Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The App Store is a monopoly: Here's why the EU is correct to investigate Apple

protonmail.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

171–180 of 600 posts

Re: The App Store is a monopoly: Here's why the EU is correct to investigate Apple

#171

Post by jsnell »

CubsFan1060 wrote: post #110
MereInterest wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's my phone, and I can do whatever I want with it. If Apple doesn't like that, they can easily maintain ownership by not selling the device. I don't force Apple to sell iPhones instead of leaving them in a warehouse. Once I've bought it, it is mine. The entire idea that Apple can do whatever they want on a device that they have already sold is ludicrous.

I'm curious, if you didn't like the way it is, why did you buy one? None of these things are new. They've basically been the same since they came out. You largely had a choice of two products. It sounds like one did what you wanted, and one didn't. You bought the one that didn't and now you're unhappy about it. I don't quite understand that.

I bought an iPad because mobile Safari is a compatibility nightmare and not available on non-iOS platforms, so I needed it just for debugging and testing. Telling 20% of my users to switch to another browser is not an option either, since the only alternatives are just Safari reskins.

Re: The App Store is a monopoly: Here's why the EU is correct to investigate Apple

#172

Post by threeseed »

matsemann wrote: post #134
coldtea wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would be the case if Apple, like Ticketmaster, had a controlling share of the mobile OS space. They have less than 30% though...

As an app developer, they have a large percent, though. And you cannot choose the phone your customers have.

That large percentage is about 25% worldwide and 50% in US.

Not sure how you equate that with a monopoly.

Re: The App Store is a monopoly: Here's why the EU is correct to investigate Apple

#173

Post by inopinatus »

threeseed wrote: post #144
osrec wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is not pro-consumer behaviour. This is pro-Apple behaviour. They enjoy the lock in + fees that the app store generates. They're even stifling web apps to maintain this monopoly. If they were so pro-consumer, why do they allow spyware such as Tiktok to exist on their platform at all?

Because if you consider TikTok to be spyware then you would need to also block Google, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn etc. Instead Apple had implemented the most stringent, pro-privacy features and polices on any platform bar none.

I actually do avoid installing all of those, and it is due to profound mistrust, so there's no reductio ad absurdum on that basis.

Re: The App Store is a monopoly: Here's why the EU is correct to investigate Apple

#174

Post by pwinnski »

anilshanbhag wrote: post #15
spullara wrote: post #9

As a consumer, I am 100% in favor of the way run the app store. I don't want to give random apps my credit card. I don't want to have 18 accounts to keep track of. I don't want to have to call telephone support to cancel my account. I don't want malware in my apps. I don't want apps to have my email if they don't need it. I don't need another middleman for content companies license and distribute. Everything Apple is…

Well they can do all that with a 10% fee too. The author is contending that by adding those restrictions and a high 30% fee, Apple is acting like a monopoly - it's their way or the highway.

What evidence do you have that a 10% fee is enough to operate the App Store at the scale Apple does?

When the App Store was launched, Steve Jobs said they plan to run it at break-even, no profit, and for quite a few years that was exactly what they did. Now they are profiting from the App Store and clearly could continue to run it as they do on a lower percentage, but I don't think 10% is that number. If they could run it on 10%, they wouldn't have operated it without profit for the first quite-a-few years at 30%!

Re: The App Store is a monopoly: Here's why the EU is correct to investigate Apple

#175

Post by chrisseaton »

wvenable wrote: post #18
spullara wrote: post #9

As a consumer, I am 100% in favor of the way run the app store. I don't want to give random apps my credit card. I don't want to have 18 accounts to keep track of. I don't want to have to call telephone support to cancel my account. I don't want malware in my apps. I don't want apps to have my email if they don't need it. I don't need another middleman for content companies license and distribute. Everything Apple is…

The problem isn't how they run their store -- the problem is that they are the only store.

This is like complaining that it's unfair that only McDonald's are allowed to sell inside a McDonald's.

Re: The App Store is a monopoly: Here's why the EU is correct to investigate Apple

#176

Post by xvector »

matsemann wrote: post #134
coldtea wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would be the case if Apple, like Ticketmaster, had a controlling share of the mobile OS space. They have less than 30% though...

As an app developer, they have a large percent, though. And you cannot choose the phone your customers have.

Just because a company with a minority of the market punches above its weight in terms of developer profit, doesn't make it a monopoly.

Re: The App Store is a monopoly: Here's why the EU is correct to investigate Apple

#177

Post by moralsupply »

Apocryphon wrote: post #135
moralsupply wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple doesn't have to support other stores. If users don't like that idea, they can simply not use Apple products. Users have a choice. If, however, you want to impose the support of other stores on Apple by the means of regulations, you're effectively supporting the use of the government's monopoly of force against a company that is building products that people are happy to pay a premium to buy products from (and t…

As a customer, I am happy with the potential for greater consumer choice. And as an app developer, I am happy with the potential for greater 3rd party dev leverage over the platform. In this specific situation, I am okay with exploring options involving the government monopoly of force to bring about potentially beneficial outcomes, when used against the most valuable company on the planet, for what will likely cost…

Are you saying that you're fine to use the government's force against a company that is not causing harm to anyone just so that you benefit from that intervention (and in complete disregard to all users who are happy to pay for Apple's products and services exactly the way they are)?

There's a name for this: Crony Capitalism.

Re: The App Store is a monopoly: Here's why the EU is correct to investigate Apple

#178

Post by chrisseaton »

MereInterest wrote: post #67
behnamoh wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's their product and they can do whatever they want with it. If anyone doesn't like that, they can easily not purchase iDevices. Apple doesn't force people to buy their products.

It's my phone, and I can do whatever I want with it. If Apple doesn't like that, they can easily maintain ownership by not selling the device. I don't force Apple to sell iPhones instead of leaving them in a warehouse. Once I've bought it, it is mine. The entire idea that Apple can do whatever they want on a device that they have already sold is ludicrous.

You can already do whatever you want with your device.

Use it as a hammer for all Apple care.

It's just that Apple aren't going to spend their time and money developing software to let you do things they aren't interested in. Why should they?

Re: The App Store is a monopoly: Here's why the EU is correct to investigate Apple

#179

Post by gramakri »

skuthus wrote: post #87

If you purchase the hardware for the product, no company should be able to stop you from installing whatever you like on the product.

Yeah, I very much side by this view. It's not coming from a monopoly standpoint but from a ownership standpoint. I bought something, so artificial barriers to installing/tinkering with it must be removed.
Post reply on HN