Apple Backtracks Claim as First Major Open-Source Computer Company

Earlier last week, Apple made the move it promised back in June, as the WWDC noted: it open-sourced its Swift programming language.

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What this means is that the code developers will be using is free from prohibitive licences, and Apple was proud to announce that. In the press release issued by Apple, Craig Federighi said the following: “Swift’s power and ease of use will inspire a new generation to get into coding, and with today’s announcement they’ll be able to take their ideas anywhere, from mobile devices to the cloud.”

Apple published text on the microsite dedicated to Swift, claiming it is the first major computer company to make such a bold move, but the text has been changed since then. The original message from Apple read:

Apple, the first major computer company to make Open Source development a key part of its software strategy, continues to use and release significant quantities of open source software.

Apple’s claim received much attention on social media, and it wasn’t exactly positive. However, it looks like Apple read those tweets and retracted its bold comment, so the refreshed page now reads:

Open source software is at the heart of Apple platforms and developer tools, and Apple continues to contribute and release significant quantities of open source code.

As the Guardian point out, Apple isn’t necessarily the first major mover as it claims. And you know, when it comes to releasing its own code as open source, Apple is slower than usual.

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