Non standard devices? Who makes those standards and why? I had a “standard” Windows computer for many years and it was driver hell. For almost any reasonably mo

Non standard devices? Who makes those standards and why? I had a “standard” Windows computer for many years and it was driver hell. For almost any reasonably modern peripheral, I can plug it into my Mac and it works. Macs use “standard” USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports. Some other laptops still require dedicated and proprietary chargers. Lightning is proprietary, however, it’s only used for Apple devices, so that doesn’t make much difference. It isn’t like Apple requires lightning for third party external drives. Internet Explorer was standard. Chrome has become a standard — both browsers got downright proprietary with all of their “standards.” Have to buy a Mac to build your Mac/iOS apps? I don’t see what is so tragic about having to actually use the device for which you are developing. How can you run a Mac App on Windows or Linux? It seems like to even do basic testing you should be testing on Mac Harware. You can buy a brand new Mini for $499. Seems like a small price if you are a “professional” developer. As far as intentionally breaking code, have you thought about why that happens? I assure you that there isn’t some secret group at Cupertino trying to figure out how best to annoy developers. As far as “why Apple” — as an example, I have a 2010 iMac with 16GB RAM running High Sierra that is far more stable and reliable than a 2010 Dell running the latest Windows. That’s subjective, but the point is that Macs have a long lifespan and thus a high resale value. Also privacy and security — Apple cares about it. They don’t always get it right, but how often have Macs or iOS been infected with malware compared to other platforms? And there is UX. Macs are easier to use for most people that have tried them. iPhone satisfaction ratings are over 95%. That means something. Of course Apple isn’t perfect, but find a piece of software or hardware that is — Apple gets things right far more than they get things wrong. Look at the various incarnations of Windows as a comparison and all the controversy they have generated. Don’t like Apple? Don’t buy their stuff and stop trying to sell to people that do. You are free to go and sell wherever you want. As far as the Apple developer fee — if $99 per year is too expensive, then don’t pay it and go somewhere else. There are enough generic me-too apps on the store already. If you had something unique and valuable, you’d make plenty of money so that $99 would be insignificant anyway.