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

The walls of Apple's garden are tumbling down

theverge.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

201–210 of 429 posts

Re: The walls of Apple's garden are tumbling down

#201

Post by jbr1ckl3y »

ndiddy wrote: post #164
baby wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you think about it, this is one of the reasons I like macOS. Back then, buying a PC with windows meant having a lot of crap installed by default. Not sure if it's still the case because I haven't bought a PC in ages, but I remember that formatting my computer and reinstalling windows was step 1 when I was buying a brand new laptop/PC.

Windows still comes with a lot of crap installed by default, the difference is that Microsoft has decided to cut out the OEMs and preload the crap themselves (a clean install of Windows 11 Professional comes with apps for Roblox, TikTok, and Disney Plus among others) so the "install from retail media" trick no longer works unless you also pirate the LTSC or Education editions of Windows.

It's not simple but it is doable:

1. Format a flash drive with two partitions 2. Burn the Windows installer ISO to the first partition 3. Download all the drivers to the second partition 4. Flash the BIOS with the latest version 5. Ensure you are NOT connected to the Internet and boot flash drive 6. Install Windows, disallow the metrics they let you opt-out 7. Creating a local account works because offline 8. Install drivers avoid add-on software from manufacturer 9. Edit local group policy - enable "Turn off Microsoft Consumer Experience" 9a. Alternatively, edit the Registry, DisableWindowsConsumerFeatures in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent 10. Connect Internet, check for updates reboot a few times 11. Open Microsoft Store and uninstall any junk apps (stubs) 12. Install whatever other software you desire 13. Configure your update settings so it is less annoying

Re: The walls of Apple's garden are tumbling down

#202

Post by VelesDude »

idle_zealot wrote: post #174
lamontcg wrote: post #136

In principle I like Apple being legally forced to crack open all their walled gardens, and I hate how far they've come from the open and hackable original Apple computers. In practice, I worry that they're going to imminently pivot to a more Google like model of selling their customers out to any third party with cash. Right now they have the means to do that, but they're selling privacy as one of their features and…

> I worry that they're going to imminently pivot to a more Google like model of selling their customers out to any third party with cash No need to worry about that happening in the future; it's already happening! iOS collects user data and builds an advertising profile for each user. This is used to sell ad space in the App Store.

It is only a matter of time until Apple ends up selling this data to 3rd parties. The quarterly market performance demands endless growth.

Re: The walls of Apple's garden are tumbling down

#203

Post by noodlesUK »

jonp888 wrote: post #140
fidotron wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So what you want is to remove the option of safety from those that want it because you personally do not see the need for it. iOS is not close to a monopoly. People are perfectly free to have Android devices and side load apps on to them. It is curious that the campaigning focuses so strongly on destroying the high trust part that exists and not on promoting a trusted setup on Android.

Erm, what? Your statement makes no sense whatsoever. It's perfectly reasonable for the default setting of a phone to forbid sideloading apps. And anyone who doesn't want to can leave it that way. That's the 'option of safety'.

Until such time as a big player like Epic or Facebook decides that the only way you’re getting their apps is by using a store they control and can bypass all permission controls on. When that happens it’s going to become 2000’s browser toolbars all over again

Re: The walls of Apple's garden are tumbling down

#204

Post by VelesDude »

stephc_int13 wrote: post #69

Being developer-hostile has always been part of Apple's identity, one unfortunate side of Steve Jobs's hubris enabled this stance, but it has worsened considerably under Tim Cook. The eccentric and slightly authoritarian leader knew how to offer just enough to sweeten the deal. Under Cook, on the other hand, Apple has turned tone-deaf and has continuously played hardball, making numerous faux pas along the way. I bel…

I always sucks when you have to quote Steve Ballmers but "Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers!". At least in principal Microsoft used to get it.

I think they knew that without developers, Windows would be nowhere. Apple sort of gets it with the App store but not as deeply.

Re: The walls of Apple's garden are tumbling down

#205

Post by zer00eyz »

Teever wrote: post #191
simonh wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is a limitation of the messaging protocol. Apple has announced they will add support for RCS this year, which should address these issues.

And why are they adding RCS? Because the EU is starting to regulate them so theyve stopped dragging their ass on this.

Because RCS has reached the point where it should be taken seriously.

