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Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

marketwatch.com

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Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#181

Post by bluecalm »

bepotts wrote: post #46
peatmoss wrote: post #20

I miss the idea that a platform, applications, and marketplace were not a vertical stack owned by one entity. As a consumer, I’d love to buy a phone, not a content distribution straight jacket.

As a consumer, I love it. I love that I buy an iPhone and Apple doesn't allow any non-trusted binaries to run on my phone, enforces strict style guidelines (the average app just looks better on my iPhone than Android IMO), has one place where all possible apps are, maintains a distribution channels that allows all my apps to be updated easily, and builds hardware and software that is designed to work together. I love…

You could still have app store and side channels. If you want security and Apple stamp of approval just use default app store. If you want cheaper apps, maybe from trustworthy trusted companies, install them as well.

Supporting obligatory 30% tax on any developer work makes my blood boil. If Apple model wins it will be a disaster for innovation and salaries. I will never buy or recommended Apple products for this reason. It's worth it to me a stand even if user experience is temporarily better.

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#183

Post by tommymachine »

peatmoss wrote: post #20

I miss the idea that a platform, applications, and marketplace were not a vertical stack owned by one entity. As a consumer, I’d love to buy a phone, not a content distribution straight jacket.

Has there not always been unequal distribution of apps / content across platforms?

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#184

Post by donarb »

sxp62000 wrote: post #35

I'd like to see some sort of a breakdown of how Apple uses the 30% to improve the app store. Even if they were spending 15% of that cut on improving iTunes Connect etc. it would've shown.

This is a list of some of the benefits of the App Store. The idea is not that every developer may want/need every feature, but think how much it would cost a developer to implement each one by themselves.

  - 24/7 worldwide availability, instant payment/download
  - Easy re-install after deletion, you still own the app even if deleted
  - Region restriction
  - Separate app pricing by region
  - Revenues paid to developer from multiple region currencies without conversion fees
  - Tax calculation and collection
  - Customer refunds
  - User rankings and reviews
  - App store advertising in category listings
  - Video previews of the app in operation
  - Packaging of media content allowing developers the ability to load game levels as the user needs them rather than all at once
  - App sales stats

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#185

Post by 75dvtwin »

Could this be analogous to the 'Net neutrality' arguments?

Only in this case Google and Apple are the 'bad guys' (the infrastructure providers, eg the ISP).

While the so called 'Over-the-top' application/service providers (eg Netflix, Spotify, Epic games, etc) and their users are the victims ?

I can see a small difference, where the ISPs did not have anything analogous to 'advertisement' benefit to their 'Over-the-top' application/service providers.

But surely, the advertising help the stores provide -- is not worth continuous 30% (or even 15%) take ?

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#186

Post by kingaillas »

wvenable wrote: post #159
NeedMoreTea wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For the non-technical majority they are a huge advantage. We're never going to have average users fully technically aware. I well remember the state of Windows during Win 98 and XP where most had no idea what they were downloading, and it seemed every machine had malware, hidden pop ups and 37 IE toolbars. I was constantly asked to clean up friend's machines from the damage done by Kazaa and its associated garbage or…

Imagine of Microsoft had a similar store to Apple in 1995 with the same restrictions on downloading and executing external code. The web itself could have been killed in the cradle on day one. The fact that you are here typing this reply right now is entirely because of the state of Windows during 98 and XP. It's a balance between security and freedom. You are arguing for the benefit of security while ignoring the ef…

It's always hard to predict how things would have turned out given various alternate possibilities. The web could have been killed, or thrived anyway.

Perhaps a locked-down Microsoft store would have had all kinds of ancillary benefits such as freeing up all the money spent padding their bottom line and dealing with externalities (malware cleanup, etc) and redirecting it towards having competitive open-source/GPL products for regular users. Perhaps all the forgotten OSes that died out due to Microsoft's dominant position would have found their fanbases and survived (OS/2 Warp, AmigaOS, BeOS, etc.) and the web would have avoided the IE6 problem that was due to Microsoft's prevalence.

Microsoft may have brought computing to the masses in the 90's due to Windows prevalence in that era, but assuming the web wouldn't have happened without them is a bit much.

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#187

Post by [deleted] »

andyfleming wrote: post #177
dperfect wrote: post #174

> They are being redirected to the mobile web version of the app and asked to enter payment details with Netflix directly. Sorry, but if Apple's policies are applied consistently (I know they often aren't), this won't fly. I have an app with a basic email/password sign-in screen (the app represents a small part of a larger web-based SaaS product). Apple has rejected my app for including anything in the app that even…

IF applied consistently. This is Netflix though. I'll be interested to see how this plays out.

[deleted]

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#188

Post by jefe_ »

Accidentally subscribed to Youtube Red / Premium through the App Store. Got an e-mail a few months ago when Youtube shifted to Premium congratulating me that I was grandfathered into the old rate and features forever. I noticed their new rate of $11.99 seemed similar to what I was already paying. This is when I discovered Google had included a $3 surcharge to cover App store fees in the App store price (don't blame them). I looked into transferring and there is no way to transfer an App store subscription to Google without cancelling and starting fresh (thus losing grandfathering). Decided to stick with the App store to maintain grandfathering, but it's a bit ridiculous that Google wasn't allowed to nudge me to a browser to save $36 a year.

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#189

Post by CaptSpify »

NeedMoreTea wrote: post #78
peatmoss wrote: post #20

I miss the idea that a platform, applications, and marketplace were not a vertical stack owned by one entity. As a consumer, I’d love to buy a phone, not a content distribution straight jacket.

For the non-technical majority they are a huge advantage. We're never going to have average users fully technically aware. I well remember the state of Windows during Win 98 and XP where most had no idea what they were downloading, and it seemed every machine had malware, hidden pop ups and 37 IE toolbars. I was constantly asked to clean up friend's machines from the damage done by Kazaa and its associated garbage or…

But Apple has had a bunch of problems with crapware in their store. If they were actually vetting stuff, then I'd kind of agree, but as it stands, you are being limited on what you can do with your own device, but without the benefits. Their security feels a lot like the TSA: It's only there to give you warm fuzzies.

I agree that Android is worse, but that doesn't make Apple's store "Good".

Re: Netflix is the latest company to try bypassing Apple’s app store

#190

Post by eunoia »

wvenable wrote: post #159
NeedMoreTea wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For the non-technical majority they are a huge advantage. We're never going to have average users fully technically aware. I well remember the state of Windows during Win 98 and XP where most had no idea what they were downloading, and it seemed every machine had malware, hidden pop ups and 37 IE toolbars. I was constantly asked to clean up friend's machines from the damage done by Kazaa and its associated garbage or…

Imagine of Microsoft had a similar store to Apple in 1995 with the same restrictions on downloading and executing external code. The web itself could have been killed in the cradle on day one. The fact that you are here typing this reply right now is entirely because of the state of Windows during 98 and XP. It's a balance between security and freedom. You are arguing for the benefit of security while ignoring the ef…

> We're never going to have average users fully technically aware.

OP is establishing that there are different types of users with different usage requirements.

You and Grandma are very different users. Grandma is probably much better served by an iPad and App Store than a true general computing device. Grandma is also not going to invent the next internet.

Maybe we should embrace this dichotomy instead of pretending one size fits all.

Interesting aside: How much innovation does the world miss out on if we raise the next generation of users on locked down "Grandma" interfaces?

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