[res0nat0r]

They're either going to keep getting their access cut, or sued into bankruptcy. You can't really piggyback off another companies service in violation of their TOS without things working out poorly for you IMO.

[rpmisms]

Yeah, not the point. The point is to prove that it's possible and relatively simple, and the only reason Apple operates this way is to lock people into the ecosystem.

[res0nat0r]

Thats the entire point of the Apple ecosystem. They want to control the entire user experience end to end, and it is why many people like Apple products so much.

[jkubicek]

Running the iMessage service for a billion iPhone users can't be cheap. Opening up the API and running it for the entire rest of the world for free is a non-starter.

No company on earth is that generous, let alone Apple.

[ketzo]

> and the only reason Apple operates this way is to lock people into the ecosystem.

Honest question: is there anyone who doesn't already think that? Even at, like, a legislative level?

[JeremyNT]

> Yeah, not the point. The point is to prove that it's possible and relatively simple, and the only reason Apple operates this way is to lock people into the ecosystem.

Is that the point? Everybody already knew that Apple's messaging strategy was a business calculation based around lock in.

Beeper also presents itself as a company, so I'm not sure how releasing software that annoys Apple just to make a point could possibly help their bottom line. If that was the goal, they should've released the code as an anonymous open source project rather than painting a huge target on their own backs.

[Legion]

Is that really an unknown that anyone required proof of?

[meepmorp]

> lock people into the ecosystem.

Other messaging services are available on iOS. In much if the world, iMessage is barely used. This is not lock-in, at all.

If anything, this is lock-out - it's a service that Apple provides to its customers and they don't want 3rd party clients and/or non-customers using the service.

[constantly]

I don’t think anyone thinks it’s impossible for apple, or even relatively difficult for them. I also don’t think anyone doesn’t understand that they try to lock people into their ecosystem. Not my favorite choice of theirs, but largely a business choice they’ve decided to make.

[misnome]

As is their right?

[bagels]

Seems like an expensive way to tell us all something we've known since the iphone was released.

[encoderer]

Nobody is locked into Apple products because of iMessage.

[PrimeMcFly]

Except what they are doing is specifically legal under the DMCA, and protected under the EU SDA. Under the EU SDA, Apple might even have to assist them.

[kernal]

>sued into bankruptcy

Good luck with that. I'd like to see this play out in court with a technically inclined judge. Be careful what you wish for.

[Nextgrid]

I suspect the end-game of Beeper is to explicitly set a legal precedent or at the very least a highly publicized fight over adversarial interoperability, something no other company dared to do (because most tech companies nowadays themselves make money out of interoperability restrictions).

I assume there's some very rich benefactor behind it that is willing to fund it.

[randyrand]

Yes, this is like a picture perfect case for interoperability.

[goodluckchuck]

There’s no piggybacking. Beeper’s messages never hit Apple servers.