HyperCard for the iPad

[Richard Gaskin]

David Bovill wrote:

> I agree with Bob here Richard.
>
> On 20 May 2010 19:00, Bob Sneidar <bobs at twft.com> wrote:
>
>> RunRev's recent proposed approach would have forced RevMobile to be
>> iPhone/iPad only. That isn't the issue.
>>
>
> It is not exclusivity that is being asked for. It does not matter that Rev
> was offered for one platform or many. It does not matter that the same game
> are developed for iPhone and other platforms - exclusivity is not at all the
> issue. The issue is control. Control to ensure that the lockin does not
> migrate to any software platform that is offering pan-platform middleware -
> whether that be Adobe or RunRev.
>
> The fear is that cross platform development incentivises prioritising the
> lowest common development, and the largest installed user base - which by
> most accounts will soon be Android. Apple thinks it has an edge by competing
> on the basis of design quality and constant innovation in the hardware and
> OS - which it needs to trickle down to developers. If a tool maker does not
> implement the latest features fast enough then the cutting edge products are
> dragged down waiting for the tool makers to implement features, which they
> are only motivated to do when the market is big enough.
>
> So the fear, which is justified IMO, is in lock-in to proprietary middle
> ware that Apple does not and cannot control.

It seems this post got lost in the shuffle:

<http://mail.runrev.com/pipermail/use-revolution/2010-May/140366.html>


Not every app needs coverflow.

What most of the world needs is well supported by most OSes.

That's what we do here with Rev:  make a lot of people happy delivering 
the features they need, regardless which OS they use.

And that's what we'll be doing with mobile OSes too.

I agree it's unfortunate that Steve is locking iPhone customers out of 
the thousands of vertical-market apps that the rest of the world will 
enjoy, but if Kevin can't convince him to play ball I don't imagine I 
could either.  Steve is free to be Steve, and I'm free to choose 
profitable deployment options. ;)

I'll step out on a limb to predict that within three years Steve will 
get over himself and lighten up on this unprecedented restriction.  But 
I'll go further to suggest that by then it'll be too late to help him.


> The question I am asking is are there not other ways to square the circle -
> and would open source be one of those ways? If it were then you might expect
> some of those iPhone platforms that export modifiable / open source code to
> be accepted some time soon. Are there other ways in which a HyperCard like
> app can be created which does not involve lock-in out side of Apples control?

Sure: deploy to Android. :)

On iPhone OS, apparently you're allowed to use runtime-interpreted 
instructions only if you name your app "Bento", "Numbers", or "GameSalad".

--
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World
  Rev training and consulting: http://www.fourthworld.com
  Webzine for Rev developers: http://www.revjournal.com
  revJournal blog: http://revjournal.com/blog.irv