“Cartoon HD” is an app with a lot of history, despite having been around for relatively little time – the app managed to generate a lot of controversy immediately after coming out, and it quickly attracted the attention of people and organizations who wanted to take it down. And in the end, those efforts were successful to some extent – the app was taken down from the iTunes App Store after multiple complaints and reports against it. Apple have cited the questionable legality of the app’s content as their reason for its removal, but it seems that this situation might be only temporary, judging by several recent developments.
First, the app is now available to desktop users in a website form. Those who want to watch their favorite cartoons on their computers can just go to the website, find their shows of choice, and start streaming. Since the site itself doesn’t host any of the copyrighted content, it should theoretically be able to stick around for longer than the original app itself, even though it was based on similar technology. A website is more difficult to take down, though nobody is immune – even The Pirate Bay wasn’t safe recently.
On the other hand, there have been rumors going around about a potential new version of the app headed to the iTunes store. Rumored to be called “Cartoon HD 2”, it will apparently have a new approach to its content distribution, which should be unaffected by Apple’s terms of use and legal policies. Of course, in such a situation, it’s not a very wise idea to force Apple into a game of cat and mouse, as they certainly have the upper hand. However, if the developers have indeed found a way to release their app and keep it in the store, then they should definitely give it a try and see if they can stick around this time.
It’s not known when the new version is supposed to come out, and exactly how it will be different from the last one, although rumors claim that the app has received a visual overhaul and now has an improved interface, while retaining its smooth streaming capabilities and the vast library of shows that its users could access.
The app has also inspired various similar projects, although it remains the most prominent one, and the one with the most potential for developing into something truly unique, given the large number of followers it currently has. It’s entirely up to the developers to reap the benefits of their popularity now, and give their users something that they will talk about for many weeks after it’s released.