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Apple announces ability to download apps directly from websites in EU

macrumors.com

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Re: Apple announces ability to download apps directly from websites in EU

#391

Post by ApolloFortyNine »

charcircuit wrote: post #367
ApolloFortyNine wrote: post #278

50 cents an install over 1 million downloads? Every year? Is Apple trying to get fined? They're not even hiding the fact they're maliciously complying. For one, this makes deploying a free app on an alternative store (that becomes popular) simply impossible? I highly doubt that was the EU's intent. Usually with malicious compliance you can at least see the logic for a future legal case. Here, if they were trying to l…

>For one, this makes deploying a free app on an alternative store (that becomes popular) simply impossible? You can monetize it with in app payments or ads such that wealthy people subsidize other users. If the app is from a nonprofit they can get the fee waived.

Not every app needs monetization. And it's not exactly like 'just publish on the regular app store' is a fantastic option, since that still requires you to pay a developer fee.

I shouldn't have to register as a non profit so I can release a hacker news reader app for free...

Re: Apple announces ability to download apps directly from websites in EU

#392

Post by its_ethan »

themoonisachees wrote: post #385
charcircuit wrote: post #367

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>For one, this makes deploying a free app on an alternative store (that becomes popular) simply impossible? You can monetize it with in app payments or ads such that wealthy people subsidize other users. If the app is from a nonprofit they can get the fee waived.

Or, and hear me out on this, maybe I want to make useful apps that don't data mine their users and I also would like not to take donations. This is a valid want to have (and I honestly can't believe you would suggest to 'just' sell out your users) and it would take a single app getting popular (or apple just straight up lying, I would have no way of verifying their count) to wipe out all of my capital. It's 'nice' th…

Lucky for you, you are still able to distribute your free app for free on the Apple App Store. No surprise costs if your app becomes incredibly popular, and better still- that's where the vast majority of people will continue to go for getting new apps (regardless of this legislation) so it's free exposure for you as well.

Re: Apple announces ability to download apps directly from websites in EU

#393

Post by paganel »

ho_schi wrote: post #229

Apple isn’t considering that they are the baddies? I suggest strong regulation of the complete BigIT and two chairs for public observers at minimum. In addition they are not allowed to enter any new market. Why? Because it worked well with AT&T . Results: * UNIX * C * Open-Source * Public Documentation Sounds good? Until the Reagan administration appeared, allowed them to split up (Baby Bells), the UNIX-Wars followed…

Splitting up needs to happen for big and monopolistic US companies, no ifs, no buts. That is if they still want to keep a technological edge in the next 10-15 years.

I personally don’t think that the forced split-up will happen, the direct interests involved are too big for that to have any chance of success, but it’s the only way forward for the US as a whole (when it comes to IT).

Re: Apple announces ability to download apps directly from websites in EU

#394

Post by ncruces »

ggreer wrote: post #302
makeitdouble wrote: post #256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're not general purpose computers, even if architecturally they could be. Apple amply touted the iPhone's capacities ("there's an app for that") and smartphones are defacto a core component of our lives. The Switch isn't.

What applications are necessary to call it a general purpose computer? A web browser? A self-hosted development environment? I don't think there's a bright line between what applications a Playstation or Xbox has versus what a phone has. And it's not like the iPhone is the only phone you can get. If Apple is restricting such a core component of our lives, you can simply buy non-Apple products.

On my smartphone I have:

- an app that's used by pharmacies to handle prescriptions from the public health system;

- an app I can legally show a police officer so they can determine that I have a valid driver's license;

- an app I can use to pay my taxes;

- an app I can use to pay parking meters to the local authorities;

- apps used to register consumption (kWh, m3, etc) with the local utilities.

Some of these are published by the government itself, others by public companies. A smartphone is not a Playstation or an Xbox. We have Androids and iPhones, that's it. And significant portions of our lives are tied to having Androids and iPhones.

PS: I also remember having an app that used an API purportedly developed with amazing good will to help public health systems trace COVID exposure. Remember that one? How everyone having a smartphone was going to help get us back to the subway safely?

