Heartless Apple form letter 'confuses' Jesus Phone disciples Apple has just sent a form letter to an army of would-be iPhone developers - and no one knows what it means. Some, like the folks at The Unofficial Apple Weblog, think it's a mass rejection letter telling all but a handful of select developers they're banned from Apple's fledgling iPhone Developer program. But others argue …
"Er, this doesn't look like a rejection to us. Yes, it's less than forthcoming. But that's Apple for you."
No, it seems pretty clear to me that it says "You didn't get in to the first round of placements, we have you on file and will get back to you in subsequent rounds."
Them iPhone devs seem a might bit touchy and self-centered if the reaction reported was typical. I get job applications rejected harder than that several times a week. (A dream-job is now in final approval stages, so I am very happy this week as I prepare to cancel a few other applications that made round-2 once the contract is confirmed). :-D
The kit's in beta, I assume loading an application on to an iPhone requires having firmware update 2.0, Apple doesn't want that leaked before official release at WWDC 2008. If you are a keen developer you have all the tools you need to make applications and test on the simulator. After official release you'll be able to test on the final iPhone 2.0 update. There are still lots of variables that could change whilst Apple gets the 3G version of the iPhone ready, critical for Asian markets which is next priority, and these hardware changes would be reflected in the final release versions of Xcode and Cocoa Touch. Front camera, further touch surface on sides, Bluetooth 2.0, wireless syncing, cover-flow, back-to-my-mac from my iPhone, GPS, x86 processors, are all examples of variables that Apple will be looking at for the 3G phone and trying to balance that with respectable battery life. The iPhone/iTouch SDK will reflect these changes as decisions on hardware are finalised, until then the full version will only go to trusted developers where it has tight NDA control...
They didn't even take time to personalize the salutation with the recipient's name.
Still, this kind of reply should never stop anyone from re-applying, since it does not say the recipient is unqualified or excluded.
Do not wait for them to contact you, your application is probably in the circular file (garbage). Nothing personal, but in general good tech staff don't stay available long enough for it to be worthwhile to stockpile resumes.
If you hear of the program opening up again, re-apply.
With large companies in general, unless you've heard otherwise, not speaking about any company in particular, routinely re-applying once every 3 months is not too often. (If there really is no hiring occurring, your application will be filtered before it gets to anyone who will be offended by it.)
Good luck.
In the meantime, explore other opportunities.
From looking at posts on Apple Insider, TUAW and various other sites, some people have been accepted, or at least claim to have. There doesn't really seem to be a pattern - neither first come first serve or the only the most significant developers...
Everyone needs to relax and just wait and see.
"Naturally, developers want a firm answer on whether they're in or out. Unless they're accepted into the program, they can't even test their apps on an iPhone (officially)."
And not least, because an official acceptance will allow Further Third Party Capital to be Raised and Invested..... Support in dDepth.
FFS Apple .........Get AIMove On.
And the same could be said of any Innovation and/or Methodology with Unknown and Untested/BetaTesting Protocols....... although of course, they would not be Unknown or Untested to their BetaTesting Programmers and Analysts........ working on Nothing more Simply Complex than Raising Interest 42 Fire Imagination and Generate ITs Wealth Flows for Dream Construction and XXXXStream Communications Infrastructure.
Rooms in AI FutureVU? Living in a Virtually Real Space with countless other, completely different, Virtually Real Spaces, controlled by Networks InterNetworking, in other Future or Past Time Zones/Vista Placements
Don't develop apps for a platform that is under such restrictive control. In fact, spend time developing web-solutions that tell the loyal iBrainless masses that "due to a browser incompatibility, we cannot accept your web client at our site". The incompatibility being that it's an iPuke browser. If enough websites start blocking the kit, and iFanboys start getting used to being blocked, the sales of this gadget will implode. Serves any user that has been immoral enough to spend money on Apple right.
//Svein
Got this email from Apple a bit more forthcoming about their SDK, but who never sent a nasty email to the wrong recipient.
Apple's email contents.
Dear ,
Thank you for registering as an iPhone Developer. To access the iPhone Dev Center and download the free SDK, simply click on the button below, and sign in using your Registered iPhone Developer Apple ID and password.
Your Registered iPhone Developer Apple ID is: xx
If you need further assistance, please contact us.
iPhone Developer Program
Can you give it a rest with this "Jesus Phone" twaddle? Yeah, we get it. You're poking fun at the fact that Apple has some overzealous fans. Brilliant. Can you think of any new jokes though?
You say this like it's a bad thing... so what if people hang on Jobs' every word? Surely that's their lookout. What exactly is the problem with a company making stuff that people want to buy? Surely it's better to be a bit over the top about good products than inspire nothing but despair and hatred like Microshit??
It's a typical "don't call us, we'll call you" type of letter. The application is on file, and they'll get back to said wanna-be developer if and when the bloody feel like getting back to the developer. Until then, go away.
