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Lawsuit filed alleging Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search business

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Re: Lawsuit filed alleging Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search business

#301
post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn’t that just powered by whatever your default search engine is?

Nope, it's Apple's search engine. @lgats here on HN made a frontend for it[0] 0: https://luke.lol/search/ (hn comment https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29796924 )

Oh, neat. Thanks.

Re: Lawsuit filed alleging Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search business

#302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s possible to do via extensions now. Hyperweb is an extension that allows for adding atmos search engines.

"Hyperweb..." Wow nice! Now if there was a containers extension I could switch to Safari and away from Firefox.

Tab groups might do this since one of them is private browsing. If groups aren't isolated, implying they are by putting private browsing in there would be a huge UX fail.

Re: Lawsuit filed alleging Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search business

#303

I'm not convinced Apple could make a viable search product to compete with Google. Their Maps app is OK, but not as good as Google's, and I can't imagine anyone other than the privacy conscious installing an Apple Maps app on their Android phone. It's possible Apple knows it has no interest in the search business, but Google doesn't know that, so they might as well squeeze a few extra dollars out of them.

> Their Maps app is OK, but not as good as Google's Except Apple Maps has definitely been improving and Google Maps doesn't seem to be substantially improving anymore. At the current apparent trajectory Maps will catch up quickly.

> Google Maps doesn't seem to be substantially improving anymore.

Google Search is even going in the other direction. (Recent discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29392702)

I wouldn't bet against Apple if they were incentivized to compete in this space. Their whole shtick is using feats of engineering to dominate lazy competitors.

Re: Lawsuit filed alleging Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search business

#304
post #287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? One of the few things keeping the creeping Google Chrome monopoly in check is bad for the consumer and bad for the market? I, for one, am happy that Google isn't able to unilaterally dictate the next generation of web standards.

So you're saying the only reason that Chrome isn't more dominant is that some consumers cannot use it because of Apple and somehow that's a good thing? If iOS users would switch to Chrome if given the chance, isn't that a sign that they are currently worse off?

> If iOS users would switch to Chrome if given the chance

They already have the option to switch to Chrome on iOS. It's not like most iOS users know that Chrome on iOS is just a re-skinned Safari. They would use Chrome if Safari was insufficient for their needs or Chrome had some compelling feature they wanted. I have Chrome installed on my phone but it's so I can use the password manager, but I still prefer to use Safari as my browser.

Re: Lawsuit filed alleging Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search business

#305
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

#5 is the key point to my mind. For example, you can’t just add new search engines to iOS Safari with just a URL. There are a few alternatives to Google but there’s no easy way for a new entrant to get in there. EDIT: Interesting. I’m picking up downvotes for this, is there some way to achieve this (other than jailbreaking) I’ve missed?

I have eight options available to me in mobile safari other than using bookmarks to use any search engine that exists. It is easy to conceive of reasons why a company would not want to enable native UI elements to rely on external services without having vetted those services or established a relationship with them for recourse in the event of issues. It is harder--though not impossible--to conceive of ways to avoid…

That doesn't make sense. Why would someone who knows how to find a different search engine, change the setting be part of the group of people who are new or otherwise clueless?

Apple should provide the option.

Re: Lawsuit filed alleging Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search business

#306
post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google is not concerned much with the ability to block ads, but whether it is default. The vast majority of users do not install content blockers.

I'd imagine at some point depriving sites of revenue will lead to adversarial outcomes where many if not all will simply refuse to load. So if ad blockers become mainstream it will be interesting change to the web.

I was quite shocked when I discovered that some people with deep pockets think of ads as product information. Their behavior is entirely the opposite of ours. They click on all of them and buy stuff just to be sure they are not missing out. I on the other hand click 1 banner per year and I click search ads if I'm searching for that specific product. If I block ads on all pages except search (where I use them) google would benefit greatly. My clicks per impression would go up. Bids would follow.

Re: Lawsuit filed alleging Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search business

#307

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? One of the few things keeping the creeping Google Chrome monopoly in check is bad for the consumer and bad for the market? I, for one, am happy that Google isn't able to unilaterally dictate the next generation of web standards.

Almost any time anyone brings up accusations of anticompetitive behavior against Apple for the iOS ecosystem, notice that what they’re saying is “in order to make the smartphone market more competitive and give customers more choice, Apple should be forced to make their smartphone offerings less distinguishable from Android, the only other smartphone ecosystem.”

If more like chrome means more openness and choices for the public than who cares if it is like chrome or not like chrome.

If Apple decided there next phone would have no screen or phone it would automatically make it a better choice because it is so much more different from android? I don't buy that line of thinking.

Re: Lawsuit filed alleging Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search business

#308
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The alternative option seems to be that Apple is for some reason required to use their position to enter the search market. Why is that the alternative? No one is saying Apple have to provide their own search engine; people are suggesting Mac products should give the user a clear choice. A much more obvious alternative is that Apple (or any OS provider for that matter) shouldn't be able to sell the default search eng…

> people are suggesting Mac products should give the user a clear choice. People can suggest all they want. Apple doesn't have to take that suggestion. Apple doesn't have to give you the ability to add search engines period. They give 5 choices currently from what I have read. They can also take money for making one of those the default. None of that is illegal.

The lawsuit seeks to clarify that point.

Re: Lawsuit filed alleging Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search business

#309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You do on iOS, even if you use "Firefox".

No, you don't have to use Safari, which is limited to eight search engines. You can use Firefox, which allows more search engines. Yes, its renderer is the same, but it is different software, and this isn't a thread about the renderer.

I (and I imagine a lot of sysadmin/MSP types) don't care about grouping tabs as much as to be able to log into the same site with multiple login IDs at the same time.

Re: Lawsuit filed alleging Google is paying Apple to stay out of the search business

#310
Also worth looking at is the DOJ antitrust complaint filed against Google in 2020: https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/7273457/10-20-20-US-v...

It makes a similar set of complaints for the same practices and, in my opinion, is very well-written.

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