Apple reveals itself for the big bully it is.

This is an extra post because I realize that not everyone who reads this blog has an invested interest in the development side of the iPhone and the iPad. Apples latest terms and conditions are a real slap in the face to anyone who was really looking forward to using some amazing third-party programs to build applications for Apple products but I think it may also be indicative of the direction that Apple is heading away from their most loyal customer base.

For those interested this article highlights the particularly inflammatory bits of the new Apple agreement.

Discussions about these latest terms and conditions have abounded across the net and personally I am still furious.

The article by Blog.joa-ebert on What Apple Just Did is one of my favorites but for a more level headed view viewpoint and one of the best articles I've read on the subject thus far comes from Code Computerlove. The comments esspecially offer a wide range of really intelligent opinions on the topic. My favorite is this one..

"Even if Apple’s strategy is 'just business' (hostile business nonetheless, otherwise this 3.3.1 clause would not have been released 3 days before the release of CS5), it serves no purpose to confuse your own developer base.
Apple’s interest is going more and more towards the big players, and less towards small independent developers. Why else would Apple not even bother to release a clear statement about what will and will not be allowed? I as a developer would very much like to know if I should invest time and money in third party tools or focus entirely on objectiveC. That’s not too much to ask is it?

Do I really need an army of lawyers to decipher apple’s vague statements? Is that really fair to expect of small time independent developers who made the iPhone such a successful platform?"

This summarizes my opinion on the topic very well. I have swallowed the restrictive App Store rules and approval process and I could have handled Apples announcement that apps produced by third-party programs would not be allowed IF this announcement come six months ago when Adobe made their first announcement about CS5. I have been planning several applications that I was going to build in the new Flash CS5 suite. Now none of them are possible.

Apple seems to have forgotten the loyal group of developers and designers upon which their brand was built. I'm disappointed and frustrated, I have lost my trust in Apple to let me know what curve its going to throw next.