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The App Store Nightmare

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Re: The App Store Nightmare

#81
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find your last line about forcing people to give you control hilarious since it comes after your (false) claims that another entity was taking control from you. Sounds like you got bit by an ideological bug more than anything else. I'm sure the quality of the AppStore has improved. Frankly, after its success we had far to many people "Switch" because they wanted to get rich quick and pump out really crappy apps pol…

I won't go into trying to get you to see my side, it's clear you can't see anything but the bright shiny world of Steve. When a company demands 30% of your revenue, even for portions not related to the app, and moves on to a track where developers will be forced to have a cert embedded into their app to be on the platform or be blocked, they ARE practicing evil. It wasn't Apple that built their customer base, it was…

When a company demands 30% of your revenue, even for portions not related to the app, and moves on to a track where developers will be forced to have a cert embedded into their app to be on the platform or be blocked, they ARE practicing evil.

Why? Apple built the platform from the ground up, why is it "evil" for them to demand compensation for selling apps on it? That would make every shop owner in the world "evil", since they all demand a profit margin over the products.

And I don't see the problem with requiring the apps to be signed? Wait, then is Debian evil too? Their packages are sign as well...

It wasn't Apple that built their customer base, it was the developers who wrote the apps that brought the customers. Without the applications on the platform, Apple would be just like Blackberry, dead.

Well, firstly, that's clearly not true. The first iPhone didn't have an App Store for more than an year, and it still sold like hotcakes, with huge lines of people literally sleeping outside the store waiting for it.

Secondly, so what? To bring my previous examples, where would shops be without the manufacturers?

I don't own a single Apple device since I have no interest in getting a phone where the manufacturer has more control than me, but all this talk about them being "evil" is frankly ridiculous.

Re: The App Store Nightmare

#82

Oh tell me about it. I used to split my time between the US and Brazil, and had credit cards and bank accounts in both. Sometimes apps I'd want would only be on one store, and sometimes only on the other. But Apple simply doesn't allow for people who reside in multiple countries, and have credit cards in multiple countries. I guess that lifestyle doesn't fit the "Apple way" -- it's thinking too different. It's absolu…

Apple is all about streamlining and optimizing for the common case. Not providing options for the minority with different preferences. If your lifestyle doesn't match, then you're doing it wrong.

Is this a joke? If so, nice one.

"Doing it wrong." Brilliant.

Re: The App Store Nightmare

#83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I won't go into trying to get you to see my side, it's clear you can't see anything but the bright shiny world of Steve. When a company demands 30% of your revenue, even for portions not related to the app, and moves on to a track where developers will be forced to have a cert embedded into their app to be on the platform or be blocked, they ARE practicing evil. It wasn't Apple that built their customer base, it was…

When a company demands 30% of your revenue, even for portions not related to the app, and moves on to a track where developers will be forced to have a cert embedded into their app to be on the platform or be blocked, they ARE practicing evil. Why? Apple built the platform from the ground up, why is it "evil" for them to demand compensation for selling apps on it? That would make every shop owner in the world "evil",…

How many shops demand that any purchases related to your product, performed outside of the store months after the initial sale, must give them a 30% cut? That is the evil part.

Wait, then is Debian evil too? Their packages are sign as well...

Come on, you have to be misinterpreting that on purpose. Debian doesn't require programs be signed, it only uses signing to verify official updates. Even if it did require signing that would be fine by itself. The problem is that Apple requires programs be signed with a certificate that is approved by Apple. If they don't want you to be a developer, suddenly you are no longer a developer. Taking control away from the user over what programs he installs on his device is 'evil'.

Re: The App Store Nightmare

#84
It's not just the AppStore. Everything involving DRM is the same bullshit: they have to tie content available to countries, and come up with all sort of insane restrictions to cover their legal asses and keep you from consuming... bits. In the end their software is such a hairy ball that it doesn't even make sense anymore. Why is the AppStore even checking which IP you are on? Now you can't update your apps because you're traveling? WTF??!?!

I'm from Brazil and I face the same crap everyday, everywhere: YouTube videos not available in my country, Rdio albums not available in my country, AppStore apps not available in my country, et cetera

Then they ask why nobody respects copyright? It's not only free, but actually more convenient to just crack software and download music on PirateBay than trying to buy it in the first place.

