Personal Rant: Apple and AT&T: A Match Made in... well, not Heaven
AT&T today announced what it is calling a "value move" to allow cheaper data plans for its customers. What they aren't calling it is what it is: the death of the unlimited data plan. A great article on Gizmodo explains everything in detail, including the fact that other major providers are likely to follow suit, possibly starting with Verizon.
I'm not sure that charging customers more for less is a "value move." At least not for the customers. Meanwhile, AT&T is going to be offering tethering for its iPhone. This means you can use your iPhone essentially as a 3G hotspot for other devices, namely the iPad, but you'll pay $20/month for the privilege, in addition to losing unlimited data. Current AT&T customers will be left with the choice about whether to "upgrade" to a much more expensive plan with tethering, or keep unlimited data until their current plan expires.
What does Apple -- which has an exclusivity arrangement with AT&T for data plans -- have to say about all this? Nothing. They are too busy waging a battle against Adobe and its web platform, Flash. Yes, the same Flash that is used in Evony. According to Steve Jobs, Flash is headed to the technology graveyard. I guess most browser games and 74% of online video content didn't get the message. While HTML5 is on the rise, stealing market share from Flash, this is predominantly because Apple refuses to support it. This is why you can't play Evony on the iPad or iPhone. Now HTML5 is a great platform, but there's no reason you can't support both, unless you're greedy. Read on.
Job's #1 complaint against Flash is that it is proprietary or "not open." This means Adobe controls the development and pricing of its Flash product. Coincidentally (and hypocritically), so is every Apple product. Apple is working around the clock to block iTunes syncing on any phone except the iPhone. This is in the wake of yanking all Google-voice Apps from their proprietary app store because AT&T was missing out on profits from voice plans. I'm sure all of AT&T's satisfied customers are thrilled /sarcasm.
So the real reason for Apple's decision is to put more money in the pocket of the nation's worst major wireless provider while maintaining a chokehold on the apps supported on their products. They wouldn't be able to do this if they allowed Flash.
Apple's decision to boycott Flash is bad for the entire industry, but will probably be good for Apple, which has thrived on marketing and image while being an industry isolationist. Translation: they lure you in with the coolness of their products, then spring the trap because you can only use their proprietary services (which they hate :rolleyes:), which cost more and are usually worse than free market alternatives.
This is why AT&T and Apple are a match made in not Heaven. :cool:
