You say that you have only done a bit of Obj-C programming. The problem is that for small programs retain/release is much like malloc/free, but in bigger projects it becomes a life-safer. The conventions are very easy, even if you throw some CoreFoundation object in the equation.
The main difference between retain/release and malloc/free is that with retain = "I (object calling retain) need this object to stick around" and release = "I (object calling release) don't need this object anymore". Instead malloc = "create this", free = "nobody else in this process needs this". You can see yourself that while is usually trivial to determine if an object needs something it is referencing or not, doing so for the whole process everytime you try to get rid of an object is painful.
Note that now the Objective-C runtime offers garbage collection (except on the iPhone), which is of course a good step forward.
This was true a few years ago, when DRM didn't actually get in the way of legitimate customers in a major way. Now even Mr WhatIfTheyGetMe (because many of those who don't pirate don't do so because they are afraid of getting caught) starts to get pissed about these extremely obtrusive DRM systems.
I know game makers, recording labels etc have lost sales from me. I did not pirate though, I am still waiting for DRM free versions of their content. I purchased a lot of shareware and some iTunes Plus music instead.
After all I can live just as well (dare I say, better?) without playing Spore.
Filed under: Cellphones
Apple's no stranger to being slammed by Greenpeace, and while Steve certainly spoke of a "Greener Apple," it seems that the iPhone wasn't included. According to tests arranged by the entity, it was found that the iPhone contained "toxic brominated compounds (indicating the presence of brominated flame retardants) and hazardous PVC," which are said to be disallowed across the pond due to RoHS requirements. More specifically, the independent testing found "brominated compounds in half the samples, including in the phone's antenna, in which they made up 10-percent of the total weight of the flexible circuit board." As expected, Greenpeace wasted no time pointing to rival firms that have received pats on the back for their green efforts, and subsequently shook a finger at Apple while murmuring "tsk tsk" -- but we'll leave the actual politicking to you all in comments, cool?Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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