Steve Jobs always held the same approach when it came to Apple and it’s products - he wanted to create an integrated system that was controlled by Apple from end to end. He believed that doing so would result in a far superior and much easier user experience (UX) than any other tech product. Many people would take sides in this debate and it definitely got heated over the years as Apple fought internally and externally against those who said they should open up their software and license it out.
Current Book & Quotes From: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
This debate got especially heated back in 2010 when the iPad was released. Google was beginning to embody a role that Microsoft had taken about 30 years prior - Google was touting open systems while trying to tear down Apple’s ideals of having an integrated system that is closed in order to have a better user experience.
Jon Fortt (Fortune) said this about Apple’s closed systems:
“Closed systems get a bad rap, but they work beautifully and users benefit. Probably no one in tech has proved this more convincingly than Steve Jobs. By bundling hardware, software, and services, and controlling them tightly, Apple is consistently able to get the jump on its rivals and roll out polished products.” They agreed that the iPad would be the clearest test of this question since the original Macintosh. “Apple has taken its control-freak rep to a whole new level with the A4 chip that powers the thing,” wrote Fortt. “Cupertino now has absolute say over the silicon, device, operating system, App Store, and payment system.”
Steve Wozniak (Apple’s Co-Founder) had a hacker’s mentality and originally fought with Jobs over having a more open system back when Apple was releasing it’s first products. His opinion about open systems changed with time and experience:
“A reporter asked him about the closed nature of Apple’s ecosystem. “Apple gets you into their playpen and keeps you there, but there are some advantages to that,” he replied. “I like open systems, but I’m a hacker. But most people want things that are easy to use. Steve’s genius is that he knows how to make things simple, and that sometimes requires controlling everything.”
Included in the book was a truly amazing story that Jobs heard from Michael Noer (Forbes). The story illustrates the amazing potential of the iPad and also the phenomenally simple user experience that results from creating an integrated, closed system:
“Noer was reading a science fiction novel on his iPad while staying at a dairy farm in a rural area north of Bogotá, Colombia, when a poor six-year-old boy who cleaned the stables came up to him. Curious, Noer handed him the device. With no instruction, and never having seen a computer before, the boy started using it intuitively. He began swiping the screen, launching apps, playing a pinball game. “Steve Jobs has designed a powerful computer that an illiterate six-year-old can use without instruction,” Noer wrote. “If that isn’t magical, I don’t know what is.”
Apps - Closed or Open?
Apps were no exception to Jobs’s controlling nature of having a closed system. When the iPhone originally came out, many people within Apple spent a long time convincing Jobs that he should allow outside developers free access to create apps and share them via an App Store on the iPhone. They said it would spur innovation and if they didn’t do it, then another company will and it will take over iPhone’s market share. Jobs was resistant to the idea of developers creating apps for his beautifully integrated product, but he eventually relented - provided that Apple would still remain in control of which apps were allowed to make it to the Store.
“The apps also allowed the platform to be sort of open, in a very controlled way, to outside developers who wanted to create software and content for it—open, that is, like a carefully curated and gated community garden.”
“Jobs soon figured out that there was a way to have the best of both worlds. He would permit outsiders to write apps, but they would have to meet strict standards, be tested and approved by Apple, and be sold only through the iTunes Store. It was a way to reap the advantage of empowering thousands of software developers while retaining enough control to protect the integrity of the iPhone and the simplicity of the customer experience. “It was an absolutely magical solution that hit the sweet spot,” said Levinson. “It gave us the benefits of openness while retaining end-to-end control.”
Bill Gates’s Take on The Issue
30 years prior to the iPad’s launch and the heated battle between Apple and Google on closed vs. open systems, Microsoft had the same approach as Google - to create an open system and let people freely innovate on top of the platform. Now Gates was on the sidelines watching the same war being fought between Apple and Google. His take on the issue remains slightly similar to before, but I can tell a shift in his tone towards closed systems. He’s not completely opposed to them, but he still prefers and believes in open systems long-term:
“There are some benefits to being more closed, in terms of how much you control the experience, and certainly at times he’s had the benefit of that,” Gates told me. But refusing to license the Apple iOS, he added, gave competitors like Android the chance to gain greater volume. In addition, he argued, competition among a variety of devices and manufacturers leads to greater consumer choice and more innovation. “These companies are not all building pyramids next to Central Park,” he said, poking fun at Apple’s Fifth Avenue store, “but they are coming up with innovations based on competing for consumers.” Most of the improvements in PCs, Gates pointed out, came because consumers had a lot of choices, and that would someday be the case in the world of mobile devices. “Eventually, I think, open will succeed, but that’s where I come from. In the long run, the coherence thing, you can’t stay with that.”
