In the past few month , you ’ve heard the susurration — that Apple has lose its room , that it was on the road to becoming that most frightful of things — the new Microsoft . Issues like charging for ringtones and bricking unlocked iPhones have got people talking , if by “ talking ” you mean typing WITH CAPS LOCK ON .
But just in the preceding few 24-hour interval , Apple ’s made at least three move that could be a falling out in the cloud , reassure me that Apple ’s not ready to join the ranks of the soulless corporations just yet .
Dropping DRM , part the 2d
Apple made a big splash earlier this twelvemonth byadding DRM - free euphony to the iTunes Store . Despite the macrocosm of some DRM - free seller , such as eMusic , Steve Jobs put himself on the line of credit to say thatApple would prefer to sell music without DRM , and he put his money where his mouth was by partnering with label EMI to make that a reality . Now , Apple has lowered the price of all its DRM - gratis tracks to 99 cents , matching what it charges for its standard protect track .
I ’m not ascribing selfless need to Jobs and Company — withAmazon ’s new MP3 storeoffering DRM - detached tracks for as little as 89 cents per track , paying premium for a rationale was n’t going to be sound business for much longer . ( We can debate unceasingly whether the gamey audio calibre is even distinguishable by most masses . )
But more than the Mary Leontyne Price drop , it ’s the plus of other independent labels to the DRM - gratuitous mix that really cheer me . Some of these label and human activity have been clamoring to sell their music DRM - free since Apple first proclaimed their commitment to free and open music . It does n’t hurt that adding them to the iTunes catalogue bolsters Steve Jobs ’ forecasting that over one-half of the music on iTunes would be DRM - free by the conclusion of the twelvemonth ; the Apple CEO now has two and a half months to total up with roughly another million songs to meet that goal . One more major label would put it well over the sharpness , and signs are that the marketplace is moving that way , thanks largely to Apple .
iPhone , unlocked
Despite heavy requirement for an iPhone that was n’t tied to any particular carrier , you ’re still middling much restrict to using AT&T unless you want to contract some risky hacking with the chance that the next iPhone update may very well leave you with a lustrous paperweight or , at best , an expensive iPod pinch . However , in conjunctive with the news show that Apple had partnered with peregrine service vendor Orange to volunteer the iPhone in France come word that a legally unlocked iPhone would be useable in that body politic as well .
We do n’t yet know what such an iPhone will be — unsubstantiated figures of € 999 have made the rounds — though it ’s potential to be far more than the € 399 price of the tethered model in France .
Yes , the decision on this front was more or less made for Apple due to a French law that preclude the exclusive bundling of a cell telephone set with a servicing provider — even so , this newsworthiness encourages me that an unlatched iPhone could make its manner to U.S. shores , especially if demand in France for the carrier - free modeling proves robust despite the price insurance premium . And to those who wave the alleged five - year exclusivity peck between Apple and AT in my face , I remind you that Apple has an US Army of lawyers and a pretty hefty bank account — two elements that I imagine can get them out of pretty much any contract bridge up to and including adeal with the devil himself .
allow ’s get this third - political party started
Besides bricking unlocked iPhones , the 1.1.1 update that Apple issued had one other major negative : it locked down the cagey routes that hackers had been using to adulterate third - party diligence on the iPhone . Unlike the issue over unlocking , which was understandable if irritating , it was far more frustrating to me to see Apple call for away functionality to which I ’d grow accustom .
And then , as if trumpeted from on mellow , Steve Jobs go forth one of his increasingly common missives viaApple ’s Hot News page , declaring that a software growing outfit for the iPhone was coming in February 2008 , but that Apple was still trying to equilibrize that freedom with making sure that the iPhone persist strong and safe .
It stay to be seen just how free and open this package development will be : chore spoke of rival Nokia ’s exercise of requiring digitally signatures on software , a scheme which would allow Apple to more tightly control which programs could be run . While prognosticate , it ’s the details here which will make or give way third - party evolution . Still , it ’s hard not to feel as though my prayers have been resolve .
The side of the angels
None of this take away from the fact that Apple ’s made some ( to my mind ) confutative decisions in recent months . But it ’s a fellowship and companies do n’t always do right on by their users . These latest decision propose to me that Apple is still listening to its client , and at the end of the day want to make them felicitous . Because , if nothing else , felicitous people are much more willing to part with their money . The Apple we know and love sympathize this more than most companies , and if these recent moves are any indication , it has n’t lose sight of that yet .
