10 ms·

I absolutely love that people work on this kind of stuff, but it all feels like an incredibly hacky workaround (running a server to reinstall an app every 7 day

I absolutely love that people work on this kind of stuff, but it all feels like an incredibly hacky workaround (running a server to reinstall an app every 7 days...) for functionality that should really be present out of the box (install whatever software you please on hardware you paid a ton of money for) :-( Apple's insistence on refusing users control of their devices is why I switched to Android for my phone years ago (though I will be overjoyed once GNU/Linux on phones reaches enough maturity to replace Android for me as well, though I sadly don't see that happening very soon). This is truly a shame - I am not part of the extreme FOSS crowd who would only ever be satisfied with a top-to-bottom free device, and in fact I would happily use an iPhone if iOS was even just as "open" as macOS.

teawrecks 6y ago
From Apple's POV, a completely unlocked system that allows the user can do anything is like selling a solid cube of untouched marble. It's the default. The Apple ecosystem on the other hand is a completed sculpture. They removed parts to craft a very specific vision. Yes you get less marble, but most people aren't sculptors, and they're not buying it for the marble. They're buying Apple's vision.
- rStar 6y ago
  >From Apple's POV, a completely unlocked system that allows the user can do anything is like selling a car you can drive on all passable roads. It's the default. The Apple ecosystem on the other hand is a artificially restricted environment. They removed parts like the steering wheel to craft a very specific vision. Yes you get less freedom, but most people aren't technically literate, and they're not buying it for general purpose computing. They're buying Apple's monopolistic, user subjugating vision. Which includes as many ways as possible for Apple to capitalize on their monopoly.
  - _dibly 6y ago
    Is there anything you wanted to contribute, or were you just fishing for upvotes here? There are about a million different ways to make any of the points you made that would actually merit a response, but you really took the ball and ran with it. Do you think anyone is going to read your snarky response to someone who was making a reasonable point and think "this seems like someone who wants to have a conversation"?
    - rStar 6y ago
      I wanted to contribute the comment I did, to illustrate what I believe, and how it differs to the view of the user I was responding to.
    - hyperdimension 6y ago
      I'm not usually a fan of repeat-the-comment's-argument-but-replace-it-with-analagous-terms-type comments, I thought it was at least a decent comparison, especially considering that phones and cars are pretty general-purpose devices.
- stale2002 6y ago
  > They're buying Apple's vision. Well then I have a great solution that helps both these users, and others who want to control their own device! There could be a simple, easy to switch setting that says "all uncurated apps". A jailbreak switch, if you will. And the consumers who want to turn that on could do it, and the people who prefer "Apple's vision" can choose not to do so. Everyone wins! Just don't flip the jailbreak switch if you prefer "apples vision". Easy.
- bluescrn 6y ago
  Then you browse the App Store and see that the beautiful sculpture is actually covered in excrement.
eyelidlessness 6y ago
> functionality that should really be present out of the box (install whatever software you please on hardware you paid a ton of money for) I know that this sentiment is going to resonate here, but I'm not sure it's representative of the overwhelming majority of the people actually paying for said hardware. The reality is that what tech people complain about in terms of lack of control over their devices has been a huge boon in device security for people who neither care about nor want such control.
- saurik 6y ago
  A lot of this is just trying to decide what is best for other people, though; whenever we've managed to make it easy for people to quickly jailbreak their devices, we got a very large number of users installing complex system modifications so they can get something as inane as wallpaper or themed icons. People who don't know how to jailbreak their devices themselves see their friends phones and ask them for help or even bring their phone to phone repair shops to get them jailbroken and customized (in the same manner that you don't have to be a mechanic to modify your car: you simply need to have the money to pay a body shop for whatever you want; I gave a TEDx talk on this topic a while back called "Even Software Should Have Screws" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReKCp9K_Jqw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReKCp9K_Jqw). Honestly, I am not sure if I've ever heard an "end user" ask to be prevented from doing something they actually wanted to do... the only people who seem to have that particular kink are developers attempting to justify the bondage and control ecosystem they are a part of maintaining; everyone else either finds out after it is too late, had to accept it for some other reasonable (but entirely unrelated) tradeoff such as "I wanted a phone with a good camera and both of the top options from Apple/Samsung were locked down", or are "stuck" due to ecosystem lock-in and networking effects (it doesn't just cost you a new phone to escape the jail you are in: you will have to re-purchase all of the software you already own and even lose access entirely to some unique services... and again, all of this is entirely unrelated to the actual issue in question).
