b0sk

http://www.geekwire.com/2011/microsoft-cites-new-patents-vs-... -- Here are the details about the patents. It's pretty childish stuff. Anyone with half a brain can innovate and come up with inventions. This is just bullying.

Or maybe yet another case of Apple doing it because "they can"?

I noticed that people have tweeted this to Gruber but he hasn't mentioned it in his blog yet.

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that Dickbar and the backlash it received contributed to this. For instance, the iOS official app is the best Twitter client so far despite shoving promoted trends down our throats. One could come up with a better client with no dickbar and everyone would be flocking there. By discouraging new clients, they are discouraging our ability to turn off dickbar.

That's a good observation. I think of cables as an anti-feature. ( as defined by Benjamin Mako-Hill ).

In that, the devices are perfectly capable of syncing and tethering wirelessly, but Apple hasn't enabled that functionality yet. They are going to add that at some point for an extra 9.99$ and going to call it AirTether. Brand new feature of iPad3. You pay a premium for getting rid of cables.

It's an indirect effect. Majority of his readers are Apple fans and need a constant reminder why their platform is better than others. ( Think about it in terms of being a sports fan. You'll rarely subscribe to a beat writer who tries to uncover scandals in your team and tries to find faults ).

He earns money from software and services which run in Apple-based platforms. ( Pixelmator, for example ). If he constantly undermines Apple, will Pixelmator be happy?

He has to give an air of legitimacy by pointing out Apple's faults once in a while and competitors' good products now and then. His primary audience is Apple fans. and he writes for them.

Yes, Gruber's position is hardly surprising, though. He writes that blog specifically to Apple fans who want to be told everday that the company they are rooting for is cooler and better. He's playing to his audience. His sponsors are software, services which run on Apple platform.

I'll be curious if he's really drinking the kool-aid* or feels that Apple is fault but has to defend them due to the nature of his job.

*pardon the cliche