I thought that I should summarise why, after 42 years, I have stopped developing for Apple platforms.
1. I write open source gaming software.
2. The software is legacy, and relies on OpenGL and Quartz
3. The software is 32-bit
4. The software is open src, and thus, not part of the Apple Developer Content (i.e. Apple App Store)
In recent times, Apple have effective given the big bird to all open src developers, and now with their deprecation of both Quartz and OpenGL, the message is clear: Develop for iOS, or go home.
I personally feel that this message is wrong, and goes against the grain for everything that longstanding, small, Apple developers stand for.
For the last five years, we have battled issues with Apple restrictions, notable 'Gatekeeper', and tried to inform users on how to circumvent them, but the recent policy changes have also changed the game in primary, fundamental levels:
As such, while I was in fact working on an OSX version of our software, after seeing the announcements from Apple, I outright abandoned them, for the following reasons:
Our software is at present, due to library reasons, locked to 32b.
Our software is free, and open source, and we cannot afford registry and approval in the 'App Store'.
Our software relies heavily on Quartz. We were updating it for OGL, but even that now, seems like Apple will phase it out.
In short, Apple have stated 'Use our store, or GTFO.',, and 'Use 64b, or GTFO.', along with other messages that basically give the 'V' to small, open source developers. Because of these factors, as EP and lead programmer, I sadly axed support for OSX. (I may produce a version for PPC 10.4/10.5, and Intel 10.6, but that is as far as I shall ever go.).
I personally use OSX 10.3->10.6. Everything after this, to me, was a determent, not an upgrade.
If any of you feel as I do, I hope that you will likewise write Apple and complain. This IMO is naught more than a way to control with an iron fist, what software they will permit on the OSX platform, depriving the OSX userbase of the choice of selecting your own software.
If you wish to know more. then, by all means feel free to ask; but I hope that some of you feel as aggrieved as I do, and will take some form of action in the near future. I doubt that Apple care, as their main platform is now iOS, and they barely give two pins about OSX, but, every little bit helps.
I've expressed similar sentiments about iOS. I bought a ThinkPad P1 back in October and have been running Kubuntu. Then I ended up with a 16" MBP through a client, and I've been back and forth.
::shrug::I have Apple HW dating from 1977 to 20078. They basically gave the bird to legacy and open src devs who do not write for the Apple Store, so fek'em, IMO.
I have never owe an iPad f iPhone product. I owed the 1st gen iPod , some Newtons and the eMate 300. The last Apple HW that I bought was an XServe (2008) and a Mac Pro (2008). Apple IMO are past the point of redemption and care little to naught about legacy users.
iOS is rubbish, IMO. OSX now is iOS+, and it is also rubbish, beoynd 10.6.x, aso IMO.
I had to abandon support for OSX, not because I wanted to do that, but because Apple forced me to do that due to deprecating core OS features. If it were entirely up to me (32b support, Quartz support, &c), I would support OSX until doomsday, but alas, I cannot. Apple have made it impossible.