Why I use Linux (reason #457)
I intensely dislike proprietary, closed-source operating systems. Over the past three years, I’ve fired up my old Windows laptop exactly three times: once a year at tax time. And, as much as I admire Apple laptops, I wouldn’t consider buying one because I love Linux too much.
Why do I distrust Apple? Here’s an example:
Apple is famous for going to absurd lengths to enforce its patents and trademarks. It recently sued Amazon for calling its app store Appstore. And it has publicly lectured competitors to “create their own original technology, not steal ours.”
But the company isn’t always as fastidious about respecting the ideas of others. Consider the case of UK-based developer Greg Hughes. Last year, his app for wirelessly syncing iPhones with iTunes libraries was unceremoniously rejected from the official App Store. The software developer took the denial in stride, submitting Wi-Fi Sync to the Cydia store for jailbroken iPhones, where the app is a top seller.
Fast forward to Monday, when Apple unveiled a set of new features for the upcoming iOS 5, including the same wireless-syncing functionality. Cupertino wasn’t even subtle about the appropriation, using the precise name and a near-identical logo to market the technology.
The logo is a total rip-off. It’s sickening enough Apple killed the guy’s software — which would have made him a fortune because he earned close to $500,000 just from jailbroken iPhones — and then built the same thing themselves. But to then copy the guy’s logo too! They might as well have issued a press release saying, “Yeah, we’re a monopolist and we’ll blatantly steal from our developer community to maximize our profit. What are you going to do about it? Ha, ha!”
Posted by James on Sunday, June 12, 2011