The bulk of apples iPhone business is on US carriers. Who, on a good day, are in the Stone Age.

Re: The walls of Apple's garden are tumbling down

#206

Post by selectodude »

Teever wrote: post #191
simonh wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is a limitation of the messaging protocol. Apple has announced they will add support for RCS this year, which should address these issues.

And why are they adding RCS? Because the EU is starting to regulate them so theyve stopped dragging their ass on this.

It was actually China.

Re: The walls of Apple's garden are tumbling down

#207

Post by asah »

aurareturn wrote: post #9
s1k3s wrote: post #5

> Apple executive Eddy Cue pushed for an Android iMessage app in 2016, but Craig Federighi responded in an internal email that “iMessage on Android would simply serve to remove an obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones.” This conversation happened 8 years ago and it was about a product released 12 years ago. If anything, this shows how slow regulators are before they take any action and how they…

The truth is, all businesses do what Craig suggested. AirBnB isn't opening up their platform to Expedia. Meta isn't allowing your Instagram data to be accessed by another platform. Your own company isn't voluntarily making it easier for its customers to leave.

bad example? you can book hotels etc on AirBnB and everybody offers listing services which crosspost across the booking sites. There are few exclusives in the travel industry.

Re: The walls of Apple's garden are tumbling down

#208

Post by robocat »

gretch wrote: post #158
robocat wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Costs me $0.5 to send an image or other MMS locally to Android. Even a txt costs me if the Android is overseas. I have a cheap plan in New Zealand. Blue/green might be irrelevant to you, but it is definitely not irrelevant to many people.

> Costs me $0.5 to send an image or other MMS > Even a txt costs me if the Android is overseas Sounds like your telecom sucks. Why are you demanding something of Apple. Why don’t you get your government to regulate your own telecoms?

> Why are you demanding something of Apple

Not me. I object to you making up bullshit about me. I just stated facts - no opinions given.

Re: The walls of Apple's garden are tumbling down

#209

Post by robocat »

simonh wrote: post #172
robocat wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Costs me $0.5 to send an image or other MMS locally to Android. Even a txt costs me if the Android is overseas. I have a cheap plan in New Zealand. Blue/green might be irrelevant to you, but it is definitely not irrelevant to many people.

Sorry, you think Apple is charging you these carrier fees? Hilarious.

Whats with the false accusation?

Re: The walls of Apple's garden are tumbling down

#210

Post by 015a »

ChilledTonic wrote: post #32

I’ve been a recent convert to the iPhone. It gives me a unique perspective since I’ve spent almost my entire life in the Android ecosystem. I first bought an iPhone 5c on a whim, which is well out of support by apple, 5 versions behind the modern iOS. If you turn it on, all the default Apple apps work, in 2024. You can stream Apple Music and download podcasts with no App Store whatsoever. It’s a powerful little devic…

> In the end, Epic and Spotify get a fat 30% boost in revenue and nobody notices anything different.

Well, let's be clear here: Neither Epic nor Spotify are selling anything with Apple today. Epic's games are not available on iOS, and Spotify requires you to make all purchases through their website.

Spotify's motivation for wanting change on the iOS platform is primarily due to how limiting Apple's profit share and App Store rules are toward expanding its lines of business. Spotify wants to be able to sell one-off audiobooks; but the margins are already razor thin, and would become impossibly thin if Apple had to be paid 30% of every sale. In the most egregiously and obviously monopolistic thing Apple has ever done, they also sell audiobooks via the Books app, where I'm (wink) certain they're paying the 30% fee to (wink) themselves.

One alternative Spotify hasn't tried is marking audiobooks up 30% to account for the fees. Maybe this is something that is contractually extremely difficult to do? Like, authors and publishing agencies don't assign pricing rights to Spotify, they have to sell the audiobooks at the same price they're available for sale on Amazon/Apple Books/etc. I don't know. But, regardless of that, it's a shit card to deal consumers, anyone with half a brain would just buy the audiobook from Apple Books where its 30% cheaper, and Spotify is very reasonably trying to drive traffic to platforms they have higher agency within.

This isn't really about boosting revenue by 30%. Its about unlocking fundamentally different business models from Apple's grasp; business models which Apple has found extremely profitable for itself, yet refuses anyone else to share in.

Post reply on HN