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You download the app and it doesn’t work

youdownloadtheappanditdoesntwork.com

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Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#311

Post by newbie578 »

iSoron wrote: post #5

> "That’s not what we want on the store" -- Apple Vice President of Worldwide Marketing What if I own an iPhone and HEY is what I want on my phone? How can I override Apple's decision? If I can't, who really owns this device?

Well pointed out, although critics will say, "it is not a bug, it's a feature", e.g. "walled garden life". Imagine if you bought a Microsoft Surface and you could only use the Windows Store to download apps on your device.. People would be outraged, but since it's Apple it is "expected"...

Hint, if it is expected, that doesn't mean it's still ok..

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#312

Post by jackvalentine »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #179
jackvalentine wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They capitulated and it’s now on the Play Store. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.epicgames....

Whoops, thanks, guess I was out of date! Still, Fortnite was sideload-only for a while, and that's a major game.

Yeah I think we can draw a bit of a line from they were a major game not on the Play Store and now they're a major game on the Play Store - my guess is barely anyone sideloaded it.

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#313

Post by RonanTheGrey »

jpttsn wrote: post #200
Wowfunhappy wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can use Google Chrome, and still use a non-Google search engine. I can use a Kindle, and still read DRM-Free epubs. Yes, all the major tech companies are engaged in rent seeking. But Apple is the only one that says users must either must pay rent or throw away their hardware. The App Store and its policies are not the problem. The App Store is Apple's store, just like Amazon.com is Amazon's store. But the App Store…

I can’t relate to this. Some vendors sell me hardware, and I can bring my own software. Apple sells me more expensive hardware with the software only from their “partners”, which is “curated” and subject to a steep 30% distribution cut. Apple never tricked me into an iPhone believing I could run any random software. I know what I signed up for. Why should I feel entitled to anything else?

> I know what I signed up for. Why should I feel entitled to anything else?

It's interesting you'd say that because it's actually not true (I am not accusing you of lying at all - I take your statement at face value!)

What I mean is the following:

When I buy a phone - no matter the maker - I have deep within me a default assumption that if I want some app, some provider, some service, some feature, on my phone - that it will be, that it can be, and if someone thinks it up it'll be there shortly. I DO NOT assume that because Apple wants to steal people's work, some apps will never appear there.

Do you remember the early days of the app store and the saying "There's an app for that" (usually referring to things like fart generators and TV quotes).

Nowadays you'd NEVER think to say such a thing because Apple is ensuring it cannot be true - and more and more developers and platforms are choosing not to use it.

It's pretty plainly clear to me that Apple ONLY wants large, rich, well-known companies publishing apps; they grudgingly publish apps for small or individual developers, but really deep down wish they didn't have to.

Stuff like what we are seeing now with Hey is their endgame to finally get everyone except their exclusive club off the list.

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#315

Post by TedDoesntTalk »

I am amazed how many people on HN are defending Apple. I had the naive assumption that my fellow tech savvy would denounce this. The comments here are eye-opening.

It is as if a lot of people just don’t see or don’t care about monopoly or monopolistic behavior. The product is great, Apple is has the highest market cap of any company in the world, it’s founder has god-like status. What’s the problem?

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#316

Post by Spivak »

realtalk_sp wrote: post #308
Spivak wrote: post #277

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I only repeat the argument so I get to hear a bunch of people’s takes on it. Once you’re deep in a thread it’s pretty much only you and the person you’re replying to. I don’t think the App Store is the source of customer acquisition. I think being able to sell on iOS devices is the source of customer acquisition. Being able to upsell a user to your premium service right there on the device is the valuable thing that…

This is a really ambiguous, unusual, and (in my opinion) inappropriate use of the term "customer acquisition". The App Store is a marketplace that connects people developing for a platform (iOS) to customers using devices compatible with that platform. It is also the only marketplace that does this. In this way, it is best thought of as a (monopolistic) distribution channel.

But why is the “App Store” the distribution channel and not the device itself? I mean Apple would be within their right to just not allow 3rd party apps at all on their devices so why is it weird that they take a cut from anyone who wants to set up a booth on their land?

Like it feels wrong to punish a company for not closing their platform like consoles do to any only working with a few select partners.

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#317

Post by jfim »

Spivak wrote: post #146
Hamuko wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately Apple's intention is that you would not hear about an alternative way to pay for the subscription and that the alternative way is cheaper.

I mean if you partnered with Target to sell your shampoo I think they would be rightfully pissed if the bottles you sent them to put down said something like "Buy it on our website instead for 30% cheaper!"

Harry's razors are sold at Target, and they do a subscription service for razor blades.

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#318

Post by kennywinker »

jpttsn wrote: post #200
Wowfunhappy wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can use Google Chrome, and still use a non-Google search engine. I can use a Kindle, and still read DRM-Free epubs. Yes, all the major tech companies are engaged in rent seeking. But Apple is the only one that says users must either must pay rent or throw away their hardware. The App Store and its policies are not the problem. The App Store is Apple's store, just like Amazon.com is Amazon's store. But the App Store…

I can’t relate to this. Some vendors sell me hardware, and I can bring my own software. Apple sells me more expensive hardware with the software only from their “partners”, which is “curated” and subject to a steep 30% distribution cut. Apple never tricked me into an iPhone believing I could run any random software. I know what I signed up for. Why should I feel entitled to anything else?

Remember when their slogan was “there’s an app for that”? Implication being - whatever you want, it’s there.

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#319

Post by preinheimer »

breakfastduck wrote: post #100
hyperpape wrote: post #50

There are a lot of rules lawyers in threads about Hey trying to figure out "tricks" that Basecamp or others could use to avoid the rule. That is not how this works. Apple is not a court, which (usually) plays by well stated rules, and cannot remake those rules at its discretion. No, if you find a "trick" to get around Apple's rules[0], what happens is that you get blocked when they catch you. They might update the ru…

It's a bit of a joke to be honest. Hey are trying to market an app on the app store as a 'free' app. Not offering sign up also means they don't have to add the 'offers in app purchases'. So they're advertising the app as free. Even though its $99 a year. Apples 30% cut is obscene and should be less. But Hey are using a 'free' label to market their app.

You're catching some flak here, but I think it's a fair point. It says "free", but all you get for free is... an icon on your home page and a login screen.

Apple could solve this by allowing a "Free, account required" descriptor/category for Netflix/Dropbox/etc/etc.

So "Free" is a lie, but one many other apps have used beforehand.

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#320

Post by m3kw9 »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #128
hendzen wrote: post #37

Apple takes a 30% cut of all IAP. Google scrapes info and displays it in widgets above links to the actual content. Google charges trademark holders AdWords ransom to protect searches for their own brands. Amazon kills OSS business models by offering managed OSS services on AWS at an unbeatable cost. Amazon picks off the best performing market place categories with Amazon Basics ‘recommended’ competitors. The list go…

I can use Google Chrome, and still use a non-Google search engine. I can use a Kindle, and still read DRM-Free epubs. Yes, all the major tech companies are engaged in rent seeking. But Apple is the only one that says users must either must pay rent or throw away their hardware. The App Store and its policies are not the problem. The App Store is Apple's store, just like Amazon.com is Amazon's store. But the App Store…

That’s a different argument, not related to the current issue.
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