Curt Sampson wrote:
> You keep saying that native applications are the key to avoiding content
> control, and that with Java the users are stuck in a walled garden.
> But for users to have any real freedom, no matter what the programming
> language, anybody has to have the freedom to write a program and make
> it available for download. Is this really the case for native apps in
> Europe?
yes, this is really the case, at least for series 60. though the SDK is
a mess and not as convenient as doja there are tons of software
available from amateur developers or small companies.
with smartphone 2002 (windows ce), operators can decide wether they lock
their phones or not. when a phone is locked, only signed applications
can be downloaded where signing is done by independent companies such as
verisign for some 100 euro per app. furthermore some critical functions
of the API (make a call, read addresses, etc) require a certificate.
there's not much experience yet but it seems like this model is not very
popular with developers as well as with end users, maybe because they
have the direct comparsion to the openness of symbian.
> I know that here in Japan, there's no content control for Docomo's Java
> applications; anybody can get an SDK, build an application, and make it
> available for download to anyone with a phone.
with open symbian everyone can not just develop and distribute
applications but also charge money for them if he/she likes so while
it's almost impossible to sell i-applis to end users if you are not in
the walled i-menu garden because you can't identify the user/device.
so in europe we have not just free development but also a free market.
to me this is where "real freedom" starts and it will be very
interesting to see how the market will develop now that applications can
be sold straight from the programmer's bedroom without any filtering by
marketing people. even if the results may not be that spectacular it's
great to have this freedom.
now we just need some decent(=japanese) symbian phones.
oliver
Received on Mon May 12 17:48:09 2003