_Simon

What an utter waste of bits this article is?

Are you suggesting that they are, as it were, doomed?

It depends on what freedom. GPL isn't free; it's handcuffware. It's "freedom" on someone else's terms. BSD is a truly free license whereas GPL is an attempt at an anti-capitalist license model.

The sheer volume of these type of post is beginning to smell a lot like astroturfing. The faux outrage is comical.

No issues with any Apple device with the lastest software for myself or anyone I know. I can only assume that these are either edge cases or unmitigated hyperbole.

But "them", "their" and "they" are perfectly serviceable and have been used for a long time.

Like "they", "them" and "their"? English is a wonderfully flexible language, it's such a shame that ridiculous and faddish political correctness is so utterly blind to it.

Nope. Read the opening paragraph again.

Just another iPhone ripoff. I don't think any right thinking iPhone owner (fanboy? please...) would entertain it.

What, they think that 3000 signatures will make Apple change their terms? 3000 devs that in all likelihood will find another reason to whine? 3000 people that do not under what free speech is?

Hey EFF! I want my fucking money back.

So don't use Apple kit! Simple, really. But, if you espouse freedom of speech and freedom of choice, you must logically accept that people will want this choice. That's the problem with the OSS Stasi; the choice they mean is their choice or no choice...

This again? FFS RTFM...

"Smartphones that do have email and don't have Microsoft Word are a minority?"

You, as already stated, are missing the point. It has been explained and you continue to miss, or obtuesly ignore the point.

"Neither iOS nor Android comes with the ability to view Word documents."

Bullshit. iOS can read doc files natively.

And neither are you or the OP. In fact, I'd hazard a guess that you are in actual fact a minority. Before you assert higher mobile sales again, think on how many people use their device for anything more than the very basics; photos, messaging and social networking etc.

"...as the interface is so inferior for getting any "real" work done"

Bullshit. Depends on what "real" is.

How utterly ridiculous. Please stop posting your own shitty, over-entitled rants. That you clearly think that you are still "1337" by being so dissmissive of a commonly used tool is arrogant and ridiculous. Also, your list of installed apps is missing TextEdit, which reads doc and docx files perfectly well. Unless of course you remove all of the other apps that come with OS X and literally only use those you list, which would be absurd.

Are we attempting to create a self-fulfilling prophecy by constantly asking this stupid question?

YES!

And you must be a member of this thought police that seem to be invading every aspect of out lives.

No. Mozilla are doing a perfectly good job of that on their own.

Disgusted with the treatment of Brendan Eich by the community. You guys bullied, slandered and libelled and individual. Your behaviour towards him is far worse than his views. As far as I'm concerned, Mozilla no longer exists. I'm not interested in anything that a organisation that supports this kind of community says or does. Fucking hypocrites, every last one of you.

I'm not a fucking asshole.

The majority of your judgemental and passive/aggressive posts in this thread suggest otherwise.

Have you considered being less patronising?

It's not freedom in any sense of the word. The FSF is at best a fiefdom, but in all reality a dictatorship. Stallmans utopian future is more 1984 than any of the actors he accuses. This whole thing is bullshit.

And in the meantime, how do these companies actually work? What happens when requirements change? What happens with bugs?

No, but the constant posting of pseudo intelligentsia bullshit from the Guardian may be...

I did read it, that's why I posted it. It seems pretty clear to me. Google could've, y'know, joined them. Simple really. Surely a better idea than weaponising them? If you really believe that Google would have used them 'defensively', then you are either naive or delusional. Google knew what they were doing and knew what the ramifications of their actions would be.

So let me get this right. "Multitasking" isn't fast app switching? Care to elaborate? Didn't think so. My comment was made to illustrate how utterly banal the OP's comment was. I obviously wasn't clear enough that this was my aim. Sadly, prissy little assholes get offended at stuff like this and start relying on name calling (yes, the 'gods' comment is exactly that) to make 'points'. What you are saying is that it's OK to make these ridiculous comment that are no longer relevant, and that weren't particularly relevant at the time either, and I should just accept it as fact?

As to my 'leading' question; in context it's totally relevant. I'd like to know. I totally believe your version, although the evidence suggest otherwise. As I noted, Android didn't feel nearly as finished as iOS until 4.2.

Am I wrong?

Bullshit. Google were offered a place at the table.

You have a warped sense of time. Multitasking is essentially fast app switching on the devices. Copy and paste was a nothing feature. I'm surprised that you left out MMS too since your going down the trite meme route. Here's some back to Android, although its blatantly been influenced by the direction Apple took, it took Google until Jellybean 4.2 to catch up with the quality of implementation of iOS. They also continue to have a problem with fragmentation that is getting worse by the year and Google fucked consumers by handing control back to carriers in a bit to gain market share. Like you said, this could go on and on. So here's an idea; instead of trotting out tired and trite memes because someone has had the temerity to call out your favourite team, don't.

Also, link to the original article; http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/12/the-da...

If Android was, as you seem to think, not a copy of the original iPhone OS, why did it take a further 18 months to release anything after the initial iPhone unveiling?

Those past actions would be backing Motorola's abuse of FRAND patents to 'pre-emptively' attack competitors?