On Sun, Nov 28, 2010 at 12:50 PM, Raja Subramanian <[email protected]>wrote:
> Apple AppStore accepts apps which are written using Objective-C > and official SDK only. There were some startups which tried to > create a common programming environment for all major smart > phone platforms but failed to get traction due to Apple's draconian > policy of not allowing other dev tools on the AppStore. > > Apple's really got draconian policies... Yes. The only way to get your app into the app store is by first getting a developer license by signing up for their developer program (USD 100). And signing up is no easy process. You need to actually 'fax' (they don't accept scanned copies by email) the application form, your tax certificates and stuff to them to Cupertino! Then there is this wait for the telephone call through which an interview is made. Then you get the license. The most amazing thing is that, you require a provisioning profile (a digital certificate) from them to download your own app into your own phone for testing. Mind you, this profile is valid only for 4 months. You need to keep updating it every 4 months. Once you test your app yourself, you submit it to Apple for testing. This might take up to 2-3 weeks. They comeback with their test results and recommendations which are mostly arbitrary. Once my app (iPad) was rejected saying that the app was too similar to the iPhone version of my app and hence I should just modify the iPhone version of the app to work with the iPad. After they accept your app, it goes into the store for sale. Despite all this, there are hundreds of thousands of apps in the store. Each and every developer wanting to hit the million download jackpot. Development can only be done with the official SDK and in Objective C (and in an Apple machine). Despite all the control they hold over you and how an app is developed, I have to give it to them on the quality of the tools they provide. Top class and extra ordinary. XCode is one of the best IDEs I have worked with. These guys are arrogant, but their arrogance comes out of the fact that they are really good. One company which can be highly artistic/technical/business minded. Strange combination. BTW the iPhone OS (iOS) is based on BSD. XCode uses a modified verion of GCC. Regards, Arun _______________________________________________ ILUGC Mailing List: http://www.ae.iitm.ac.in/mailman/listinfo/ilugc
