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Apple must open iPadOS to sideloading within 6 months, EU says

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Re: Apple must open iPadOS to sideloading within 6 months, EU says

#71
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would IpadOS not be held to the same DSA rules as IOS? Apple has applied the same model of gatekeeping (walled garden) to both the iPhone and the iPad. DSA attaches requirements to the gatekeepers if they are big enough. Software similarity and market positioning don't really come into consideration once the role of gatekeeper has been established.

Doesn't this mean that game consoles should be gatekeepers too like from sony/nintendo/microsoft?

Consoles are (still and mostly) singe purpose devices. While I do approve force opening every Turing complete device to side loading - game consoles are way down in the worst offenders list.

Re: Apple must open iPadOS to sideloading within 6 months, EU says

#72

EU seems like it’s just going to keep daring Apple to exit their market. I’m looking forward to their regulations requiring Apple to write open source drivers for the alternative operating system installs they’ll be required to allow.

It will probably happen at some point. In 1990, the EU was easy to do business in and represented 25% of world GDP. Now it’s exceeding difficult to do business in and represents just 14% of world GDP. If those two trends continue, there will be a point where it’s just not worth it for large companies to be threatened with fines on their “global turnover”.

Re: Apple must open iPadOS to sideloading within 6 months, EU says

#73
post #70
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I already use Android devices as well, thanks.

My guess is their way is to buy a dev account, which allows you to install apps for up to 1 year. https://forums.developer.apple.com/forums/thread/91519

Been there, done that, gave up because it’s not a justifiable expense for individual use. Wrote a couple of Android apps instead but can't really use them daily.

Re: Apple must open iPadOS to sideloading within 6 months, EU says

#74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you explain how your risk profile will change if you don’t use the feature?

I bet it will happen that some apps i now use, which are in the regualar app store, will be pulled in favor of a own app store which has more tracking and maybe even cost money. So it will be a downgrade if now working apps move to an ad and tracking app store which are not privacy sensitive like iAds.

> I bet it will happen that some apps i now use, which are in the regualar app store, will be pulled in favor of a own app store which has more tracking and maybe even cost money.

Did not happen for Andorid so there is no reason to think that it will happen in this case. Also, how would an app installed from another store be able to track you more if you are using the same OS. That just sounds like bad OS design from Apple.

Re: Apple must open iPadOS to sideloading within 6 months, EU says

#75
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"All phones have sensitive areas, just avoid holding it in this way" practically means "you are holding it wrong".

So if I tell a user a workaround for a software issue, and they turn round and accuse me of telling them they are using the software wrong I have to agree with them?

In that statement it wasn't 1) acknowledged that this is indeed an issue and 2) the word workaround was not used.

Re: Apple must open iPadOS to sideloading within 6 months, EU says

#76
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"All phones have sensitive areas, just avoid holding it in this way" practically means "you are holding it wrong".

So if I tell a user a workaround for a software issue, and they turn round and accuse me of telling them they are using the software wrong I have to agree with them?

A workaround is literally "a way to avoid triggering a bug". So if it's a workaround, then you're admitting it's a bug.

So the distinction is between "We screwed up but at least you can do x to mitigate it" and "There's nothing wrong with us. It's you."

Re: Apple must open iPadOS to sideloading within 6 months, EU says

#77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m sure you understand why you were downvoted and that it has nothing to do with what facts you stated.

[flagged]

Complaining about downvoting is bad form. If you are temporarily downvoted on a post and react by editing it to complain, that's a surefire way for that post to remain negative on its point balance.

Re: Apple must open iPadOS to sideloading within 6 months, EU says

#79
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would IpadOS not be held to the same DSA rules as IOS? Apple has applied the same model of gatekeeping (walled garden) to both the iPhone and the iPad. DSA attaches requirements to the gatekeepers if they are big enough. Software similarity and market positioning don't really come into consideration once the role of gatekeeper has been established.

Doesn't this mean that game consoles should be gatekeepers too like from sony/nintendo/microsoft?

It's control of the market that matters. Apple (and Google) each effectively control 40%-60% of the world market on digital goods. Pay Apple 30% for your app and 15-30% for all digital goods. That's unacceptable because their market is so large. 2 billion+ devices each (or is it 3 billion now?) 100s of thousands of companies are under their thumb. Don't follow their rules, loose 50% of your entire market. Do follow their rules, lose all your profit.

Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft's markets 2 orders of magnitude smaller and effect 3-4 orders of magnitude less companies.

Re: Apple must open iPadOS to sideloading within 6 months, EU says

#80
Do I think side-loading and alt app stores would make iPads and iPhones more versatile devices? Yes.

Do I believe indie devs will be worse off? Unfortunately, also yes.

If you are a solo app developer, you will now have to keep presence on all app stores out there, since if you don’t publish on one then a copycat will. Every store would have its own review processes, fee structures, billing and tax procedures. Since you would need to follow a dozen of those, as an indie operation realistically you will either go under or pay middleman companies a chunk for this—so, in the end, you’ll lose the same cut or more and we’re back to the starting point.

Furthermore, I believe you will have much less protection against plain piracy, which was a big thing in the days of yore until it was spectacularly dealt with by Apple within its mobile ecosystem.

This is why I suspect the primary interests side-loading and alt app stores on Apple devices would satisfy is large enterprises and a few opportunistic middlemen. Entities like Epic, Netflix, who will be able to generate more profit; governments, perhaps; a few publishing companies (think CDBaby for apps) will win small time; some users who don’t want to pay and want to get things for free might be able to get their way; indie devs will be worse off.

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