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Apple announces ability to download apps directly from websites in EU

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

#781
post #772

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Within the corporate monopolist called Apple, that is to say within the minds of all its collective employees, lies an old idea still warm and vibrant after decades of waning indifference. This idea is called Apple Computer, and it makes the best gosh-darn computers in the world: the Mac. It is such a powerful and self-evident idea that those computers are still above and beyond the best ones in the world, even with…

Heh, Apple Computer also made the iPhone. Everything since launch has been incremental change, not innovative. Except Airpods. They're pretty sweet.

Until battery life starts deteriorating any that happens real soon and you can’t even know when it started and where it is currently unlike that of, say, an iPhone. Then it’s unusable — hurrah, buy a new pair. The Apple way! :)

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

#782

I am really impressed how much time and effort Apples legal department spends to find every single loop hole in the wording of the DMA. The 50ct per install for alternate app stores, 50ct per install for non-App Store apps after the millionth install, 1 million dollar in securities for alternate app stores, etc all follow the words of the DMA, but not the spirit. I am really interested to see the European Commissian…

Being a complacent market leader may come back to bite them in the backside.

The world is getting more technical. People will demand openness. If I buy a product, I should have reasonable flexibility to use it how I want. Even if I break it, repurpose it or improve it, I want the choice to do so, just like I have with pretty much every other thing I own.

People will vote with their wallets if Apple refuses to open things up a bit.

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

#783

Oh the horror, it must be so hard for Apple to cave to an open system for these people. What will they ever do without their unbelievable tax on app profits simply for existing on their nearly unlimited real estate, that is, the web?! I have no sympathy for their concerns. I can download apps on my MacBook machines all day from many different sources, and it harms no one. While I understand the associated risks, comp…

I’m very curious how you have this position yet have a MacBook. Why not support a better company like framework?

Did you entertain the possibility that Framework might not be available at OP’s place. Because that’s very much likely to be the case, just like it’s not available to a lot of us :)

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

#784

It's the big apps and vendors I want to have protection against. My negotiation position towards Facebook etc. is very weak. This is why I like when Apple is putting certain limits for them. With smaller apps I don't have this problem. There's typically plenty to choose from. If I don't like the policies of one, then I can go for something else.

Your negotiating power to make any app list in the any app store is approximately zero. If Facebook decides for any reason to leave, neither you nor Apple can stop them so this imagined power you think you get from Apple's App Store policies is just that.

If Apple is forced to allow FB an alternate path and FB takes that path abandoning Apple's App Store, you can blame Apple for the extortion fees in its App Store that are driving FB and others away. Had Apple not been so greedy, there wouldn't have been suits and the EC wouldn't have forced their hand, but Cook's gotta cook for shareholders and leaving even a single penny on the table would be against his commitment to them.

My grocer, who does far more for my well being than Apple, makes 2-3% store-wide markup and he still manages to invest in his store, feed himself and his family, and employ a decent sized staff on that ~2.5% -- and that's the case for most grocery stores, big and small, and we're all real good with that and have been for several decades, these people building actual buildings and gathering up the best foods the world has to offer from hundreds or even thousands of suppliers and paying people to cut open boxes and stock shelves with these amazing foods and mop the floors when we break jars of food that we never pay for he and his crew take sh*t from customers who had a bad day (who might even rob or assault them) and all for 2.5% margin while folks here, on a hacking forum of all places, simp for a walled garden that's extracting 30% from mom and pop hackers for providing what amounts to web hosting.

C'mon. Get real.

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

#785

It really bothers me that so much of this is focused on the developers, and that is the problem here. How many users actually want this? I am sure some, but I doubt it is a significant number. I have said this before here, but I am not looking forward to when this likely eventually comes to the US and as a user I have less control over my phone, not more. The walled garden is why I chose an iPhone and continue to sta…

I do often think people forget that when the iPhone app store was released it was a game changer. The whole idea of a single place to download all apps and games was huge for most people including developers. It meant that everything was there, in the one place and managed through that one app.

Now a decade has passed and we're asking for change. That's fine, but we can't forget that when the app store first came out there wasn't this hysteria around the need to sideload. The app store as a place for developers to publish their apps was huge, Apple did the publishing for you. How that we all have more choice, we're expecting Apple to change to provide more choice.

But we can't forget how beneficial the app store and the "walled" approach was.

I do agree with a lot of your points. Now there could be an aspect of predatory behavior by Apple in the way they charge developers etc, but that's where I feel the problem should be tackled.

If the iPhone walled garden app store approach is so bad, then why is it so successful?

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

#786

Oh the horror, it must be so hard for Apple to cave to an open system for these people. What will they ever do without their unbelievable tax on app profits simply for existing on their nearly unlimited real estate, that is, the web?! I have no sympathy for their concerns. I can download apps on my MacBook machines all day from many different sources, and it harms no one. While I understand the associated risks, comp…

I’m very curious how you have this position yet have a MacBook. Why not support a better company like framework?

I see this question a lot.

People complain about the products that are best for them. Nobody (with the power to decide what they use) complains about a product long, unless it is still their best choice.

And suppliers of products being complained about are not companies "not worth supporting". They are making the product that is the best fit for the complaining customer! They are not perfect. They can do better. So customers speak up.

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

#787

Oh the horror, it must be so hard for Apple to cave to an open system for these people. What will they ever do without their unbelievable tax on app profits simply for existing on their nearly unlimited real estate, that is, the web?! I have no sympathy for their concerns. I can download apps on my MacBook machines all day from many different sources, and it harms no one. While I understand the associated risks, comp…

I’m very curious how you have this position yet have a MacBook. Why not support a better company like framework?

Potentially because Macbooks represent a more sustainable model for software distribution and don't prevent people from downloading apps directly from websites.

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

#788

Oh the horror, it must be so hard for Apple to cave to an open system for these people. What will they ever do without their unbelievable tax on app profits simply for existing on their nearly unlimited real estate, that is, the web?! I have no sympathy for their concerns. I can download apps on my MacBook machines all day from many different sources, and it harms no one. While I understand the associated risks, comp…

Overall -- a great post. This part: > If commercial real estate charged XX% cuts of all sales from a business As I understand, for luxury fashion brands, this type of contract is sometimes used.

What is the luxury of an app/software?

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

#789
post #567

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because the EU wanted to be able to target specific companies and not others. The way the DMA is written they can pick and choose to enforce it on whoever they want.

They can (and do) always pick and choose when to enforce the law.

But they wouldn’t be able to do that with OP’s suggested phrasing, which amongst other flaws calls out Apple specifically (and exclusively).

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

#790

It really bothers me that so much of this is focused on the developers, and that is the problem here. How many users actually want this? I am sure some, but I doubt it is a significant number. I have said this before here, but I am not looking forward to when this likely eventually comes to the US and as a user I have less control over my phone, not more. The walled garden is why I chose an iPhone and continue to sta…

I think most users don't care about the app store and would love a significant discount. Like if you have companies and users the choice people wouldn't willingly pay more for it

I don't think my parents are going to understand that they can navigate to a particular website on the mobile browser where they can download apps or perhaps for no different in price at all out of freedom.

They would say why can't I just download it on the app store.

You forget that is why a app store was introduced in the first place on the smartphone. To enable an easy centralised place for all apps and games.

The average/majority of the population were not going to navigate to shitty mobile websites or desktop websites on their mobile browser to download apps in 2008.

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