Dear Steve Jobs (and crew)…

you are =>NOT<= in a position to tell people about “OPEN” technology.

Why not?  Because you operate one of the most locked down mediums I can think of it not THE most (locked down).

Ever heard of an API?   Well if Adobe isn’t getting with the times as per your conclusions in this letter, than you are a complete noob when it comes to OPEN standards.

See, companies like Google have it right.  It’s about building a foundation and establishing your product and letting people plug into it as they so desire.  Letting people with good ideas tie into your product makes it better and more functional and dare I say, more innovative.

Another word that you are not allowed to use unless you can show me one example of how you have innovated anything since the iPod.

The iPad?  Give me a break – did you really launch with that name given the initial feedback?   #itampon anyone?    Ever heard of Twitter?   How could you NOT have put OS X on it?

How?   No USB?  Really?

No way to interface with standard OPEN devices?

No way to output to standard OPEN devices?

The iPhone?   Guess what geniuses – it was NOT your idea to let people build apps.  It was ours and we screamed and yelled at you to get it.  If the Nexus One launched at the same time as the iPhone you would have been destroyed.  How long was the iPhone out for before you guys finally allowed 3rd party apps?   A year?  A bit longer?  But sorry, you cannot take credit for this feature which is now your biggest marketing pitch.

I have an 3G iphone .. it’s junk.  But you’ve got me locked into a contract.  The only way I can make this thing useful is to jailbreak it so I can make it do very complicated tasks like:

1. Voice over IP (oooohhhhh)

2.  Tethering (ahhhhhhhh)

3.  Download >10 MB apps via 3g

4.  Multitasking (which, I pray for your sake, that this version does not work better than the version you are going to roll out FINALLY in OS 4.0

5.  Heck there’s even an Jailbreak app store where people PAY for apps (the misfits of your *OPEN* system).

Why is it up to you to decide what people want to do with your OPEN platform?  What are you?   China?

How much innovation can exist in a world where  people are limited to only do the things on your platform which you have pre-approved?   This is just a new form of censorship ‘cept…

.. you are not a government, you are a corporation.

If you want to try to be responsible, why don’t you start by STOPPING the way you do business.   You push consumption without real purpose.

You are constantly trying to push people into buying your “new” hardware while the old stuff goes to waste.  Instead of integration, you release YET ANOTHER hardware device which “duplicates functionality seen on other devices”.

Wouldn’t it be smarter and more efficient to have the same features available in different form factors and portability options?

Name a single practical application of the iPad (I’ll wait…)

What does it do that other devices you offer do not?  It has a better screen but other features are lacking?  Small gains and some losses?

What about in the market place?   I paid $500 for my netbook it does infinitely more tasks (at the SAME time) and most of them better than this great ‘revolutionary’ product offering.  OMG I can touch the screen!!!!   High tech!

Some of the things you block make sense but MOST do not.  Your qualification system sucks and most people know it.  Especially developers…

Give us one good reason why you blocked Google Voice?  One… and a real one not the:

“This duplicates functionality which currently exists on the iPhone”

Because that’s retarded.   How can Skype be permitted but not Google Voice?  It has most if not all of the same features..

Currently on YOUR iPhone (that I’m leasing unfortunately) I’m running Skype with your legit App Store and I’m paying like $10 per month for unlimited Long Distance in North America (Wifi and 3g) AND this includes a phone number where people can call me back on their Skype enabled devices for FREE.

As far as I know Google Voice operates in a similar manner.   You get a phone number and you get voicemail (just like Skype) and people can call it.   I have a Skype phone number that people can call the exact same way.

So…What is so different between these apps that one is allowed while the other is not?  Both use a phone network via data…  and pushing calls through data is simply much more accessible and affordable for the modern city dweller.

Air Time = free (no additional cost to data plan as it uses the Internet)

Long distance calls = free (with $2.95 additional cost per month plan in North America)

And you can do both of these things from the Phone using Skype.  How much of Skype do you own?  Why the special treatment?

Betanews has some interesting thoughts on this matter as well:

Which Platform is More Closed?

I won’t critique all six no-Flash reasons but grab a couple to make the point: The reality Jobs evokes isn’t the only viewpoint. Jobs begins with “Open”:

Adobe’s Flash products are 100-percent proprietary. They are only available from Adobe, and Adobe has sole authority as to their future enhancement, pricing, etc. While Adobe’s Flash products are widely available, this does not mean they are open, since they are controlled entirely by Adobe and available only from Adobe. By almost any definition, Flash is a closed system.Now I’ll rewrite the same paragraph applied to Apple:

Apple’s iPhone OS products are 100-percent proprietary. They are only available from Apple, and Apple has sole authority as to their future enhancement, pricing, etc. While iPhone OS products are widely available, this does not mean they are open, since they are controlled entirely by Apple and available only from Apple. By almost any definition, iPhone/iPod touch/iPad is a closed system.