Did Apple Succeed With Their Closed System?
The answer to this question is extremely obvious in hindsight - Apple has dominated the tech market in many different ways from news outlets to music to personal computers to tablets to phones to apps and the list goes on. The iPad was no exception, even in this time of heated debate over the closed nature of what Apple had created:
“In less than a month Apple sold one million iPads. That was twice as fast as it took the iPhone to reach that mark. By March 2011, nine months after its release, fifteen million had been sold. By some measures it became the most successful consumer product launch in history.”
Here's the Question of The Day, don't forget to post your answers in the comments!
What's your take on the Open Vs. Closed Debate? Do you think tech products should all be open-source and accessible by devs and users to create the experience they want? Or do you think having a closed experience allows for an easier user experience and accessibility for the massses?
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave your thoughts below and I look forward to seeing you in the comments!
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Hey Khaleel, hope you had a beautiful day. How's your Keto fitness program going? Am sure it's all fine.
Now the to the issue we are discussing, I wasn't with Jobs on this one, at least from a personal point of view. For Apple, it was clearly a good thing. It was beneficial to Apple and created the environment for the great innovation that came out of Apple's product.
Now the reason I support open source development is that I consider it as a way of giving back to the society. With open-sourcing a lot of other upcoming developers have the motivation to innovate something out. It might not be perfect but it gives them the opportunity to work on their skills. Apple and other tech companies cannot employ all the software developers around, therefore by making their software open-source and accessible to all, it allows for everyone with interest to have a platform to do something.
Well, I know this will not resonate well with the business community as business owners should focus on internal growth and profit making. But I believe as businesses, we have a responsibility to the world we operate in.
Hey @Lordjames, hope you did as well! The program is still going along nicely, I have been slacking on the update posts and I have to get back on top of the ball!
I agree, there definitely is an entrepreneurial wave that follows with an open source system. I think Apple had an interesting set up where they were able to keep a closed system on their products while still allowing smaller developers to flourish on the App Store
I'll take a little more time to study Apple's process with the app store. Am not much knowledgeable about how they operate it. But I think I'll need a bit more understanding so it will help in future decision making.
The truth is people tend to bundled closed systems especially if they have cash to pay for it.
Hacker-minded open systems end up being too wacky and need time and efforts to get ready for use. They are for small cohort of high skill professionals and for low-end users who don't have money to buy shiny closed-minded product.
Examples from my experience.
Databases I can use Postgres (conventional RDBMS) and ClickHouse for BigData but once used Oracle and Teradata or Hana you will dream of them till retirement.
Excellent points! There are definitely problems for an average consumer trying to navigate a complex open system which leaves them with the more expensive option of buying a closed system product that is easier to use and is more convenient.
Good observation!
I think there is room and a necessity to have both.
As someone who runs a business supporting technology for my business clients, closed is the way to go. You get what you pay for in business and paying a premium for superior hardware, and a potentially less functional but more stable user experience is how we approach it.
That said, there is something incredible about the open source platforms and the way they bring down the cost of hardware/software to make it more inclusive. More importantly, the innovation possible with more hands and brains of open source really leads to advancement and brings with it the risks of progress.
So, the answer is YES!
I 100% Agree - there is absolutely room and necessity for both closed and open systems.
When it comes to real estate, I also provide my clients (homebuyers) with a closed system - they can give some input for changes, but ultimately, it comes down to me to integrate all these changes and ensure that the design, appliances, fixtures, etc. work with the house in the end.
The average person loves to have an easy-to-use "plug and play" type of system - and this is what typically stems out of a closed system.
Absolutely, there are a great deal of benefits from open systems as well and that's why I think there is so much room for them in our society. Innovation is definitely faster when we have more minds openly working on a platform (just look to the Steem blockchain for a fantastic example!) Thanks for sharing your thoughts @zekepickleman!
