Touch: Jobs and the iLiad model

[arivero]

It seems that the cracking of the Touch iPod has triggered the logical answer of S. Jobs: to promise an SDK for february. Pretty like the calendar of the iLiad last year!

Third Party Applications on the iPhone

Let me just say it: We want native third party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an SDK in developers’ hands in February. We are excited about creating a vibrant third party developer community around the iPhone and enabling hundreds of new applications for our users. With our revolutionary multi-touch interface, powerful hardware and advanced software architecture, we believe we have created the best mobile platform ever for developers.

It will take until February to release an SDK because we’re trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once—provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc. This is no easy task. Some claim that viruses and malware are not a problem on mobile phones—this is simply not true. There have been serious viruses on other mobile phones already, including some that silently spread from phone to phone over the cell network. As our phones become more powerful, these malicious programs will become more dangerous. And since the iPhone is the most advanced phone ever, it will be a highly visible target.

Some companies are already taking action. Nokia, for example, is not allowing any applications to be loaded onto some of their newest phones unless they have a digital signature that can be traced back to a known developer. While this makes such a phone less than “totally open,” we believe it is a step in the right direction. We are working on an advanced system which will offer developers broad access to natively program the iPhone’s amazing software platform while at the same time protecting users from malicious programs.

We think a few months of patience now will be rewarded by many years of great third party applications running on safe and reliable iPhones.

Steve

P.S.: The SDK will also allow developers to create applications for iPod touch. [Oct 17, 2007]

[Adam B.]

Funny how similar the two are.

Except iRex hasn't done anything to require signed apps to run, or encrypted the file system. Their release of the SDK, did nothing but open the device up even more. Unlike apple who is trying to keep it open, but still locked down...

I wonder why apple is so concerned with security when Palm and Windows devices have been out on all of the major networks for years without problems. seems like BS posturing to me...

[nekokami]

No, I think it's actually a good idea to take this seriously. Palm may not have a ton of viruses, but Windows does, and part of the reason is its popularity-- the rest is the prevalence of security holes that MS doesn't take seriously, because plugging them would interfere with some functionality MS thinks it wants (or its 3d party or media vendors want, etc.). I don't know how many Windows viruses spread themselves through the cell phone network, but generally the more connected a device is, the more contagious and prone to infection it is. After the security holes Apple opened up with their "widgets" on OSX 10.4 (which I still don't use), I'm glad to see them taking security seriously with a device like the iPhone. Early indications are that this is going to be a tremendously popular device, which makes it a prime target for malware.

Well, that's my 2 jiao, anyway.

[Adam B.]

Originally Posted by nekokami

Palm may not have a ton of viruses, but Windows does

I was talking about the Windows Mobile OS. AFAIK, there are no real viruses out for it.

There may be some malicious apps, but nothing self replicating or unintentionally installable.

[arivero]

Originally Posted by Adam B.

Except iRex hasn't done anything to require signed apps to run, or encrypted the file system. Their release of the SDK, did nothing but open the device up even more. Unlike apple who is trying to keep it open, but still locked down...

We have been really fortunate with the iLiad, both the insiders and the outsiders.

You are right "apple is different". In 1984 (remember the "freedom" ad), and for two years, there was no development in the Macintosh except if you got to buy... an Apple Lisa to run the SDK! I expect some similar trick, except that now it is a BSD architecture and people has been able to write working apps. On the hacked iPod we tested some, and got to run a couple of games and the terminal emulator.

In any case, all the apps, including the browser, were running as root, then doing easy the hack in 1.1.1. So perhaps some guys there inside in Apple are also interested on 3rd party ports.