Devices > Androids and other portables
iPhone 3G support?
glynor:
--- Quote from: punkapotente on September 10, 2008, 01:15:47 pm ---would publish an API which gives them access again? I'm quite sure that this won't happen.
--- End quote ---
Sorry. It is already published: http://developer.apple.com/sdk/itunescomsdk.html
I'm talking about iTunes, not the iPod. That's the difference. They don't mind if you interface with iTunes, as long as the consumer uses iTunes to sync to their device. You can CERTAINLY externally control iTunes. That's how iTLU and the other similar applications work.
--- Quote from: punkapotente on September 10, 2008, 01:15:47 pm ---Applications can also be installed directly from the store app on the device.
--- End quote ---
Unfortunately, you shouldn't do so. There are threads all over the place about how using the Mobile App Store is the primary cause of crashes on the iPhone. Installing all apps via iTunes is the only way to go right now if you want your phone to be stable. Perhaps this will be fixed with 2.1, but I'm not going to believe it until I see it. Besides, even if you do use the Mobile App store, you can't back up your purchases without using iTunes. I don't know about you, but I don't want to have to re-pay for my App purchases if my Phone crashes and I need to reset it (or I drop it in a lake and need to buy a new one).
And unless you use Exchange or MobileMe (and don't even get me started there), you can't sync Contacts without using iTunes. And, without MobileMe, there isn't a way to sync Bookmarks over the air. Right now, for most users, abandoning iTunes sync isn't a real option for the iPhone/Touch.
Again, I'm not saying that this should be the ONLY method of syncing. I'd still love to see native support. However, even if that happens, how long before the next iPhone OS update breaks it? What about all the new iPods that come out next year? This would be an ideal backup plan.
zxsix:
I'm with glynor on this.
I don't use the itunes database for anything. So as far as I'm concerned, MC could check the playlists that I have selected to sync to the device, delete the itunes xml database, recreate it based on the sync playlists in MC.
Then next time we execute sync in MC, read the itunes database and sync back the ratings that don't match to MC (and update playcounts, though I don't care about that). This would give 2-way sync.
Now itunes database is a mirror image of what I would like to sync.
Heck, I'm ok with launching itunes and clicking the sync button manually!!
Just manipulate the database file however you need to to keep the itunes db and my sync playlists identical.
I'm sure Glynor and I could step up and doc the steps required after it's done.
punkapotente:
--- Quote ---Sorry. It is already published: http://developer.apple.com/sdk/itunescomsdk.html
--- End quote ---
OK. Didn't know that.
--- Quote ---Unfortunately, you shouldn't do so. There are threads all over the place about how using the Mobile App Store is the primary cause of crashes on the iPhone.
--- End quote ---
Hmm, strange. I installed all my apps from the phone and don't have any problems.
--- Quote ---Besides, even if you do use the Mobile App store, you can't back up your purchases without using iTunes. I don't know about you, but I don't want to have to re-pay for my App purchases if my Phone crashes and I need to reset it (or I drop it in a lake and need to buy a new one).
--- End quote ---
Not true. The app store remembers all purchases through your account. If you re-download for any reason, you don't have to pay again.
--- Quote --- you can't sync Contacts without using iTunes.
--- End quote ---
Also not true. Exchange ActiveSync accounts sync contacts just fine. I personally use NuevaSync ( http://www.nuevasync.com/ ) - they provide a free Exchange server which syncs your calendar and contacts with Google Calendar and GMail contacts. Works perfectly fine. When I add/modify a contact in GMail, it gets almost instantly updated on the phone and visa versa.
Anyway, there are people (I know at least one: me) that would have no problem with getting rid of iTunes completely. Interfacing iTunes might be a workaround, but it certainly not a great one IMHO. As it's still using iTunes, it also still suffers from some of the most severe issues like not being able to sync with multiple computers, no way to import music from your iPhone that's not in your library, etc.
glynor:
--- Quote from: punkapotente on September 10, 2008, 04:13:25 pm ---Hmm, strange. I installed all my apps from the phone and don't have any problems.
--- End quote ---
You got very lucky then. There are widely reported issues with the Mobile App Store. It can cause general instability. I had regular problems with Safari and the Contacts application both crashing after I had installed a few (unrelated) games on the phone via the Mobile App Store. Resetting the phone and reinstalling everything via iTunes has made it much more reliable.
--- Quote from: punkapotente on September 10, 2008, 04:13:25 pm ---Not true. The app store remembers all purchases through your account. If you re-download for any reason, you don't have to pay again.
--- End quote ---
I suspected as much but hadn't ever actually tested it. You would lose any data stored in the application, however, and for many of my apps, that is just as important (if not more important).
--- Quote from: punkapotente on September 10, 2008, 04:13:25 pm ---Also not true. Exchange ActiveSync accounts sync contacts just fine.
--- End quote ---
I said...
--- Quote from: glynor on September 10, 2008, 01:22:06 pm ---And unless you use Exchange or MobileMe
--- End quote ---
So no, it was true. Incidentally, I use NuevaSync too and it works great. It clearly isn't for everyone though. What if I use the POP3 email address provided by my ISP and I don't want to get a gmail account or something similar? Gmail has some serious privacy implications, and there are tons of people who would never even consider using a Gmail account.
And you're making my point, really... I too would rather not even ever have iTunes installed on any of my machines. Until I bought the phone, I never had iTunes installed on anything I owned other than my Macs. However, most users aren't going to fall into that very limited niche. And, again, what about when they spend thousands of man-hours developing native support, and then Apple breaks it again with iPhone OS 2.2 in a three months? That just isn't financially sustainable.
I agree with all the arguments you made about why native support is better. I know it is better. I've used it on my wife's Nano a ton. The point is that it isn't better than nothing, and it isn't better to have it for 3 months and then not be able to update to the newest iPhone OS without losing it again. I want the option of a solution that is still going to work next September and the September after that. Not one or the other.
punkapotente:
--- Quote ---I want the option of a solution that is still going to work next September and the September after that. Not one or the other.
--- End quote ---
And that's the thing that I'm not sure about and I frankly don't understand how you can be so conviced. Obviously Apple don't care much about interoperability. If they can decide to change the hashing scheme used to store the library on the iphone, who says they won't suddenly change the iTunes library format on the next release. Why wouldn't they change the iTunes COM API? The point is: they can just as easily break a solution using iTunes automation.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version