Re: Apple announces ability to download apps directly from websites in EU

#395

Post by Terretta »

tombert wrote: post #384

It baffles the mind that having exactly one marketplace with rent-seeking level fees that neither users nor developers can opt out of doesn't violate some kind of antitrust law in the United States. Though it looks like the EU iPhone users are only in a marginally better position.

Tell your mind it's an appliance/console.* Still baffled? Because nobody seems baffled they can't run arbitrary software on their Amazon Echo Show, AppleTV, Xbox, Playstation, or Switch.

* If your mind is struggling with this, you might need a bicycle for the mind to help. ;-) But seriously, Apple's brand and value prop since original Mac has been to toasterize compute and make it friendly approachable and non-fiddly for normals. If you're bent about this, it's a values alignment issue. And Apple should have a right to have a brand proposition that sets them apart from the majority of PDAs, STBs, and PCs.

Re: Apple announces ability to download apps directly from websites in EU

#396

Post by conradfr »

its_ethan wrote: post #392
themoonisachees wrote: post #385

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or, and hear me out on this, maybe I want to make useful apps that don't data mine their users and I also would like not to take donations. This is a valid want to have (and I honestly can't believe you would suggest to 'just' sell out your users) and it would take a single app getting popular (or apple just straight up lying, I would have no way of verifying their count) to wipe out all of my capital. It's 'nice' th…

Lucky for you, you are still able to distribute your free app for free on the Apple App Store. No surprise costs if your app becomes incredibly popular, and better still- that's where the vast majority of people will continue to go for getting new apps (regardless of this legislation) so it's free exposure for you as well.

It was never free as it's 99€ per year anyway.

Re: Apple announces ability to download apps directly from websites in EU

#397

Post by arminluschin »

ApolloFortyNine wrote: post #278

50 cents an install over 1 million downloads? Every year? Is Apple trying to get fined? They're not even hiding the fact they're maliciously complying. For one, this makes deploying a free app on an alternative store (that becomes popular) simply impossible? I highly doubt that was the EU's intent. Usually with malicious compliance you can at least see the logic for a future legal case. Here, if they were trying to l…

Genuinely curious: people throw around the term „malicious compliance“ a lot. It seems the platform fee is explicitly allowed by the DMA, so Apple demands it. Again, I am not trying to troll but what would „benevolent compliance“ look like and what would Apple‘s incentive be to give up the fee?

Re: Apple announces ability to download apps directly from websites in EU

#398

Post by asddubs »

verticalscaler wrote: post #325
ho_schi wrote: post #229

Apple isn’t considering that they are the baddies? I suggest strong regulation of the complete BigIT and two chairs for public observers at minimum. In addition they are not allowed to enter any new market. Why? Because it worked well with AT&T . Results: * UNIX * C * Open-Source * Public Documentation Sounds good? Until the Reagan administration appeared, allowed them to split up (Baby Bells), the UNIX-Wars followed…

I like this story. Nay, I love this story. But it is a just-so story. None of the regulators had a clue it would go this way, it is a lot of magical historical accidents, and there is no reason to think interference guarantees positive outcomes. For example, HN seems to bristle at the subject of AI regulation as a game incumbents play that hews towards regulatory capture. Apple is clearly in the wrong here but how to…

in this case the market is already captured anyway, though. Even microsoft couldn't pierce it.

Re: Apple announces ability to download apps directly from websites in EU

#399

Post by NekkoDroid »

weberer wrote: post #294
coolspot wrote: post #277

Ok folks, how can we get copy of this DMA thing in the USA? P.S. Apple stockholders downvoting me, lol

Step 1 would be to identify those in government who accept lobbying from Apple. https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/apple-inc/summary?id=D00002...

You misspelled bribes

Re: Apple announces ability to download apps directly from websites in EU

#400

Post by arminluschin »

bsaul wrote: post #109

i don't understand how the EU didn't put up a very simple rule : users owns their phones and should be able to install any software they want without apple putting artificial restrictions or gateways exclusivity. Period. That should remove all the possibilities of apple trying to find the loopholes with shit measures such as those "options".

There are also security requirements imposed by regulation. A free for all would not be compliant as far as I understand. Also arguably not in the user’s interest.
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