Oh, bother. What do you do when one of your favorite artists stirs up an attack on your beloved mobile operating system? Why, you call his arse out on the carpet.
And so we shall, after the break.
The background, for those who've missed it: Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails fame took to Twitter to rail against Apple's app certification process after an update to the NIN app was rejected for content that wasn't really there and had already been approved in the first place. And we couldn't agree more. That's pretty ridiculous, and we can only hope Microsoft will have a better system for its Marketplace.
But ol' Trent didn't stop there. He explained further in the NIN forums and later came back to explain that it's his love for Apple that spawned behind the hatred of the app process.
Everyone - let me be clear. I love Apple products and as goofy and out-of-touch as their app approval process / policy is, I will still use them because they work 1000X better than the competition. This is not a debate, it's a fact. The iPhone is THE most elegant, modern smartphone at this point in time and it's perfect for what we want to do with the NIN app - except for the ludicrous approval process, and that's what I want to draw attention to.
Ya know, it's tough to argue with that. And the NIN app is excellent. But here's where it really gets good.
Android is cool, but nobody has an Android phone. Blackberry is OK but the hardware is inconsistent and WinMo straight-up sucks balls. If Apple doesn't get it together, we will most certainly make it available to the jailbreak community. I didn't invest in this app to see it languish on the sidelines from an idiotic policy while this tour is in full swing.
Again, one man's opinion, and that's cool. Certainly all the platforms have issues to work on. But that's the thing: Every platform is different. Each one has trade-offs. We'll let you guys flame till your heart's content in the comments.
Sure enough, NIN and Apple have much in common in that they're both about the experience — the sum of the parts. Windows Mobile is more nuts and bolts. But for an artist who has found new freedom after leaving the confines of record labels to champion the most closed consumer system available? We can't help but notice how that one doesn't really add up.
The freedom Windows Mobile gives to its users is an experience, too. And, admittedly, it's not for everyone. But for us, it's a good middle ground. The iPhone is easy to use and to develop for, but it's locked down like something out of Year Zero. Straight-up Linux is wide open but can be a bear to use. You would think that in a business model that's all about getting your work out to the public as easily and well-packaged as possible, and while keeping costs down for yourself, NIN might explore other platforms and not just dismiss them as "sucking balls."
So there's one fewer Windows Mobile user out there. To each his own. (Hell, as our iPhone-loving pal Rene Ritchie put it, at least WinMo got a mention.) Palm didn't get any love hate. So until we see a NIN app on Android, Windows Mobile or BlackBerry, let's call this what it is: Apple fanboyism at its best.
Oh, and one more thing: We still believe great things are ahead for Windows Mobile. And great things can eventually come to those who wait. Right, Trent?
