A controversy is currently gaining ground about how Apple is trying to impose Safari on the PC. Indeed, rather than just downloading it, Apple has decided to use the system which updates iTunes and Quicktime with Windows for downloading Safari.
This is probably the first time that Apple is using iTunes-iPod so openly to try to impose another of their products, and as one might expect, it leaves a bad taste. Critics are vocal, especially those directly affected such as John Lilly CEO of the Mozilla Foundation, which offers Firefox.
Hard to tell whether this plan will make a lot of noise, but it operates in a global context, which could erode the image of cool that Apple surfs on. This is even truer since another controversy has begun to manifest itself once again concerning the iPhone SDK. Apple reportedly blocked any possibility of accessing music from the device. This complicates the lives of developers who wanted to benefit from the latter to put the music in their software, but more importantly it blocks the possibility of developing an alternative player, and any system of selling other than the iTunes Music Store.
Already some believe that this limitation could be exploited by competitors like Amazon, who would be delighted to win a trial in abuse of a dominant position of Apple and then offer access to their own online shop selling for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It is now quite possible having abandoned DRM. Apple can no longer hide behind its desire to dismiss FairPlay.
It is clear the situation is delicate: before now Apple used its own success to build more, but now it findsitself in an untenable situation that may damage its reputation.
[translation by jeremy]
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