The demise of a mobile app, Apple cult-style

[JohnDroid]

I remember the famous Apple TV ad from the eighties where a colorful Olympian woman throws a sledge-hammer into the screen of the tyrannical leader that is brain-washing a vast group of grey worker drones, freeing them from their dystopian '1984'-like future. It's sad and ironic, but today it has become obvious that Apple is not the 'hot chick saving the world'... they are the tyrannical leader on the monitor. If you haven't seen the commercial... check it out:

[video=youtube;OYecfV3ubP8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8[/video]

What I am referring to is a recent “banhammer” (isn't that fitting?) on a mobile app for the iPhone from Apple. You may say... so what? Apple has been banning apps for a while now, Google almost never bans an app unless its vulgar or illegal. We already know that Apple is ban-happy.

That is true, but their newest ban today is far more 'tyrannical' than ever before. They denied an app from Danish magazine publisher Media Provider because the app in question was an e-magazine centered around Android.

I understand that it is in their company's best interest to protect the quality of the apps on the iPhone, but to ban something because the content happens to talk about something other than your product is just down-right censorship. They have every right to promote and protect their product, and they are a private company, not a country, so they don't owe anyone to protect free speech. However, it seems obvious to me that this cult-like decision to kill this app speaks volumes about their fears and insecurities regarding their competition.

Apparently, Google has become the hot chick here to save us with the Android sledge-hammer from the clutches of the evil Apple dictator. You can read more about this story over at phandroid.com.

Credit: DGStorm

 

[dtdlurch]

I'm curious....

....was the reason for disapproval the fact that it was an Android devoted app? I mean, it could of had a naked woman holding a Droid as the front cover of the e-magazine and this was the reason.

I don't get why people are so eager to jump on the "hate Apple" bandwagon.

And if Apple is so anti-Google/Android, why do they have tons of podcasts on the topic of Android and even iTunesU classes on developing for Android?

For clarification: I'm not an Apple fanboy. So please don't use this post to flame me for being one. I enjoy some of their products over competitors, while I do not enjoy some of their other products. I have a Droid because I think it is better than an iPhone. I have a MacBook Pro because I think it is better than any other HP/Dell/etc laptop. I also have a nice gaming rig PC, because Macs suck for gaming.

 

[spaz33g]

Form what I read earlier it was pulled not for offensive content. Just because it was android.

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums App

 

[pyro6128]

I don't blame apple. If I owned a large business I certainly wouldn't allow advertising of a competitor on my device. That's just smart business

 

[hookbill]

A little dose of reality here. Why would it be in Apples interest to have an app that centered around android? That's business imho, not censorship.

 

[czerdrill]

not censorship...it's obvious business sense. why would you have something from another company on your product. apple is a private company and they can do as they please. freedom of speech doesn't apply.

 

[Detonation]

From the original source post:

"The CEO [...] said that because the magazine was about Android, it wasn’t allowed into the app store. Here is his conversation with an apple rep.

“So what’s the problem?” Dixon asked, knowing full well what the problem was.
“You know… your magazine,” replied the Apple rep, who identified himself only as Richard. “It’s just about Android…. we can’t have that in our App Store.”

 

[czerdrill]

From the original source post:

"The CEO [...] said that because the magazine was about Android, it wasn’t allowed into the app store. Here is his conversation with an apple rep.

“So what’s the problem?” Dixon asked, knowing full well what the problem was.
“You know… your magazine,” replied the Apple rep, who identified himself only as Richard. “It’s just about Android…. we can’t have that in our App Store.”

...and what is the problem with that?

 

[djchon661]

I don't see how alienating consumers is good business in anyway. I would hope that getting and maintaining customers is the number 1 rule in selling your product.

Sorry IMO this is bad business and just short of censorship.

 

[etx_droid]

Meh, they didn't have to ban it if the only reason is because it's "Android News." Search Apple under the Marketplace and you'll see a few apps that have Apple news...I don't see that as "bad business" for Android. It's about choice, maybe some Apple folks want to keep up with what Android is doing.

 

[elitecmdr666]

and that is one reason i dont buy apple product regardless of how good they might be, he is a dam ignorant and with this move shows that hes very inmature, all he seeks is to take total control of everything that has to do with apple. same as for flash players on the iphone...all its doing is hurting apple in the long run. i hope this company fails which more than likely wont, but when you have a dictator like jobs trying to control the market with his product and control what can and cant be done with the product does not deserve to live, thats why i love android...

 

[Droids]

Quick! Where's my sledge hammer?

 

[czerdrill]

I don't see how alienating consumers is good business in anyway. I would hope that getting and maintaining customers is the number 1 rule in selling your product.

Sorry IMO this is bad business and just short of censorship.

they're a private company...they decide what goes and what stays. i think it's odd that consumers would expect them to just allow everything. they're a business and their end goal is to advance their business. freedom of speech/censorship is irrelevant. i could then argue that droidforums practices censorship because if i post a thread flaming devs, and cursing out the mods and admins, it would get locked/deleted and i'd get banned or warned. hopefully, i have more sense than to think that....

consumers shouldn't expect corporations to let them do whatever they want or not have some kind of say or control in what goes on with their products.

 

[hookbill]

So Budweiser ought to put out a brochure for Miller every once in a while so people can keep up with what's going on?

 

[czerdrill]

So Budweiser ought to put out a brochure for Miller every once in a while so people can keep up with what's going on?

exactly. i think people are just blinded by the hate for apple and forgetting common sense. apple has no reason or need to have anything android related in their app store, and you can't blame them for that.

its like microsoft including a link to "get a macbook pro" on your desktop with every new computer purchase...is that censorship?