At today's Apple conference, one of the big roll-outs is Apple's new Mac Store.
Basically, its a way to use aptitude on OSX, for paid apps.
Debian has had apt and aptitude for a long time, with or without graphical frontends, allowing users to search for, install, and update software to their Debian OS. Other GNU/Linux Operating Systems have had their own package managers for a number of years now as well.
But it took mobile phones for people to understand the concept of installing software without a cardboard box — the Application Markets on the iPhone and Android phones showed us this. Now, everyone understands how to add a program to their smartphone.
Apple has taken this 'easy installation' to their desktop OS, finally, 17 years after Debian's first release. Way to innovate, Steve. Windows 8 will probably have something like this as well, done horribly wrong of course.
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7 comments:
News like this makes me sick to my stomach. It's the open source community leading the way in software development technology and the big bullies can just come in, steal our shit, call it their own and profit from it.
It's called a package manager ( believe it or not, there are other package managers that are not apt ) and no-one has claimed to invent anything.
The first "App store" concept I've ever encountered is CNR by "Linspire" (or Lindows). (I dont know if there are something beforehand)
So what? Apple is always successful because they have a strong user base (built up since 2001). GNU developers only have the concepts, and they release product without real targets.
So here is the difference
GNU/Linux = proof of concept
Apple = game changer, bringing the existing concepts to the mass public.
The way anon puts it is like GNU/Linux is the creepy developer that sits in the basement alone churning out code for a faceless corporate giant.
It's amazing that companies like Apple will slam open source projects but are willing to embrace them when it suits.
Apple is creepy...
I do not want to be a party pooper, but you are confusing invention with innovation.
Debian (or someone else) certainly invented the idea of easy software installation.
But innovation also encompasses a new way of doing things and a way of improving a business process.
In this particular case, the UI, the business pipeline, the revenue sharing and the mass market all contribute to be marked as innovations.
Although those of us in the Linux community invented a lot of stuff, because our market share is so small we do not have as big as an impact on society as the same idea taken by someone else and deployed on the web, on windows or even MacOS.
Love,
Miguel.
I couldn't agree more with Ty. This article really bothers me. Apple is taking and taking from the open-source community, re-labeling the concept and calling it their own. Awesome! Great job Mr. Jobs.
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