Re: The App Store Nightmare

#85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple is all about streamlining and optimizing for the common case. Not providing options for the minority with different preferences. If your lifestyle doesn't match, then you're doing it wrong.

Is this a joke? If so, nice one. "Doing it wrong." Brilliant.

It seems to have been intended as a sarcasm; from Apple's point of view you shouldn't be doing crazy things like moving from one country to another.

Re: The App Store Nightmare

#86
post #27

I travel full time, and have been living all over the world for the past four years and never had this problem. From Romania to Chile, Venice to England wherever I am, my iTunes works the way I'd expect. Compared to HULU and Netflix, Apple is one of the best in this regard. I have to get on a VPN to the USA to use my HULU or Netflix accounts, but iTunes just works, globally. I have a US itunes account, and use it in…

> because here in Chile, with no iTunes match, my US iTunes Match is working fine (but a great internet connection.)

From what I understand, you always had an US account in all the countries you were living. My wife had an US account when we moved to Australia, and it was not possible to access all the content purchased with that account. We confirmed the blocking had to do with the IP address by connecting temporarily through US-based proxies.

It was very difficult to change the US account to be Australia-based. Once this happened we had to re-purchase some apps, but in the end it worked.

My point being that yes: you do find issues when changing the region your Apple account is associated with.

It is not a problem exclusive to Apple. Microsoft, Amazon, Yahoo, Google, all of them fail in one way or another.

Re: The App Store Nightmare

#87
Trivia corner: I got the same dialog box without changing account or IP address.

It turned out that the App Store wants to use the Spotlight index (!) for some reason, and that "Fix permissions" somehow botched it.

"sudo mdutil -i on -E /" fixed the issue.

Let's just hope that nobody thinks about copying this insanely awesome design.

Re: The App Store Nightmare

#88

Oh tell me about it. I used to split my time between the US and Brazil, and had credit cards and bank accounts in both. Sometimes apps I'd want would only be on one store, and sometimes only on the other. But Apple simply doesn't allow for people who reside in multiple countries, and have credit cards in multiple countries. I guess that lifestyle doesn't fit the "Apple way" -- it's thinking too different. It's absolu…

>But Apple simply doesn't allow for people who reside in multiple countries, and have credit cards in multiple countries. I guess that lifestyle doesn't fit the "Apple way" -- it's thinking too different.

Yes, the irony is very fitting, because as we all know some evil masterminds at Apple HQ are all about making it difficult for non-conformists to have credit cards at multiple countries.

Or you could arrive at the rational conclusion that dealing with different countries, tax systems, economic agreements, copyright laws, regulations, accounts, currency exchanges et cetera AND tracking all that is

_so_difficult_

that despite being a very lucrative outcome for those who manage it, VERY VERY few entities have managed to somewhat overcome those problems a worldwide basis. Namely, Paypal (I did say "somewhat"). And this bloody mess has nothing to do with Apple or any specific company.

Just because we got worldwide connectivity via the internet 20 years ago, people expect boundaries between 200 countries with widely varying economic systems, allies, agreements they participate in, level of technological sophistication, willingness to change their laws, etc etc, will suddenly be unified into one harmonious system so that people can have iTunes accounts in both California and the Congo?

Re: The App Store Nightmare

#90
post #88

Oh tell me about it. I used to split my time between the US and Brazil, and had credit cards and bank accounts in both. Sometimes apps I'd want would only be on one store, and sometimes only on the other. But Apple simply doesn't allow for people who reside in multiple countries, and have credit cards in multiple countries. I guess that lifestyle doesn't fit the "Apple way" -- it's thinking too different. It's absolu…

> But Apple simply doesn't allow for people who reside in multiple countries, and have credit cards in multiple countries. I guess that lifestyle doesn't fit the "Apple way" -- it's thinking too different. Yes, the irony is very fitting, because as we all know some evil masterminds at Apple HQ are all about making it difficult for non-conformists to have credit cards at multiple countries. Or you could arrive at the…

You mean buying an app for personal use in the US and then taking your laptop to Sweden means you have to pay Swedish tax on that app? Or, please explain how any of the reasons you mentioned affect it.

The way I (or everyone) sees it is: it's like a USA shop selling software in USA to someone in USA, and a Swedish shop selling software in Sweden to someone in Sweden. Where is the problem?

Anyway, to add to the discussion, the OP left out option 4: get a VPN in Sweden and/or USA and connect and route all traffic. Works for me.

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