InstallerApp Opens iPhone to All Apps Without Jailbreaking
1:13 pm, March 24th, 2009, Lonnie Lazar
If you’ve been on the fence about whether or not to jailbreak your iPhone due to trepidation over wading into deep geek water, Ripdev’s release of InstallerApp might be just the tipping point you’ve been waiting for.
It’s an application for Mac (soon to be available for Windows PCs as well) that allows you to download iPhone apps on your computer and transfer them to your device in a friendly iTunes-like interface, without “jailbreaking” your phone.
InstallerApp comes with software, called “Pusher”, that RipDev says can install Installer.app on your iPhone without “jailbreaking” it, so you can use Apple’s approved AppStore and InstallerApp simultaneously. The app supports Cydia, a popular installer for jailbroken iPhones, but does so, according to Ripdev, without making a mess of your iPhone’s file system or replacing any system libraries as Cydia does.
You’ll need a Mac with Intel processor running OS X 10.5 Leopard or higher. InstallerApp supports first generation iPhone and iPhone 3G, though not iPod touch as yet.
One $7 license lets you sync up to three iPhones and gives you access to free updates and email tech support for one year. The free version is fully functional and lets you browse the app’s repository of thousands of non-AppStore software titles, and use it to install the Installer app on your iPhone, but you won’t be able to install other apps on your iPhone. That sort of defeats the purpose, but at least you can get a look and feel for free.
Clearly, the jailbreaking community is hitting its stride in providing competitive alternatives to Apple’s walled garden of iPhone apps. Ripdev is even promising to support iPhone 3.0 shortly after the new software is released and jailbroken.
UPDATE: InstallerApp may not be living up to its developers claims, according to some comments to this post and to a report at Engadget. Has anyone had success making InstallerApp perform as advertised? Let us know in comments and we’ll post again as information warrants.
[Macworld]
Posted by Lonnie Lazar in News | Comment on this article
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If iPhone 3.0 supports video recording, tethering, bluetooth, mms, “springboard” style customization.. there will less and less reason to even bother jailbreaking an iPhone. Only reason I’ve done it is for the PDAnet and the occasional video recording which is poor quality at best. This maybe too little to late if Apple steps up and adds all the features people have complained were missing for the past 2 years.
JD, on March 24th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I’d consider spending the $7, but only if someone would be kind enough to provide some examples of fantastic “unofficial” apps that would be made available with InstallerApp. Is there a central web site that lists these unofficial apps? I guess I’m wondering: why are there so many “unofficial” apps? Why not make them available via the “official” Apple mechanism?
Rick, on March 24th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Looks like this needs to be updated…
http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/24/debunk-jailbroken-apps-on-a-non-jailbroken-iphone-not-quite/
Dan, on March 24th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Rick – there are many restrictions that Apple imposes via its SDK for an iPhone app to be made available via the official mechanism. Such restrictions include not being able to run apps in the background, preventing access of internal libraries and other parts of the file system, eliminating direct hardware access of the device, and many more. These restrictions really limit what developers are capable of producing on an iPhone, and frankly handicap the iPhone from achieving its true potential as a software platform.
MH, on March 24th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Pile of crap. Tried it 3 times now and just sits there ‘installing applications’ and does nothing….glad I tried the demo first, don’t waste your money.
buggy buggy buggy….waste of time.
SM, on March 24th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Wow… I’ve been totally against jailbreaking, but this is appealing.
Duality, on March 24th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
DAMN! I paid for it. DID NOT WORK FOR ME EITHER. I want to believe this is a legitimate app (based off of what cultofmac posting it here), but I am having serious doubt. I emailed the developers about it NOT WORKING and I will wait to hear from them for the benefit of the doubt. I tell you one thing though, the way I read the description on cultofmac and then read the engadget DEBUNK sure makes me think perhaps cultofmac did not test it???
I will let you guys know if the developers get back with me or not. $7.00 is $7.00!!!!!!!
Matt Castille, on March 24th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
I paid too and its like doing nothing and wasting my time!
eadwine, on March 24th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Update from Support:
If you have a newer “unibody†MacBook or MacBook Pro, or you have Mac OS X 10.5.6 installed on your Mac, iPhone might not go into DFU mode properly  instead of InstallerApp logo it will show either black or white screen.
In this case you need to connect iPhone to Mac via active USB hub, so iPhone will be able to switch into DFU mode.
Thank you for you interest in InstallerApp!
——
Still didn’t work for me though….don’t waste your time.
SM, on March 25th, 2009 at 5:08 am
@SM and @eadwine: There is an issue with DFU mode on Mac 10.5.6. Instructions at http://www.hackint0sh.org/forum/f146/68396.htm fixed that issue. Installer worked as advertised.
After install and activation apps were successfully pushed to my iPhone.
It works exactly as advertised.
G1nger, on March 25th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Fix link: http://www.hackint0sh.org/forum/f146/68396.htm
G1nger, on March 25th, 2009 at 8:40 am
If the install process is hanging for you try connecting the phone via a USB hub (see the install manual), the ports on the back of a cinema display will work.. the note references problems with unibody macs and macs running 10.5.6…
after I did this it worked perfectly..
dubin, on March 25th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Ginger-> doesnt that jailbreak the iphone?
eadwine, on March 25th, 2009 at 9:59 am
@eadwine: Yeah pretty much the same thing as jailbreak but easier to find and install apps.
Cult of Mac dude: fix that first link please, mistyped and it takes you to a NSFW link. thx.
G1nger, on March 25th, 2009 at 10:30 am
@G1nger: that was quite a typo. Fixed now.
Lonnie Lazar, on March 25th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Ok I’m seriously considering this.
I’m hearing mixed reviews in here though.
Justin, on March 25th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Yeah, 30000 apps and 165 new apps a day aren’t enough. I need to sabotage my iPhone for the next Apple update so I can get some untested and potentially damaging apps! yay!
Hookey, on March 26th, 2009 at 6:35 am
Can anyone tell me if this program jailbreaks my iphone so I am not able to use app store?
Appl- swe, on March 26th, 2009 at 10:51 am
OK, I said I would follow up. The developer got back with me the next day and instructed me with different methods to try to get it working. NO GO. I can say he did reply and did try to help. Just not worth any more of my time to get this working. There.
Matt Castille, on March 26th, 2009 at 8:33 pm