Steve Jobs delighted high-tech mavens and hackers Tuesday by making Apple Computer Inc. the first major computer company to release the programming secrets behind an operating system to software developers around the world. Apple's move, while limited to its software that runs central computers, gives a big push to a movement to use the Internet for enlisting volunteer programmers and speeding software development. In contrast, companies such as Microsoft Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc. jealously guard blueprints to their software to surprise rivals with improved features. Apple will continue to keep secret its operating system for the Macintosh personal computer, at least for now.
Source codes are the typed instructions that people create directing computers to execute programs.
Now we'd like to see more of their codes. Jobs said that Apple will watch how the server source codes are used, but that he would like to open codes from more systems in the future. Technology experts at universities said that the open source code will allow them to customize their networks to Apple's operating system. E.W. Scripps Publications , All Rights Reserved. Site users are subject to our User Agreement .