The Commodore 64 vs. the iPhone 3G S 238
Posted
by
timothy
from the next-week-chocolate-torte-vs.-charles-manson dept.
from the next-week-chocolate-torte-vs.-charles-manson dept.
Harry writes "The unfortunate news about Apple rejecting a Commodore 64 emulator from the iPhone App Store inspired me to compare the C64 to the new iPhone 3G S, in more detail than any rational person is likely to compare them, ever again. If nothing else, it's a snapshot of just how far technology has come since the C64's release in August of 1982."
The developers are spreading FUD (Score:5, Insightful)
It's quite clear what Apple approved was selling individual C64 games or apps individually that used an emulator underneath. Not a full fledged emulator that would let you program your own games, or play whatever C64 software you have.
Apple probably read their website and realized their goal was quite different then what they were told earlier.
It's quite clear that an emulator is OK as long as it can only run the app sold with it, and not arbitrary code.
Price comparison (Score:5, Insightful)
The iPhone 3G S has 4,000 times the RAM (256MB) for one-third the price (with an AT&T contract)
Your price comparison is not really good. You should compare an uncontracted iphone price (500 or 600) to that of a c64. The contract lock is worth money - especially considering how much you buy to maintain your service. THen again you get more from the contract (phone service, access to the internet, etc). So a better comparison is the straight phone price to the c64 price.
Re:The developers are spreading FUD (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Missing categories... (Score:3, Insightful)
Attached Physical Keyboard
Unfair comparison -- didn't include FREEDOM (Score:5, Insightful)
They forgot to include FREEDOM. You were free on the C64, no one could stop you from making applications, running them and distributing them freely to friends, who in turn, without big brother watching, could distribute your creations as well. You're not even allowed ot run a python interpreter on the iphone.
And don't tell me about jailbreaking, jailbreaking is a DMCA violation and if AT&T catches you, you will be kicked off their network. You don't have control of your device, with the C64 you did.
The only comparison that matters (Score:4, Insightful)
The only comparison that matters is you could write and run your own code on the C64 and you cannot on the iPhone.
Re:Unfair comparison -- didn't include FREEDOM (Score:5, Insightful)
Calm down.
I agree not only could you write any code you wanted for free but Commodore included the scematics of the C-64! At least they did with mine but I had an early one.
Not only that people disassembled the kernel and wrote books that included the listing and nobody sent them a take down notice!
That was simpler time full of Compute and Byte magazine and taking your best girl to see ET and WarGames.
Re:Flash and Java (Score:4, Insightful)
isn't the C64 emulator a sandbox?
ActionScript and Java run in a sandbox, but they're rejected too.
Javascript or Brainfuck also run arbitrary code in a sandbox, but they're not rejected.
Welcome to the topsy-turvy world of the Apple app store, where any app could be removed at any time, because they could all be interpretted as infringing some part of the SDK rules.
The emulator thing has an easy acid test (Score:1, Insightful)
Can you create your own app store, and cut Apple's 30% (what is their cut of every app sold?) out of the equation? Don't assume because an app is free, download and popularity data isn't worthless.
If yes, reject app. If no, move to some other random criteria.
The emulator clause is clearly spelled out in the developer agreement.
Re:You *can* write & run your own code on the (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm trying to image a C64 developer proudly crowing, "We're allowed to sell 50 copies!"
Re:The only comparison that matters (Score:3, Insightful)
You can. You just need to either jailbreak it, or become an iPhone developer, which is ridiculously easy.
Re:Nice comparison (Score:3, Insightful)
Wouldn't it be more appropriate to compare the iPhone 3GS to the Apple IIgs?
Could have made me an iPhone customer! (Score:1, Insightful)
Wow, this would have gotten me to buy an iPhone! I didn't think anything could. Thanks for turning me away, Apple.
I LUV MY C64! (Score:3, Insightful)
I saved and saved to get my C64. Way better than that stupid VIC 20.
I have hundreds games for it. About a dozen or so game that I enjoy so much I keep my C64 around and 'load' it up so I can play them. A emulator for the Iphone/touch would be something I would love to have and pay for it - provided it had the games I love to play.
Re:Oh well... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:The only comparison that matters (Score:3, Insightful)
The only comparison that matters is you could write and run your own code on the C64 and you cannot on the iPhone.
Hmm, I would have thought another important distinction would be that one of them fits in your pocket, and the other is the size of a breadbox, not including the monitor.
Not to dismiss the calls for greater openness on the iPhone, which I fully support, but I can't help but imagine what a typical C64 user back in the day would think about this conversation. "Wait, you want to run a program on your WHAT? Your PHONE? Does your program have to be all in numbers, or what? Can I program with a rotary dial?" (I know most phones were touch-tone at the time, but we still had a rotary dial.)
It's just funny. :)