Crap…iDOS got pulled from the App Store, again
Once again, the issue is that the program can run custom executables within itself. As the developer points out in this post, to comply with Apple’s App Store policy, he would effectively have to hobble iDOS (and thus DOSBox) to only be able to run those apps that the program ships with; he would have to both completely remove the ability to load — even by backdoor means — custom executables into the app and prevent them from being run anyhow (in case someone clever figured out another workaround).
To which, he says:
Nothing can compensate for that loss, no matter how much better it will look. We all hope that apple finally realize that emulator doesn’t place any threat to their customers and their business. Before that happens, this should be the last release of iDOS. If there will ever be any further development on iDOS, it will be under a different app name.
So that’s that; iDOS is effectively toast, Dragons and Dragonettes. Hopefully, you were able to snag a copy this new version; if not, your only hope for running old DOS games on your iPhone is to either hope that they get ported to iOS some day, or else jailbreak the device and run DOSPad on it.
Those of you who did grab the app can still make use of this tutorial, which I will be expanding in the coming days to include the excellent work of Todd “jz1” Banister. Be mindful, however, that there may be an issue with the number of games you load into the app.
It was probably foreseeable. For the moment, Apple will not allow this kind of program. Which is sad and yet I’ve always felt is ironic since the first ad for Mac was : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8. A fight against the establishment and against a big brother sort of thing.
Perhaps one day…
Little question: if we sync our phone now, there’s no risk of it being taken off the phone right ?
That should be correct, yeah; the app is still on your computer, still in iTunes locally, and still thinks if itself as being valid; it will sync.
Apple supposedly has the ability to remotely kill the app, but if so has never (to my knowledge) used said power.
As to the Apple ad: agreed. Though really, I suppose The Who’s observation applies: “Meet the new boss/same as the old boss.”
Apple should open something like Virtual Console for Wii, if I-things are so popular. Sega already released a whole bunch of Genesis titles. And there is legal C64 emulator with legally approved games for it.
Don’t worry. Just jailbreak your devices people. Its not hard and it converts your iphone/ipad into a real device with no limitations. Dospad works great under iphone or ipad.
Zygon…what IS the recommended jailbreak these days for a new basement iPhone 3GS running 4.2.1?
There’s certainly some irony to apple going the proprietary jailed IP route, that’s for sure.
Well, Apple has always had a bit of that streak about them, though; Macs were always meant to be computers that were easy to use and not to be poked around in. That design philosophy has carried over into their mobile platforms as well, and into their OS development.
In some respects, it has worked well for them. The average consumer benefits more than suffers from Apple’s decision to deploy an OS that is tailored to run on only specific hardware sets, and from Apple’s decision to tightly control — and restrict access too — what goes into a Mac computer.
Folks like most of us, people who are comfortable poking around the guts of a computer (or an OS, for that matter) find Apple’s model more troublesome, but we can hardly be called “average” users. The average user is, sadly, still someone who almost needs to be protected from their own idiocy where computer use is concerned; Apple builds to that market.
WTG_Dragon:
Up until the 23rd of January there was no “untethered” jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1 but I’ve just read that Geohot’s (PS3 cracker) Limera1n and Limesn0w will allow an untehtered jailbreak and carrier unlock for 4.2.1 on all devices. Wohoooo!
If its true that great news as I want to upgrade my ipad to 4.2.1 and run the new DosPad with core midi support 🙂
Stay tuned as we are all hanging out the this rumor to be true.