possible to sell a file for $1/copy, never deal directly with end users, and make decent money at it. So given a Mac app store, developers signing on is obvious.
The result is that, even if the OS itself is not locked down (which, as I said, I consider unlikely), we end up with a situation in which getting quality software requires giving Apple control of your machine.
That is what I consider unacceptable. Quality software is why I bought a Mac. Linux's opennness, scriptability, etc., is great, but there is nothing on Linux with anywhere near the polish and usability of iMovie, GarageBand, etc. Nor will there be for some time, I think. And when that kind of thing moves over to the we-run-your-computer world, then I don't see any options left for a home computer I'd be willing to buy.
But I doubt it will be. For example, Apple's current app store is not merely an installation mechanism; it also allows them, to disable apps they don't want running on your machine. And after 30 years of flailing around, Apple has finally found a business model that works for them. I expect them, therefore, to copy as much of it as they can on the Mac.
Every time I run an install from a bit of software I've bought whether it be on CD or download, it could do pretty much anything it wants given (many of them demand root access). Apple or Microsoft could already use software updates to disable anything they don't like if they wished (and could probably do it far more subtly by introducing a minor incompatibility in the OS). How is this any different?
The reason they don't completely screw people's machine isn't technical, it's commercial, it would be utter suicide. That applies to Apple as much as anyone else and the app store doesn't change that (the kill switch for iOS has never been used in the three years it's been there).
The difference is a contractual one. If I bought some program, and an Apple software update deleted it, I might sue them. And I might win. But if Apple uses the iOS kill switch, then they are within their rights.
The difference is similar to that between a plumber I call in now & then to fix some pipes, and a plumber who gets a key to my house, and my written permission to do anything he wants, whenever he wants. Both of them have the capability to rearrange my plumbing in any way they want. But the latter is scarier.
True. Actually, I doubt they will lock it down.
However: Apple's online stores, beginning with iTunes, and heading into the various app stores, have been a huge success, and, from a business standpoint, they would be foolish not to do something almost identical for the Mac. (I know they're going to do it; it's the "almost identical" part that I'm pointing out.)
And then, of course, from developers' point of view, Apple has created something wonderful. It is now possible to sell a file for $1/copy, never deal directly with end users, and make decent money at it. So given a Mac app store, developers signing on is obvious.
The result is that, even if the OS itself is not locked down (which, as I said, I consider unlikely), we end up with a situation in which getting quality software requires giving Apple control of your machine.
That is what I consider unacceptable. Quality software is why I bought a Mac. Linux's opennness, scriptability, etc., is great, but there is nothing on Linux with anywhere near the polish and usability of iMovie, GarageBand, etc. Nor will there be for some time, I think. And when that kind of thing moves over to the we-run-your-computer world, then I don't see any options left for a home computer I'd be willing to buy.