Live data from Hacker News

Apple announces ability to download apps directly from websites in EU

macrumors.com

821–830 of 1001 posts

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

#821

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…

It's obviously an opinion. I have plenty of computers running Windows and a variety of Linux distros at my home. Laptops, desktop, servers, and weird hybrids of the former. Same with mobile - I have tried Android, iOS, PureOS, GrapheneOS. Apple's UX is so far ahead for me. It's just better. But, you obviously disagree. No need to be disparaging.

Consider stating opinions as opinions, and not as facts.

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

#822
post #810

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Imagine there are only two restaurants in the world and they both only serve steak, yet when you want a salad people say go to the other restaurant.

Except in this case your beloved android lets you do whatever you want, so why not go use them? And there are multiple manufacturers that aren’t associated with Google who make phones. If this were truly such a shortcoming, more companies, in addition to already existing ones, would create phones with side loading apps. Imagine me pitching my idea to YC, it’s like an iPhone, but with side loading apps! It’s brilliant…

Imagine using YC as a corollary for consumer demand (or hell, corporate righteousness).

> I don’t even care

> This is simply an amusing situation, the grandstanding is simply funny.

Wait till the Commission delivers the punch-line.

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

#823

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Apple does not even enter the picture. Not exactly true, there are fragments of Apple intellectual property distributed with compiled binaries.

>Not exactly true, there are fragments of Apple intellectual property distributed with compiled binaries. Which the annual tax (aka developer fee) presumably covers.

A Happy Meal doesn't include a Sundae because you believe McDonald's is morally obligated to include one.

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

#824

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is much harder to explain to consumers why Apple should get a percentage-based rent (sorry Core Technology Fee that enables Privacy and Security™) if they go to a non-Apple website, download a non-Apple app, to do non-Apple-related things. Like literally the only participants in that business transaction are the consumer and the company, Apple does not even enter the picture. It would be like car manufacturers cha…

> Apple does not even enter the picture. Not exactly true, there are fragments of Apple intellectual property distributed with compiled binaries.

Most platforms would offer the core libraries and services for free as an incentive to attract developers to the platform/make development easier.

This is how it used to be, until Apple got too large and instead of being beholden to developers it flipped the other way around, and now releasing an app for Apple's platform is a supposed privilege.

Take the games industry, where developers and publishers are often given huge incentives by a platform (mostly consoles) to develop for that platform; because games developers are providing value for the platform owner by making the platform more attractive because it has more content options for the consumer.

Why is it so hard for people to wrap their heads around that concept.

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

#825
post #670

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But does it? I haven't seen any hard evidence, and lots of anecdotal tales of technology illiterate grandparents, fathers and mothers being better off.

> lots of anecdotal tales of technology illiterate grandparents, fathers and mothers being better off I'll bite. Is there anyone here that thinks overall security for elderly (and lower skilled users) will *not* be hurt by additional app stores? I find it hard to believe. And, I write this post an an uber geek is is neither an Apple fan boi, but is very impressive by their overall security and UX. For the geeks, it w…

> For the least tech-savvy users, I cannot believe it will benefit them.

My parents are in their 80s and use Android with F-Droid (I set it up for them). No scams. No account or password. No ads. Simple apps. They have definitely benefited from having more choices available to them, specifically a repo of software built with something other than profit motive in mind. Apple's not very good at offering that.

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

#826
post #313

Seems like it would’ve been easier for apple to just enable installing android on iPhones and iPads and just walking away. I do wonder if that would’ve been enough to have compliance. I also wonder if apple could argue that web apps are enough.

Google pays Apple $19b to keep it as the default search engine on iOS Safari, so there will never be an iOS VM running Android.

that makes no sense. google owns android and the default browser on android and so they'd have all the same users using their search and saving some of that cash for any that switched to the Android VM. how is that a bad deal for google?

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

#827
post #721

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The vast majority of Android users use the Play Store (or the Amazon thing) exclusively Are you sure? Android phones are pretty big in China, which is by far the world's largest smartphone market, and I guess Play Store & "the Amazon thing" (I don't remember the name either) adoption there is close to 0%. Anecdotally I have noticed a lot of people using phone vendor app stores in India (the second largest market, t…

> I guess Play Store & "the Amazon thing" (I don't remember the name either) adoption there is close to 0%. Woah. Is this true? If they don't use Google Play Store, what do they use?

https://digitalcreative.cn/blog/top-chinese-app-stores

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

#828
post #792

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Because people are incredibly entitled and want to have their cake and eat it too. So you bought an iPhone knowing you can’t download apps and then go cry because you can’t download apps? Then your argument is that well, all my friends have iPhones or there are some other good features, or whatever else you make up? So you obviously find value in the product, it’s missing a feature, but you will consciously buy it an…

You might find this hard to believe, but people buy products based on a number of factors. For smart phones, the number of factors is dizzyingly complex, and yes, the effects it has on smoothness of communication with the people in your life is one of those factors. Sometimes a specific feature is one of those factors.

What "doesn't make sense" is reducing a complex decision down to a specific factor, and then trying to create the narrative that your specific chosen factor is the sole reason anyone chooses a specific product.

It is completely fair for people to prefer iPhone and also argue for Apple changing their policies.

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

#829

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Apple does not even enter the picture. Not exactly true, there are fragments of Apple intellectual property distributed with compiled binaries.

Most platforms would offer the core libraries and services for free as an incentive to attract developers to the platform/make development easier. This is how it used to be, until Apple got too large and instead of being beholden to developers it flipped the other way around, and now releasing an app for Apple's platform is a supposed privilege. Take the games industry, where developers and publishers are often given…

> Most platforms would offer the core libraries and services for free as an incentive

Right, as an incentive. That's exactly right. Makers of other platforms chose a particular funding model to suit their commercial strategic environment, not because they were obligated to. Why should Apple be obligated to follow other (or even their own) prior business models?

> This is how it used to be

It really isn't. In fact this expectation of free full-featured developer tools for mainstream platforms is relatively new. https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-78/microsoft-sets-pricing...

> Take the games industry

Sure. Remind me where I can download the free developer kit for the PlayStation 5? Remind me who I need to pay in order to distribute a PlayStation game?

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

#830
post #411

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are any of those things impossible without sideloading or the DMA? Those things will only be riskier on your phone with all the malware that will undoubtedly spread throughout fully open marketplaces. I really do not want my mom accidentally installing her "Chase Bank" app from www.chazebank.cc.

those things are all made prohibitively difficult without a smartphone. there are people in the US getting kicked off their insurance plans for not having a required smartphone. this isn't some goddamn game here, peoples lives and livelihoods are on the line and you're wondering if it might not be such a big deal clearly never having put more than a moment's thought into it. And your malware claims are total BS There…

[deleted]
Post reply on HN