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Japan: Apple Must Lift Browser Engine Ban by December

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Re: Japan: Apple Must Lift Browser Engine Ban by December

#241

Post by crinkly »

zuhsetaqi wrote: post #229
827a wrote: post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If its the difference-maker for you: Google Messages has a web experience, and in my not-recent experience it works great. The iOS 26 keyboard (public beta) is the biggest regression I've ever seen Apple make, and they're a company infamous for regressions. It for me has been the tipping point. [1] https://messages.google.com/web/

What did they change on iOS 26 in the keyboard?

They moved the emoji thing to where the globe is and gave you a bigger space bar. Also changed the font slightly.

Re: Japan: Apple Must Lift Browser Engine Ban by December

#242

Post by Barrin92 »

troupo wrote: post #96
ajaimk wrote: post #63

Is this a good thing? Doesn't this just expand the marketshare of Chromium?

Yup. That's the downside of it. I am personally quite torn on the issue. On the one hand Apple must be made to open up iOS more. On the other hand it just leads to Chrome monopoly.

>On the other hand it just leads to Chrome monopoly.

If a browser engine continues to exist not on its merits but because its users are locked in, there is zero value in it. If 100% of people switch to chromium based browsers (an open source project) while they have free choice that's how it is. There's nothing inherently wrong with this.

We don't need browser engine DEI. Even the term monopoly is spurious in the world of open source software. Say if in 30 years we have 100% linux market share because open source won, do we need to protect Microsoft so they can lock people into Windows, like some sort of endangered animal program for proprietary software?

There's an inherent contradiction to apply the competitive logic of proprietary platforms to fundamental OSS infrastructure. They'll tend to be natural "monopolies" just by virtue of how resource intensive they are and the desire to standardize.

Re: Japan: Apple Must Lift Browser Engine Ban by December

#243

Post by Towaway69 »

surajrmal wrote: post #110
Towaway69 wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hahaha - as a European there is already a monopoly, a US based monopoly. But that's really due to the compliancy of europeans tech industry.

Is it even worth investing in? It would require massive capital spend and the ongoing costs to stay afloat would be similarly high. There is little to no certainty to believe you could acquire users or a revenue model either. None of the chromium derivatives have managed to gain traction other than edge. It seems wiser to invest in the next platform rather than ones with big players already in the space.

Not really, that boat has sailed.

It was just funny reading an American suggesting that a monopoly in the browser space would be bad ;)

Also, as a European, I can also say that a monopoly in the social media space would be bad but there is always TikTok or are they French?!? /s

Re: Japan: Apple Must Lift Browser Engine Ban by December

#244

Post by kelthuzad »

radiofreeeuropa wrote: post #176
pornel wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a grain of truth to it — Apple has learned from Microsoft's history that making the whole browser shitty is too obvious and annoys users. Apple was smart enough to keep user-visible parts of the browser in a good shape, while also dragging their feet on all the Web platform features that could endanger the App Store cash cow.

I don't want web apps on my phone (or, in an ideal world, anywhere else) so that's also a good thing. If they're not viable, it forces developers to make real apps or else just make a web page instead of whatever awful-UX nonsense they were planning.

>I don't want web apps on my phone (or, in an ideal world, anywhere else) so that's also a good thing. If they're not viable, it forces developers to make real apps or else just make a web page instead of whatever awful-UX nonsense they were planning.

Well what you personally want is irrelevant to the law and what regulators judge to be unlawful, so that's the real good thing.

>If they're not viable, it forces developers to make real apps or else just make a web page instead of whatever awful-UX nonsense they were planning.

They are perfectly viable and it has nothing to do with UX, but you have already exposed your bias and made clear that you are arguing in bad faith by spreading misinformation in your other comments.

Re: Japan: Apple Must Lift Browser Engine Ban by December

#246

Post by Alupis »

bigyabai wrote: post #228
onlyrealcuzzo wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't people in Japan riot because they can't buy iPhones and be part of the tribe? There are few things in life people like more than their iPhones.

I think you're extrapolating America's materialism to other cultures that don't necessarily care so much. There's not really any feature of the iPhone that can't be replaced by another product. It's only Americans that feel the need to slake brand loyalty with army-of-one boycotts.

That's totally why 68.75% of Japanese smartphone users own an iPhone[1]...

[1] https://magmatranslation.com/stats/en/mobile-usage-trends-in...

Re: Japan: Apple Must Lift Browser Engine Ban by December

#247

Post by rchaud »

mock-possum wrote: post #136
thewebguyd wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> One of the most outlandish one being that freedom to use your phone however you want would necessarily compromise security and privacy for everyone. I suppose in a round-a-bout way, it could, more specifically around iMessage, which is Apple's baby in the US and a big part of their lock in effect for US users. Right now, you can reasonably assume that using iMessage with another iPhone user that both ends are reaso…

Is iMessage really that big a deal to people, for privacy / security particularly? Practically speaking I can’t even tell the difference, apart from text messages sometimes failing to send, and getting the option to retry as SMS. If I want something private / secure, I use Signal.

Only in the US, where Apple has an AOL-like lock-in. The market share for iOS in Canada is similarly large but there is no iMessage lock-in here as Canada had Blackberry Messenger (also a lock-in app) way before iMessage, and shifted to FB Messenger and Whatsapp once BBM faded. Nowadays most people have both apps installed, and what you use depends on where the group chat was started.

Re: Japan: Apple Must Lift Browser Engine Ban by December

#248

Post by bigyabai »

Alupis wrote: post #246
bigyabai wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're extrapolating America's materialism to other cultures that don't necessarily care so much. There's not really any feature of the iPhone that can't be replaced by another product. It's only Americans that feel the need to slake brand loyalty with army-of-one boycotts.

That's totally why 68.75% of Japanese smartphone users own an iPhone[1]... [1] https://magmatranslation.com/stats/en/mobile-usage-trends-in...

I stand by what I said. Apple used to be the leading smartphone manufacturer in China, now they aren't even in the top 5. Sometimes things change, and I doubt China's in shambles because Airdrop isn't ubiquitous. I see no reason why Japan would be different.

The notion that American tech companies are invincible is really only a view held by Americans. The overwhelming majority of people I speak to internationally don't care that much about computer brand loyalty.

Re: Japan: Apple Must Lift Browser Engine Ban by December

#249

Post by rchaud »

nuker wrote: post #100
yupyupyups wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>and as we all know that'll be the end of the world. I'll enjoy seeing all the accounts on MacRumors clawing their eyes out when that happens. It would be naive to think that Apple isn't funding sites and narratives on the internet to serve their economic interests. One of the most outlandish one being that freedom to use your phone however you want would necessarily compromise security and privacy for everyone. It's…

> ... freedom to use your phone however you want I want to use my phone locked down hard and apps reviewed by Apple. I sleep better with things as they are. I suspect 99% of normal users are in the same boat.

Those "99%" wouldn't be affected by this change as they can continue to use Safari and the App Store exactly as they do now.

Re: Japan: Apple Must Lift Browser Engine Ban by December

#250

Post by leptons »

duffyjp wrote: post #201

Everybody is talking about Chrome, but I tell ya what I have that disabled on my Android in favor of Firefox. Firefox on mobile with full-fat uBlock Origin is the closest thing to parity with desktop web access you can get. I don't just block ads, I block elements on sites I don't care about with :has-text RegEx rules. You can't do that on Chrome even on desktop anymore. I'm this close to swapping to the Android as m…

I will second Google Messages, your SMS messages go to your phone and your desktop at the same time. Easily respond from either. I don't know if SMS messaging gets to iMessage, because I don't use Apple products.
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