Yah you gottit. Good conversations and knowledge sharing on your daily posts so I am happy to be here.
Thanks, I am happy as well - always a fun/informative time here!
Well, closed source systems open the possibility of unilateral decisions that harm the consumer, even when the consumer are almost unanimously against it, like when Apple removed the headphone jack, or the much hated mandatory windows 10 autoupdate.
That's very very true. Luckily Apple innovated around the headphone jack with the Airpods and I actually prefer this much better to the old system of the corded headphones.
Its true that apple has a following who prefers each and every one of their innovations. Its kinda like the inverse of Microsoft, where each follower hates every innovation. :P
Open and closed source could be likened to Decentralized and Centralized systems respectively.
Can't actually use the case of Apple as a yardstick for judgement or comparison but note that both has advantages and disadvantages.
In the long term, I believe Open source is better but with some great rules attached
Yes, they definitely can be compared to decentralized and centralized systems. Centralized systems provide us with ease of use and less headaches, but decentralized systems provide us with open access and choice. My belief is that the world needs both centralized and decentralized systems on a case by case basis - I think we're going to need a structure that looks something like a decentralized system with a few centralized bodies to govern the macro issues.
Exactly! What I do tell people
As much as we do want the decentralize system to full force, we still need a bit of centralize system to propel the force neede for decentralization to a higher momentum.
Fiat is still needed no matter the level of hatred some Crypto enthusiasts have for it
Exactly, there will always be a need for something that is at least partially centralized!
Since I received my first iPod Touch I became a huge Apple fan.
But I also like android, open systems, and of course competition.
Apple devices are the best in my opinion, and if one plans to be involved in crypto, the security Apple is able to provide also needs to be taken into consideration.
Yeah I've been a huge Apple fan nearly my entire life - one of my first computers was the Apple iBook G4 and it had me mesmerized with technology ever since. Yes, I'm also a fan of open systems and competition - there are many tradeoffs between open and closed systems. Closed provides us ease of use while open provides us more options and customization. I think the world needs both for the many varied use cases that arise.
I use apple for some of my crypto.
But only certain coins are approved for iOS. And some of the apps work better on Android.
I get tend to get the new Nexus/pixel on the price drop, not launch. And update the iPhone to be 1 or 2 generations behind. The spare phone also acts as 2 factor/multisig.
Also have Mac/PC.
Some developers put something out first on one or the other, and it's fun/useful to have access to the new potentially disruptive apps.
I agree, it's great to have both types of systems so that you can access the best possible software regardless of where it goes!
I think open systems are better, at least if there isn't a "certain" app for a open system a developer can do it...
But looking at it with an investor's mind, if they close the system and make it so only them can develop new gadgets for their tech is also good because it's more income coming to them, and if they have an open system has a competitor they can just go and look at what is booming in the open system and create a similar thing on their closed system...
I agree, Apple definitely exemplifies the insane profitability of closed systems - just look at how they used their closed and integrated software to create the iPod on the backbone of the Mac by creating a superior and proprietary product like iTunes. They were able to bottleneck record labels into incredibly lucrative deals
Since I am a blockchain enthusiast, I am an advocate with open and open source systems.
Amazing that they had to convince Jobs about having 3rd party apps for the iPhone. Imagine if that didn't happen?
I am also a blockchain enthusiast and I love open source systems, I do also believe there is a large need for closed systems as well - the far majority of people in the world (the average Joe) typically prefers having a user experience that is easy and simple.
The world would probably look a lot different today had he not changed his mind! Apple may not even exist in the way it does today if one of its competitors had done an Android store first and overtook their market share!
I totally agree.
Apple products may be desired by most users, but due to price tend to be only for 1st world nations.
I see the value of truly closed systems in electronic music production because the equipment never crashes!
Absolutely, the products are definitely pricey and with the price tag the expectations for performance and simplicity follow as well!
So true. I am not an Apple person, but I have to admit the iPad is the best in category device!
100%! I love my iPad, mainly for reading with iBooks.
