# I just returned my iPad. Anyone else? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2010, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148 "2010-05-12T04:59:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/21 "2010-05-14T16:17:44Z")
What’s really funny is that Jobs says Flash is bad since it’s closed. LMAO. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/22 "2010-05-14T16:28:32Z")
> [@Rex\_Goliath](#): > > Tech people use the analogy of a [walled garden](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walled_garden_(technology)) to describe Apple’s cumbersome, anti-user stance on products they pay for. [This](http://blogs.forrester.com/sarah_rotman_epps/10-05-14-curated_computing_designing_post_ipad_era) is an interesting analysis from Forrester Research that points out some benefits of the approach and points out that the target customer is not ‘Tech people’, it is our mothers. > [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > What’s really funny is that Jobs says Flash is bad since it’s closed. LMAO. Well, according to this [guy](http://log.valhallaisland.com/post/596483252), to develop with Flash, you have to purchase a $600 (proprietary) software package from Adobe. With XCode you develop with a free (proprietary) software package from Apple - or use truly open HTML authoring tools. His bottom line is: \*"Adobe: not open, claim to be. Apple: not open, don’t claim to be, contribute heavily to that which is truly open." - ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/23 "2010-05-14T16:57:01Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Well, according to this [guy](http://log.valhallaisland.com/post/596483252), to develop with Flash, you have to purchase a $600 (proprietary) software package from Adobe. With XCode you develop with a free (proprietary) software package from Apple - or use truly open HTML authoring tools. XCode only runs on OSX, doesn’t it? So you need to buy a whole computer from Apple in order to develop iPhone/iPad apps. (And I’m not sure what you meant by “HTML authoring tools,” are you just pointing out that iPhones can view HTML?) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/24 "2010-05-14T17:01:07Z")
> [@Rex\_Goliath](#): > > Sorry, poor wording. You’re absolutely right. You can listen on a PC, through officially approved Apple software. My, the freedom Apple allows you is almost too much. This is, simply, a lie. I can listen to a song/watch a movie, etc. via a great number of software programs that don’t have a damn thing to do with Apple. Did you want to just admit you don’t know what you’re talking about, or do you want to make some more unsubstantiated lies? ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/25 "2010-05-14T17:04:59Z")
> [@Rex\_Goliath](#): > > Sorry, poor wording. You’re absolutely right. You can listen on a PC, through officially approved Apple software. My, the freedom Apple allows you is almost too much. This has changed for music. Itunes no longer has DRM on it. It has been this way for more than a year. You get ACC files which can be used on a great number of devices without any connection to Apple. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/26 "2010-05-14T17:09:43Z")
Apple just made it harder to write an iPhone/iPad app. They no longer allow other tools to be used other than their stuff. I know of a guy who stopped working on an app due to this. It’s pretty clear that Apple is very nervous about Android - a perfect example is Jobs recent claim that Android “has a porn store” which is a bold faced lie. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/27 "2010-05-14T17:22:25Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > XCode only runs on OSX, doesn’t it? So you need to buy a whole computer from Apple in order to develop iPhone/iPad apps. > > (And I’m not sure what you meant by “HTML authoring tools,” are you just pointing out that iPhones can view HTML?) Well, a computer is pretty much a given for both Flash or XCode development (without cost arguments, please). With HTML, CSS and Javascript you can create perfectly functional web based applications (like the GMail app) with open tools. Quite a bit more than just viewing HTML. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/28 "2010-05-14T17:43:26Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > This is, simply, a lie. I can listen to a song/watch a movie, etc. via a great number of software programs that don’t have a damn thing to do with Apple. Did you want to just admit you don’t know what you’re talking about, or do you want to make some more unsubstantiated lies? For God’s sake, Munch. Just because something is not true doesn’t make it a lie. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/29 "2010-05-14T17:58:07Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > For God’s sake, Munch. Just because something is not true doesn’t make it a lie. Fair enough. Doesn’t mean it isn’t deliberately ignorant though. There are plenty of reasons to bag on Apple - there’s no need to make shit up. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/30 "2010-05-14T18:10:15Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Well, a computer is pretty much a given for both Flash or XCode development (without cost arguments, please). Yeah, but for someone who already has a Windows system and a full set of Windows software, this represents a whole additional computer that needs to be purchased and maintained. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/31 "2010-05-14T18:13:03Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > This is, simply, a lie. I can listen to a song/watch a movie, etc. via a great number of software programs that don’t have a damn thing to do with Apple. Are you saying I can purchase a movie from the iTunes Store and view it with some software other than iTunes/Quicktime? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/32 "2010-05-14T18:22:08Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Are you saying I can purchase a movie from the iTunes Store and view it with some software other than iTunes/Quicktime? From [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4V): > [@](#): > > Besides Apple iTunes and Apple QuickTime Player, M4V files can also be opened and played with the version of Windows Media Player included with Windows 7, Media Player Classic, RealNetworks RealPlayer, and VideoLAN VLC media player. The format, with DRM removed, can also be played in the webOS Video Player for use on the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi smartphones. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/33 "2010-05-14T18:26:02Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Yeah, but for someone who already has a Windows system and a full set of Windows software, this represents a whole additional computer that needs to be purchased and maintained. That’s true of anytime you’re developing for multiple systems. Linux is totally open source and I don`t know anybody who would develop for Linux on Windows or OS X. They’d work on Linux. In fact, I’d say it’s a totally ridiculous objection. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/34 "2010-05-14T18:36:48Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Yeah, but for someone who already has a Windows system and a full set of Windows software, this represents a whole additional computer that needs to be purchased and maintained. > [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > That’s true of anytime you’re developing for multiple systems. Linux is totally open source and I don`t know anybody who would develop for Linux on Windows or OS X. They’d work on Linux. In fact, I’d say it’s a totally ridiculous objection. Also, for the professional desktop software business (where I have spent 30 years), the cost of hardware is trivial compared to staff and marketing expenses. If you are doing hobby development, then you have to choose your hobby platform. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/35 "2010-05-14T19:09:01Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Yeah, but for someone who already has a Windows system and a full set of Windows software, this represents a whole additional computer that needs to be purchased and maintained. Businesses don’t worry about such mundane things. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/36 "2010-05-14T20:30:28Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Businesses don’t worry about such mundane things. But they do care about the $600 Adobe software license? ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/37 "2010-05-14T21:11:23Z")
Buying _a_ Mac is not the problem. It’s buying multiple Macs for development, testing and Q/A. It’s acquiring or training expertise in the separate tools, which are not transferable to other projects. The only reason we no longer produce iPhone versions of our mobile apps is because we are a small company and cannot afford the expense of Jobs’ mandated tools. We already have the Adobe tools, because we use them for other projects. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/38 "2010-05-14T21:55:25Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > From [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4V): Ah, but you only answered half his question. > [@scr4](#): > > Are you saying I can **purchase** a movie from the iTunes Store and view it with some software other than iTunes/Quicktime? Bolding mine. I can easily play m4v files on my Windows computer. It’s not a problem. Can you tell how i can purchase such a file from Apple without installing the iTunes application? ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/39 "2010-05-15T14:06:48Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > But they do care about the $600 Adobe software license? Touché. Although looking at **Cerowyn** ’s post, there are little mom-and-pop’s that can’t compete. Technically those are businesses, too, and it does appear that they worry about both the meager cost of computers and their Adobe software. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148/40 "2010-05-15T14:59:01Z")
You can buy downloaded music from other sources such as Amazon. iTunes is not the only way to buy music online. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-returned-my-ipad-anyone-else/539148.md?page=3)