Examining iBooks Author From the Publisher Perspective
Realizing this immediately raised my publisher hackles. “But, but, but,” I spluttered, “there’s no way in hell I’m going publish something that I can sell only in the iBookstore, and even then only if Apple approves it. There aren’t even any guidelines outlining what Apple will and will not approve!”
I think part of the complaining is about unrealized potential. Geeks don’t like to see what could be a general purpose tool limited for business or political reasons.
"I think part of the complaining is about unrealized potential. Geeks don’t like to see what could be a general purpose tool limited for business or political reasons."
Part.
But part of it is complaining about something new, an evil from Cupertino that is at odds with all of their traditional business ethics.
As Gus Mueller worries down-blog, think about this in terms of the implications of them applying the same EULA to Xcode. And why shouldn't they? Under the exact same rationale being employed here?
It's not just anti-Geek. It's anti-ethical business. The hyper-aggressive mania for lock-in recalls the very worst era of Microsoft's history, though manifest in different ways.