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Why are you people defending Apple?

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Re: Why are you people defending Apple?

#41

Post by rauljara »

If the basic argument is that apple's margin are too high, I agree completely. They are a massively profitable company; they don't need to be charging what they're charging.

If the argument is that there is something immoral about them charging people for use of their subscription service, I call bullshit. Until incredibly recently, they had no subscription service. Now they are offering the _option_ to use a subscription service. If you find the fees are too high, you are not obliged to take part in it. I think the real reason this upsets so many is that it clearly is worth it for many developers to take part in it, just like it clearly is worth it to let apple take their 30% cut for everything else sold on the app store. People are riled because they don't want to have to pay apple this fee, but hard cold business logic demands that they should, because it is profitable to do so (or less unprofitable than not doing so). It wouldn't be threatening at all if you felt like you could afford to just walk away from the ecosystem apple's built.

Which seems to indicate they are adding value.

Now, as to whether the value added == 30%, I direct you to the first paragraph. But what's the motivation to create such a wonderfully easy to use ecosystem if you can't derive a profit off it?

Re: Why are you people defending Apple?

#43

Post by burgerbrain »

davidu wrote: post #38
burgerbrain wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Make judgment calls in each case. Don't like or dislike a company , that's just senseless. Rather, like or dislike what a company does . Appreciate IBM's Watson, and dislike IBM's European business dealings in the 30's and 40's. Appreciate contributions Apple has made to personal computing, disliking their control-freak attitude. Use your brain, don't make sweeping generalizations by sweep shit under the carpet.

Comments all removed.

I don't know you, and haven't conversed with you, so I can't speak for how you support Apple.

I simply oppose people who will defend any action, no matter how absurd, because they support the people behind that action in most other cases. You'll see all sorts of gymnastics used to justify it, but it really boils down to people supporting things they wouldn't normally, were they outside of context of their 'affiliation'. You see this a lot in politics (I used to do this myself, before I realized how silly it was), and you see it with popular consumer brands as well.

Re: Why are you people defending Apple?

#44

Post by utx00 »

chc wrote: post #19
neutronicus wrote: post #6

"And finally, there’s the related notion that anyone who doesn’t like Apple’s rules can pick up and move to another platform, like Android. Which is ridiculous." What? Ridiculous how? This claim is ridiculous. Suck it up and use Android. You'll live. I did.

Abandoning your users and moving to a platform where there's little money to be made is a questionable proposition for producers. And a lot of users will have second thoughts about moving to a platform they perceive to be distinctly inferior just because Apple are being dicks. Also, as a reminder in case you live in a country where it isn't so: Contracts prevent most of Apple's customers from jumping platforms, and s…

until enough producers move.

Re: Why are you people defending Apple?

#45

Post by neutronicus »

chc wrote: post #39
neutronicus wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Abandoning your users and moving to a platform where there's no money to be made is a questionable proposition for producers. And a lot of users will have second thoughts about moving to a platform they perceive to be distinctly inferior just because Apple are being dicks. It sounds like being on iOS as opposed to Android is worth money to you. That's what Apple thinks too. Either prove them wrong or pay the piper.

Yes, fighting a monopoly is often a losing proposition. This is already well-known. Ask Netscape. Does the fact that Apple's appeal comes from its monopoly position somehow make its actions less of a shakedown?

Yes, fighting a monopoly is often a losing proposition. This is already well-known Ask Netscape. Does its resemblance to Microsoft in the '90s make Apple's actions more justifiable somehow?

You know who Apple doesn't resemble? Sun. Sun let everyone besides themselves get rich off of Java, and look where they are today.

And, monopoly, what? Having the best product doesn't make you a monopoly.

Re: Why are you people defending Apple?

#46

Post by cfontes »

Apple is just like a religion or sport team to some ppl... no matter what happens they stay on their side, I hate ppl that take things as a religion.

BUT...

I don't disagree with apple in this one though, they own the infra and without them there would be no place to sell the stuff so you should pay.

Re: Why are you people defending Apple?

#47

Post by utx00 »

chc wrote: post #19
neutronicus wrote: post #6

"And finally, there’s the related notion that anyone who doesn’t like Apple’s rules can pick up and move to another platform, like Android. Which is ridiculous." What? Ridiculous how? This claim is ridiculous. Suck it up and use Android. You'll live. I did.

Abandoning your users and moving to a platform where there's little money to be made is a questionable proposition for producers. And a lot of users will have second thoughts about moving to a platform they perceive to be distinctly inferior just because Apple are being dicks. Also, as a reminder in case you live in a country where it isn't so: Contracts prevent most of Apple's customers from jumping platforms, and s…

until enough producers move.

Re: Why are you people defending Apple?

#48

Post by imichael »

lotusleaf1987 wrote: post #16

Zach said it best yesterday: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2224469 Of course Rhapsody can't sell their stuff for a 30% margin. It's not their own stuff! They're trying to be the last link in a chain of 90/10 (or more) splits. They repackage record labels' repackaging of artists' content. Do you think the artists would find 30% economically untenable? The App Store is 70/30 because Apple can take things straight…

So ideally they publish music from the artists directly, eliminating the other intermediaries and effectively making them the... the... the record label.

Re: Why are you people defending Apple?

#49

Post by greendestiny »

davidu wrote: post #17
daleharvey wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apart from some of those examples being incredibly tenuous (personal computing), and the concept of defending companies position on one thing because you like its decisions elsewhere being kinda scary. But Google has had that impact on the entire web, both by providing visibility and a revenue stream via advertising.

Comments all removed.

Yes but why argue about whether Apple is good or bad at all, instead of talking about whether this latest In-App purchasing rule is good or bad. A bad idea isn't good simply because Apple has done great things in the past.

Re: Why are you people defending Apple?

#50

Post by Travis »

chc wrote: post #39
neutronicus wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Abandoning your users and moving to a platform where there's no money to be made is a questionable proposition for producers. And a lot of users will have second thoughts about moving to a platform they perceive to be distinctly inferior just because Apple are being dicks. It sounds like being on iOS as opposed to Android is worth money to you. That's what Apple thinks too. Either prove them wrong or pay the piper.

Yes, fighting a monopoly is often a losing proposition. This is already well-known. Ask Netscape. Does the fact that Apple's appeal comes from its monopoly position somehow make its actions less of a shakedown?

I recall reading that Android was shipped on more phones in Q4 than iOS. If true, how can you consider Apple a monopoly if they aren't even the most popular mobile OS out there?
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