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In a blog post, iDOS 2 developer Litchie revealed that he received an email from Apple recommending changes that restrict the application from runtime environments such as Windows 3.1. Instead of acquiescing to Apple’s demands, Litchie will soon be removing the app from the store.
In our characteristic detailing what it was like to use Windows on an iPad Pro, we noticed how well the OS performed on the tablet, but if you want to try it out, now you’re going to have to move quickly before iDOS 2 is never gone forever for new users.
We’ve been here before with iDOS; a version had been around for years where you could install MS-DOS and even Windows 95 games freely before Apple got wind and sent a cease and desist request.
However, as the app has been available for over two years, this begs the question of why now? Did it take recent media coverage for Apple to notice what the app could do, when it didn’t even hide the fact of its feature set?
Why is it deleted?
The team received an email from Apple this week stating, “Upon re-evaluation, we found that your app did not meet App Store review guidelines. More specifically, we have found that your application does not comply with the following provisions:
Guideline 2.5.2 – Performance – Software requirements
During the exam, your app installed or launched executable code, which is not allowed on the App Store.
Since September 2020, the application has been updated to enable file sharing, but it’s only now that Apple recommends removing the feature, which would make the app almost useless.
Instead, iDOS 2 will be removed very soon, but the team notes that you should still be able to download it from your “Bought” list if you remove it in the future.
We have reached out to Apple for further feedback and will update this article when we have a response.
Analysis: Preserving old software is a problem
As Litchie rightly notes, the file sharing feature has been available on iDOS 2 since September, so it’s notable that it’s taken Apple that long to notice what the app is capable of.
On top of that, Litchie also said she sent an email in September, explicitly stating that the file sharing feature was present.
Whether the App Store team just hit ‘approved’ and didn’t try to run Windows 3.1 on their iPads, or know about it, it’s still a shame that this feature is being removed, and in turn, the application.
Having used Windows 3.1 on my iPad, this is another app that fell victim to the App Store emulation rules. I would be surprised if there were any malicious ways to use a 1993 OS, but again this shows that directive 2.5.2 may need another look.
Applications like this showcase the preservation of retro software – the way the general public used computers thirty years ago alongside programs of that time, which are now mostly non-existent on our modern machines.
It helps educate young users about what once was and how certain features and even user interfaces could be applied to software today. However, as it gets harder and harder to use these legacy operating systems, it looks like Apple and others are missing out on something great that can educate the programmers and designers of tomorrow.
Via Litchie
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