Apple drops secrecy pledge for iPhone developers

AP ^ | 10/01/08 | Jessica Mintz, AP Technology Writer

[RS]

SEATTLE (AP) -- Apple Inc. will no longer force iPhone software developers to sign a nondisclosure agreement that many had said was hampering their ability to work.

....

Recently, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company also barred programmers whose applications it rejected from iTunes -- the only legitimate place to sell iPhone "apps" -- from posting the reasons for rejection on the Web.

[RS]

Curious ... wonder just what good they thought the secrecy was doing them, and why have they decided now it makes no sense ?

[MrEdd]

The lack of power and software makes them poor competitors to Blackberry or Windows Mobile platform devices. They need to crank out software to keep the inertia going.

Or they could offer competitive bang for the buck, but that would require a redesign.

Think of the I-phone as being analogous to the original, non-expandable Macintosh cube.

[Brookhaven]

It still makes sense for them, but it was preventing them from hiring good employees.

If you had a choice of working for one company that attached a lot of strings to your employment, or another that didn’t attach any, which would you work for?

[RS]

? These were not people they hired - these were people who paid THEM the $100 to get their products on iTunes.

BTW - Apple to shut iTunes ?

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4859885.ece

“Apple considers shutting down their online music store if panel decide royalties for downloaded tracks should be increased”