Open source is good for fast advancement but sometimes things get buggy and unstable. Improvement is faster and stability is better when open source competes with closed. It gives the consumer more options, so everyone is forced to work hard if they don't want to lose. Let's use browser as example, Closed IE dominated the market, then open Mozilla firefox and now it's closed Chrome. It is best when both open and closed are in the market simultaneously.
I absolutely agree, you make some great points as well, especially with the browser example - it's definitely beneficial to have both closed and open in the market simultaneously
Yeah that browser example is a great point, love reading through these older posts!
Haha thanks for checking them out!! Whatd you think of the QOTD?
please like me
An interesting article, thanks for sharing good content. It was quite engrossing. Well done.
THanks for reading! What did you think of the QOTD? Open or Closed?
Thats amazing post and also indeed. Today choose a different topic to discuss @khaleelkazi
@khaleelkazi...
All reason a side but Apple 🍎 brand having build a great devices all around the world and make their name and fan all over the universe. But other brands are good but not reached upto the apple standred.
I personally a big fan of apple brand
I think technology products should be open-source so that developers or third parties can come to create new creations that are closer to the needs of consumers based on daily analysis. And this I think is very necessary to consider.
I agree partially - I definitely think there is room in the market for those of the open source varieties, but I definitely think that an integrated architecture allows for an easier consumer experience. I think there needs to be both ends of the spectrum no matter what
A fan if of open system. Apple constructs their software and products so you abide by the way they want to do things. Yes they did succeed since people have become addicted to the apple craze and are handicapped if they try and deviate away from apple.
Yeah it definitely can be hard to switch once you get used to the easy closed system. I think it would just take massive innovation for any company to trump what Apple has as a lockdown on the market
Steady and extraordinary your post, thank you for sharing
Thanks for reading! What are your thoughts on the QOTD? Open or Closed?
Apple wins the hardware war on the surface, but it's important to understand why Google makes a smartphone out of device specifications.
Apple definitely is the cleanest and easy to use, integrated package. It's far superior out of the box than an "open" product -but yes, there are definitely advantages to that open product because of personalization and other uses.
Super clean, I'll probably never ditch my iPhone! Call me a loyalist, but Apple has just always done it in the best mass-market way!
Thank you but i want to ask you please
hey steemit user can you help me have movement in my account? helping me with votes follow me and reesteemSS?
Congratulations @khaleelkazi, this post is the second most rewarded post (based on pending payouts) in the last 12 hours written by a Hero account holder (accounts that hold between 10 and 100 Mega Vests). The total number of posts by Hero account holders during this period was 352 and the total pending payments to posts in this category was $3929.34. To see the full list of highest paid posts across all accounts categories, click here.
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Is it even possble to compare?
Challenge, where you can win up to 100s $SD!
If you want to, you can try it here:
https://steemit.com/contest/@guessandgain/guess-and-gain-3-2-day-win-usd
It's definitely possible.. What are your thoughts on it?
I think open will lead to faster innovation and closed will lead to a smoother interface for the user!
Definitely - faster innovation absolutely comes with the increased amount of people who are able to work on the problems at hand!
Not many people realize that apple took a version of unix and made it the mac os. apple has done this for a long time. they take open source seeds and make it their own and dont contribute back to the community. Of late this has changed a little bit but that is a result of developer pressure
there are no statistics out there but after digging into an iphone a little, i have come to the conclusion that they are using open source libraries and tools that almost make up 80% of the distribution.
as good as apple products are, the reality is that open source systems are going to rule the consumer because of device interoperability issues and increasing exposure to the internet of things.
the innovation required to keep up with a fast and fluid market means that it requires millions of developers across the world to test and fix code. a siloed approach will not work
if today there is a feeling that any developer can build anything because of open source frameworks and tools. the more they build, the more the openness of the system will prevail.
i think we are on an unstoppable open systems run. enterprises today are being consumed by open source software. consumers are already there. i see IoT as an avalanche of devices that will demand open ended systems
Apple is an experience of one in a million, they are those who charge, those who pay and those who give the return. Although this sometimes is also a double-edged sword because there will always be hackers that pirate the product. In Venezuela they are known as jailbreaks.
Yeah they definitely provide a really great UX!! And of course, but I actually think hacking on open systems can be a far greater problem
What does UX stand for @khaleelkazi?
User experience! Something that is very relevant to Steem as well!
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