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Is this not similar to when you buy an item from a department store? When you buy a jacket from say, Tommy Hilfiger, in Macy's.. . who are you buying from?

by chirau 7y ago

0_gravitas 7y ago
But this isnt as easy as Steam vs Epic, Apple is the only "department store" on their platform, it's like if McDonalds took over every restaurant in the country- you can order whatever you want from the menu, but you're in their power.
- cmorgan31 7y ago
  Hmm, might be more apt to say you purchased an Apple self driving car whose GPS only takes you to places apple approved and listed. It doesn’t let you drive and it doesn’t let you input your own destination but it’s pretty damn cute looking and it’s pretty safe. You can choose to use another method to reach similar destinations so long as it’s not Apple. You lose your choice by accepting the perceived benefits of the platform. The end users are the ones who can sue Apple if this ends up being ruled a monopoly.
  - bduerst 7y ago
    That's still anticompetitive if the 'approved' Apple list excludes competition. It's like the right to repair - just because you bought the car from a certain manufacturer doesn't mean you can only repair it at the 'licensed' dealer.
oflannabhra 7y ago
It is similar, but not identical. A department store buys physical goods from a vendor, and then sells them to consumers. An App Store provides distribution and payment services to vendors and consumers. For a department store, it is very clear that you are buying from the department store. They own the physical goods at the time of sale. For an App Store, most people would agree that the Store does not own the digital goods they are selling to consumers. So, while a superficially similar transaction occurs, both the nature of digital goods and the difference between goods and services makes for pretty vast differences under the surface.
- jimktrains2 7y ago
  > For a department store, it is very clear that you are buying from the department store. They own the physical goods at the time of sale. Just to bit pick and it doesn't really change your point, but I thought a lot of places basically do consignment now for their vendors and don't own much of their stock?
  - bduerst 7y ago
    This is true. A lot of inventory in big box retail isn't owned by the retailer, but the distributer/manufacturer. More and more big box retailers are moving into the business of leasing out floor space, and ditching buying and selling inventory. The difference is that big box retailers won't force you to only make purchases with their credit cards or other vertical integration limitations.

Is this not similar to when you buy an item from a department store? When you buy a jacket from say, Tommy Hilfiger, in Macy's.. . who are you buying from?

by chirau 7y ago

Is this not similar to when you buy an item from a department store? When you buy a jacket from say, Tommy Hilfiger, in Macy's.. . who are you buying from?

0_gravitas 7y ago

But this isnt as easy as Steam vs Epic, Apple is the only "department store" on their platform, it's like if McDonalds took over every restaurant in the country- you can order whatever you want from the menu, but you're in their power.

cmorgan31 7y ago
Hmm, might be more apt to say you purchased an Apple self driving car whose GPS only takes you to places apple approved and listed. It doesn’t let you drive and it doesn’t let you input your own destination but it’s pretty damn cute looking and it’s pretty safe. You can choose to use another method to reach similar destinations so long as it’s not Apple. You lose your choice by accepting the perceived benefits of the platform. The end users are the ones who can sue Apple if this ends up being ruled a monopoly.
- bduerst 7y ago
  That's still anticompetitive if the 'approved' Apple list excludes competition. It's like the right to repair - just because you bought the car from a certain manufacturer doesn't mean you can only repair it at the 'licensed' dealer.

oflannabhra 7y ago

It is similar, but not identical. A department store buys physical goods from a vendor, and then sells them to consumers. An App Store provides distribution and payment services to vendors and consumers. For a department store, it is very clear that you are buying from the department store. They own the physical goods at the time of sale. For an App Store, most people would agree that the Store does not own the digital goods they are selling to consumers. So, while a superficially similar transaction occurs, both the nature of digital goods and the difference between goods and services makes for pretty vast differences under the surface.

jimktrains2 7y ago
> For a department store, it is very clear that you are buying from the department store. They own the physical goods at the time of sale. Just to bit pick and it doesn't really change your point, but I thought a lot of places basically do consignment now for their vendors and don't own much of their stock?
- bduerst 7y ago
  This is true. A lot of inventory in big box retail isn't owned by the retailer, but the distributer/manufacturer. More and more big box retailers are moving into the business of leasing out floor space, and ditching buying and selling inventory. The difference is that big box retailers won't force you to only make purchases with their credit cards or other vertical integration limitations.