One of the hottest debates in tech right now is around Apple’s latest ban on unapproved development environments for iPhone/iPad application development. It underscores perhaps the most incendiary ideology that fuels the fire of Apple critics around the web, Apple’s closed ecosystem. Despite the potential and probable existence of anti-Adobe undertones in this policy, this decision impacts other development camps including .NET. It also adds yet another dimension to Apple’s application review process which has been at the center of the debate. Is this the straw the broke the camel’s back and sends developers running to the open environment promoted by Google? Unlikely, and here are three reasons why.

Supply and Demand, Economics 101
I suspect people will continue buying Apple products if they continue to develop high quality products with the user experience in mind. As long as that is happening, developers will continue to develop for the platform. Classic case of supply and demand. Developers aren’t going to ignore the potential of a large consumer base because of some ideological debate(maybe some will according to this Facebook Group).

Apple Continues to Provide The Best User Experience
Say what you will about Apple’s closed environment(God knows this has been talked to death), but the iPhone has created a user experience unparalleled to any other mobile platform to date. Don’t just believe the sales numbers(which should be enough evidence of this) but also check out the customer satisfaction of smartphone owners. Before Apple’s closed ecosystem, the so-called open ecosystem was anything but innovative. Mobile Applications were mediocre at best and the often only purchased by early adopters(like myself) and professionals. They provided utility, but crappy UI’s and a lackluster user experience. The iPhone’s innovative user experience kickstarted the mobile internet into what it is today.

Follow the Money Trail
So will developers and investors(you know, the guys that pay the developers) leave this ecoysystem? The answer is “no way in hell.” That would not be smart business. Just ask KPCB(tier 1 VC) if they plan on shutting down their 200 million dollar iFund. For developers and entrepreneurs to simply ignore this opportunity would be leaving money on the table, and while some developers are not driven by money, whoever is paying the bills is.

If Apple loses the battle for the mobile web(in the market it cares about) it won’t be a result of this policy, but instead the success of competing platforms like Android to provide the user with better alternatives.

Apple, Development

Technology

I found one person who has no plans to buy iPad 1.0: James McQuivey, a VP at Forrester Research. He’s less than impressed with Apple’s latest offering and if he buys an iPad in the future it will be in 2011 or beyond (when the second generation comes out). While the “Kindle Killer” chant is growing louder among iPad reviewers, he still has lots of love for Amazon.

Expounding on his blog, he argues that Amazon’s business model is not jeopardized by the iPad because “Amazon is in this for the long term customer relationship. They actually don’t care if you want to buy their device they just care that you want to buy content from them in perpetuity.” Beyond Amazon, he sees Sony and Google as the iPad’s top competitors…

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First, take a deep breath and repeat after me. “Competition is a good thing.” Apple, Google, Amazon, and Sony all have fanboys. Some more passionate than others. Apple fans are constantly under fire and that only makes them even more fanatic. The main criticism is that Apple produces shiny products with little substance. It is often said by techies “If you are in the know, there are better alternatives to Apple’s closed ecosystem.”

Strangely enough, the tech capital of the US, Silicon Valley is one of Apple’s most successful regions. And while Apple’s products do have sex appeal, they are masters of what I believe to be the most important aspect of consumer hardware and software, usability. This I believe is what the three challengers must figure out to beat the champ and Apple has a huge head start.

Sony – Usability has not typically been Sony’s strength in consumer technology, so I say Nay.
Amazon – When I make a purchase from Amazon, it isn’t because they have a captivating shopping experience. The price is right and I trust the vendors. Amazon is somewhat new to the hardware and software game, but they have some really bright minds. To be continued…
Google – Google is certainly not new to the software game. They’ve had lots of experience with user interfaces, but their products continue to fail at offering a unified experience. To me Google is a bit of a mixed bag. Some products have simple interfaces(gmail), while others seem to be a bit peculiar and awkward (google reader and google docs). Android has come a long way, and like Amazon, Google has access to some of the most talented minds in tech.

If I had to make a decision, I’d put my money on Google being Apple’s biggest competitor in the years to come and for Amazon to continue to excel in its core competencies of internet commerce.

Posted via web from Warren’s posterous

Apple

Technology

Applications like Skitch really spoil you. Taking screenshots is an easy task on the Mac. Command + Shift + 4 lets you take a screenshot of a specific area on the screen, while Command + Shift + 3 takes a screenshot of the whole display and pastes the image right on your dekstop. But when you want to share that screenshot with others, or mark it up, you have to start adding other applications to your workflow. Skitch puts an end to that. No longer a well kept secret, Skitch has been covered by many blogs and I suspect will not be in beta much longer. The product feels rather complete, despite the other competitors out there like Layers and littlesnapper. Both of these apps are stacked with more features than Skitch, but Skitch just works. If you want to take a screenshot, make some minor edits, mark it up a bit, and post it to the web all in one swoop, Skitch has you covered. I couldn’t imagine this workflow more economically streamlined. By the way, it’s free.

Apple, Software, Technology layers, littlesnapper, screenshots, skitch

Technology

Technology

Technology

Technology

Silicon Valley is a sexy place. Not in the same way that the cities of Miami, NYC, or San Diego are sexy. The ideology of silicon valley promotes entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation, self-starting, team building, meritocracies, and insomnia. OK, well not literally insomnia, but not sleeping is a badge of honor. That ideology is sexy and it’s like gravity in that It draws people into its field of influence but it also leaves a lot of bodies in it’s wake.

ReadWriteStart’s last article titled “Are You Really an Entrepreneur?” is a a great post that emphasizes some of the less sexy, but realistic elements of being an entrepreneur. Anyone interested in starting a company should check out the article. I don’t think it should discourage individuals from going after their dreams, but hopefully it will better prepare them for what is to come. This will likely improve the outcome of a new venture since proper planning can overcome many challenges faced by an entrepreneur.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the article:

• Put down “The 4-Hour Workweek”; it is a myth that the author spun to sell books (so that he could work 4 hours a week).
• There will be long periods of time when everyone around you questions your sanity, and on all normal metrics (hours worked and stress endured vs. material rewards gained), they would be right.
• The entrepreneur is an odd mix: part dreamer, part brutal realist and pragmatist.
• Entrepreneurs have to be generalists. They may know one thing very, very well. But they also have to know enough about almost everything else to occasionally do those things themselves, and have the judgment to eventually hire the right people to do those things.

And people wonder why only a few startups are successful…

Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship, readwritestart, silicon valley, startups