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I wrote to US Justice Department back in ~2013 to complain that I could not find the protocol documents to connect to my iPhone over USB. Specifically I was not

I wrote to US Justice Department back in ~2013 to complain that I could not find the protocol documents to connect to my iPhone over USB. Specifically I was not willing to accept iTunes terms of service and wanted a workaround. Microsoft was required by consent decree to document all wire protocols, so I wanted to begin the process for Apple to so the same. I got a personalized response from the Justice Department. The response said since the iPhone had closed protocols from the beginning, before it was dominant, there is nothing they could do to force opening up. While I didn’t like the outcome, I did understand it, and I was pleasantly surprised to get an actual response. I suspect there is a similar argument for the App Store model. Apple never allowed side-loading apps. We may need new legislation to change this if we want.

kungato 6y ago
I respect you so much for writing to them. I feel like in the USA people really write to the authorities and congressmen and the like while in eastern Europe people never do such things because I guess we think the system is so broken there is not fixing it from within. Since EU things really changed from the government side but the culture remains the same and we are not using the tools at our disposal
canuckintime 6y ago
> I suspect there is a similar argument for the App Store model. Apple never allowed side-loading apps. Apple did allow developers to link directly to the product website to make purchases: http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20090303/first-impressions-of-kindle-on-iphone/ http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20090303/first-impressions-of... https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-launches-optimized-kindle-store-seamlessly-integrated https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-det...
ubermonkey 6y ago
But Microsoft was subject to those consent decrees because it had monopoly power in the market, which Apple manifestly does not have. The iPhone isn't dominant. It's what, 20% of the phone market? When MSFT was subject to those decrees, it effectively controlled all PC hardware. The Mac was on the ropes, and no other challenger was viable. They owned computing; it was their way or the highway. Apple doesn't have anywhere NEAR that power.

kungato 6y ago

I respect you so much for writing to them. I feel like in the USA people really write to the authorities and congressmen and the like while in eastern Europe people never do such things because I guess we think the system is so broken there is not fixing it from within. Since EU things really changed from the government side but the culture remains the same and we are not using the tools at our disposal

canuckintime 6y ago

> I suspect there is a similar argument for the App Store model. Apple never allowed side-loading apps. Apple did allow developers to link directly to the product website to make purchases: http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20090303/first-impressions-of-kindle-on-iphone/ http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20090303/first-impressions-of... https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-launches-optimized-kindle-store-seamlessly-integrated https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-det...

ubermonkey 6y ago

But Microsoft was subject to those consent decrees because it had monopoly power in the market, which Apple manifestly does not have. The iPhone isn't dominant. It's what, 20% of the phone market? When MSFT was subject to those decrees, it effectively controlled all PC hardware. The Mac was on the ropes, and no other challenger was viable. They owned computing; it was their way or the highway. Apple doesn't have anywhere NEAR that power.