Steve Jobs Replies: No In-App Desktops
June 1, 2010
As you already know, Apple won't allow dashboard apps and other sorts of widgets on the iPad. All we've heard from Apple so far is that, in their opinion, it would contradict the user experience. Yet, that really doesn't tell us much.
Well, the developer's of My Frame got a call from Apple this week announcing that their app is getting pulled, a common developer nightmare. Like so many angry developers before them, they took the issue directly to Steve Jobs and got their answer. Apparently, what Apple is trying to fight here are apps that feature their own desktop, that's all there is to it:
Hi Steve, Just got a phone call from Apple letting us know that our iPad app ‘My Frame’ is being removed from the store. Apparently Apple is cracking down on ‘widgety’ type apps. Our app is a beautiful photo frame with a few nice things you can put over your photos. It’s not ugly, or even widgety. What gives? I’ve always defended you guys in the past, but it seems like you’ve crossed an invisible line here, even the guy on the phone was saying how much he likes our application but that there’s nothing he can do?Steve’s reply:
We are not allowing apps that create their own desktops. Sorry. Sent from my iPadApple is walking a very thin line here. When is a menu with icons a desktop, and when is it not? Is it about filling the entire screen? Is it about having overlays? There is no mention of this in the SDK documents so it's still a bit confusing. Also, while this story does look legit as do the email headers, the My Frame app has for some reason still not disappeared. Hopefully they're reconsidering, or this could be just some sort of PR stunt. [via Macstories]