This developer should feel honoured that Apple even deigned acknowledge their pitiful application. Since they obviously don't worship Jobs enough to get into the first round, it would do well to update that shrine and light a few more votive candles.
ps: amanfrommars started out almost making sense, then lost me. I still think it's the Register comments censor coming back from a lashup at the local pub.
1) if the aim is to join the join the Standard/Enterprise Developer Program
<Apple States>
The iPhone Developer Program will initially be available to a limited number of developers in the U.S. and will expand to other countries in the coming months.
</Apple States>
If you're not US based and member of the selected elite ...
2) if it is to get the The iPhone SDK
<Apple States>
Technical Requirement: Intel processor-based Mac running Mac OS X Leopard
</Apple States>
If your email address is not associated to some Intel Apple gear that might explain ...
As always , Apple treats the loyal faithful like dirt before a broom !
But I keep wondering why El reg didn't pick up the story of an exploding Mac Book Pro which was coincidently visiting Digg when it shuffled off to the land of fried silicon chips !
Check out Umberto's comments as that user has serious problems as it neither knows tops from bottoms and bottoms from tops , a truly frightening combination if it was a laptop service technical person !
link http://www.appletell.com/apple/comment/exploding-macs-are-back/
If you get a laptop or device with a Lithium Ion battery hot enough then it will explode.
Apple doesn't make batteries, it sources them other companies. A failure in the battery isn't a design failure in the laptop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion#Disadvantages
"Li-ion batteries are not as durable as nickel metal hydride or nickel-cadmium designs and can be extremely dangerous if mistreated. They are usually more expensive."
There are PLENTY of people writing apps for the 'jailbroken' iPhone/iPod touch currently, and a good number of these people are planning to port their apps over to the official SDK when it comes out.
There are likely to be differences in how they are coded, but as the fundamental platform is the same, it's unlikely to be a huge rewrite.
So, you can be pretty sure the first decent and fully-tested apps available for the iphone and ipod will be the ones I'm already running quite nicely, thank you! You want PDF viewing? Already have it. You want ebooks? got that too. Instant messaging MSN/ICQ/etc? IRC client. Got that. Want to use your ipod touch as an SSH client or server, VNC client, or even run apache and PHP on it? * Already working!
And for games, look up iphysics on youtube to see some of the very clever stuff being done with the ipod touch/iphone already.
Oh, my ipod touch can play music too.
Jolyon
* You may wonder what sort of insane fool would want to run php and apache on their ipod. Well, it's handy for showing people test mobile web apps when there isn't any wifi connectivity, worked out VERY useful for me this year already.
Is that like the new N-word or something?
Seriously, every cell phone platform is closed in some form or fashion. The iPhone is no different. If you really want to create apps for the iPhone, or any internet-enabled cell phone for that matter, make it a web-based one that you can get to from your browser.
Personally, I don't need any apps for my phone except for one; one that lets me make and receive PHONE CALLS.
"What's with this term "fanboi"?"
1. It's not a word.
2. It's crap.
3. It shows people up for the bitter fools they are, clinging to their crappy virus-ridden and desperately unstable Windoze Pee Cees yet unable to move to a stable, working and usable platform due to some misguided need to HATE HATE HATE Apple.
Morons!
"1. It's not a word."
Thank you - nice to hear someone finally point this out!
"2 - it's crap."
I agree there.
"3 - ... Windoze ..."
Oh dear. Along with the previous "Microshit" comment you've slipped up, I'm afraid. Just when it you were showing a lot more originality than most Register readers too. :(
This isn't the place for reasoned argument - I get enough of that in my day job, where they frown on such terms as Microshit, Microshaft, Microsuck, Windoze, Steve Ballmer is a Sweaty Moron etc etc.
Besides, as we all know there's no reasoning in the Apple / Microspaz debate. People are firmly entrenched... so why not have a giggle. :-)
While I find myself agreeing with your title -- I'm not sure I see the other point of your post:
<quote>Personally, I don't need any apps for my phone except for one; one that lets me make and receive PHONE CALLS.</quote>In case you've been living on another planet for the past year, I should point out that the iPhone has been touted as some kind of mobile lifestyle-aid that will instantly give you seamless experiences of flowing applications to enhance your multimediated existence.
If you just want a phone, you don't buy an iPhone -- it's far too expensive and the interface means making a simple phone call is tricky (so I hear).
Believe it or not, "Elrond", El Reg isn't making fun of you, your wife or your mother. If you take things seriously, perhaps you have problems somewhere else in your life?
Here's an ide: if you don't like it, why don't you hop off somewhere else?
You're getting very boring.
No problem at all in registering and downloading the full SDK on Friday. The 2.13Gb download took juts over an hour to complete.
The only thing is, you have to be running Leopard to use it which it kindly checks out on your Intel mac before Installing.
I am making marvellous progress with a couple of apps which will be going on my fanboi iPod Touch tout suite. If they work to my satisfaction, I might even cough the cash to Apple to use their distribution method.
By the way, I am in the UK.
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
