Apple drops iPhone NDA

Apple's insistence on locking down iPhone developers with a restrictive NDA has been controversial from the start, and it looks like the company's seen the light -- it's just posted up a tersely-worded letter saying that the NDA is being dropped. It's a strange little note, actually -- the first paragraph comes off as a little defensive and whiny, if you ask us -- but we're not going to complain about anything that makes developing apps easier and faster for devs. Now let's work on not capriciously rejecting and deleting apps from the App Store, and maybe we can go back to focusing on the iPhone platform's actual merits instead of all these paperwork shenanigans -- we've got some suggestions if you're having a hard time figuring this out on your own.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2008 12:30PM]

I'm not sure how I can understand the term "iPhone Software" here. Is it the OS itself or the applications developed on top of it ?

Because if it's about the custom applications only, I would understand the second to last sentence as a restriction for public code-development and solution exchange for specific scenarios.
So a application in Appstore is officially not allowed to be developed by a public community, it must be a confidential entity

I might be wrong here...

am I wrong ? *scratch*

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2008 12:41PM]

Oh, by accident I commented the blog that's barely visited...

Might be a good idea to link both Engadget and Engadget mobile to the same comments, in case they share the same posting...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2008 1:06PM]

Ugh! Me McSuckin and all I can say is "Who gives a CRAP about ME?" because I SUCK!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2008 1:59PM]

ha, funny this comes out AFTER the g1 gets some coverage. apple is shaking in their boots. about time though.

[SParklingCYaNide Posted Oct 1st 2008 3:57PM]

Oh yeah, that's for SURE!!! - D

Whiny, Defensive Brat that Apple is!!!

BWahaHAhahaaaa

TOo bad for them after the Exclusive Agreement they have with ATT they plan on Offering iPhone to All other Carriers so they'd BETTER start doing Something More than they have been.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2008 2:02PM]

soooooo....will this open any possibility of people being able to edit software and possibly include MMS and copy & paste???? (wishful thinking)

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2008 5:37PM]

Bugger! I was hopping Apple kept its stance up and let Android eat into its market share before realising it's too late.
Apple caved in.... WHY?! Steve 'Blow' Jobs needs to harden up!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 2nd 2008 8:20AM]

The NDA sucked, and now that this bit has dropped, I wonder if developers will be allowed to talk about the "approval process" that Apple uses to let apps in the store - or whatever it is that they use. This is where the real transparency is needed. The guidelines are unclear, and developers drop something into iTunesConnect only to find their app sitting there in a queue with no email, no phone calls, nothing from Apple as to what is going on. It's time to blow the whistle on this and force some transparency. If Apple does not get this bit fixed, it will certainly see developers racing to Android.

How about it Apple? How about some insight into your supposed approval process? Why make developers shell out time and money for creative that you may or may not choose to allow? And you may or may not ever tell what is going on once submitted? This isn't the selection of a new pope...