Why Ninjawords Drew a Response

Jason Kincaid on Schiller’s public statement regarding Ninjawords:

All of that said, I find it totally bizarre that Phil Schiller took the time to write this lengthy explanation without saying anything about the myriad of other problems with the App Store (it is possible that Gruber omitted portions of the letter, though it doesn’t sound like it). No mention of the Google Voice fiasco, nothing on the awful support developers have seen from App Store representatives, nothing on the inconsistent and nebulous approval policies.

To be clear, the unpublished portions of Schiller’s email were not substantial, and did not touch upon any other topics regarding the App Store. Of course, I’d love to engage Schiller in a similarly detailed discussion of Google Voice. I agree that it’s a far more important topic. However, it’s also far more complex. No one from Apple is going to discuss it on the record. (Note to Phil Schiller: I’d love to be proven wrong.)

The Google Voice issue involves Apple’s contentious relationship with AT&T (and, eventually, when Google Voice is available outside the U.S., Apple’s carrier partners around the world), and Apple’s competitive relationship with Google itself.

The beauty of the Ninjawords story — what drew me to it like a magnet — is not that it is a particularly important case, but rather that it is particularly simple. The problems are clear, uncomplicated, and, I think, undeniable.

★ Friday, 7 August 2009