  - eyelidlessness 6y ago
    I don’t think it’s that end users explicitly ask to be prevented from doing things they want to do with their devices. I think it’s that they feel safer in a restricted environment that’s relatively free of the dangers of unrestricted environments, and they’re willing to accept that some lack of control is likely tied to that relative safety. Heck, I’ll just speak for myself. I’m a software engineer. I pride myself on being able pull things apart, understand how they work, and put their pieces together in unintended ways. There are aspects of Apple’s control over their devices that I’ve accepted grudgingly... because even being familiar with the tradeoffs they’ve largely benefited me, and all that I’ve given up has been either moot (UI hacks that are better served with other apps or just not available anywhere anymore) or not a hindrance for my actual usage (it turns out blocking system modification has made clever things I use be more respectful of the integrity of my system!). The biggest thing I’ve lost as an Apple customer has been due to third party developers turning my whole computer into a web browser. Glad it isn’t full of security holes!
zer0w1re 6y ago
> though I will be overjoyed once GNU/Linux on phones reaches enough maturity to replace Android You do realize that Android does run the Linux kernel, and generally has GNU coreutils available, right?
- ekianjo 6y ago
  You do realize that Android requires a Google Account on most devices to function? (not talking about custom ROMs here). Also, Android devices have outdated Linux kernels are are only updated once or twice before EOL.
  - zer0w1re 6y ago
    If you care about not having a Google account, then start talking about custom ROMs. Not really a relevant complaint since custom ROMs exist. And it'd be trivial to compile the latest kernel and load it on your device. Someone who really cares and needs features or fixes from a newer kernel could do it if they wanted.
    - kaba0 6y ago
      No? Android phones are full of binary blob drivers, etc. It is phone specific whether you can do that or not.
- srtjstjsj 6y ago
  Why isn't purism using AOSP as a base?
  - Polylactic_acid 6y ago
    Because people don't want just another android phone. They want their desktop on a phone. They want to use desktop GUI toolkits, desktop package managers and all the rest. Android also contains a mountain of anti features that are hard to remove. Its also missing a lot of critical features without the GApps so maintaining a fork of android is almost as much work as making GTK work on a phone.
crystaln 6y ago
The vast majority of iOS users appreciate the security, safety, and stability provided by Apple’s restrictions. In fact, at this point I strongly dislike MacOS for how poorly it manages resources and security- even tho it does an outstanding job for a desktop app. There’s a reason Apple tops satisfaction scores. So while I see the above sentiment on HN frequently, the perspective lacks an understanding of the enormous benefits of Apple’s restrictions. https://www.macrumors.com/2020/05/19/apple-smartphone-customer-satisfaction-index/ https://www.macrumors.com/2020/05/19/apple-smartphone-custom...
- httpsterio 6y ago
  Sure, but a lot of them do not understand vendor lock and having to fear the whims of Apple. When Apple decided that an app simply can't reside on their platform, then that's basically how it is. When I buy a phone, I actually want to buy it and not just rent and have someone else setting the rules for me.
  - zepto 6y ago
    Then don’t buy an iPhone?
    - sunderw 6y ago
      What am I left with if I don't like how Android handles things ?
      - Google234 6y ago
        Linux phone
      - zepto 6y ago
        Or buy an unlocked one and install whatever you like. But actually I am with you on this - we should have the right to install any OS we like. But shouldn’t have the right to force others to build it for us.
  - 6y ago
strawberrypuree 6y ago
I think I've come up with a reasonable solution for Apple to implement that MacOS style of openness: the iPhone Developer Edition. "Developer" is being used here as a byword for "power user", since "Pro" has been diluted. The Developer Edition requires you to register for a now-free developer account. There's big friendly letters that say, "Welcome, developer! We know that you'll enjoy getting the most of your hardware and not clogging up our forums and support lines with complaints about things that are broken due to the unreviewed apps, because you're a developer, and you know how to fix things when they break. Here's your unwalled garden. Enjoy." Then there can be that Dev Store where Advanced stuff goes, and if there's ever any hacks / vulnerabilities / bad stuff Apple can point to the Dev Edition and say "That's what they signed up for, but for normal folks the walled garden awaits." iPhone Developer Edition and iPhone Customer Editions are identical in hardware. You can buy a Customer Edition and convert it to a Developer Edition phone by simply registering as a developer and signing away your right to bitch and moan if apps contain spam, porn, scams, or brick your device. iPhone Developer Edition can be turned back into a Customer edition through a setting, all ready to be sold.
- osrec 6y ago
  I know you're being sarcastic, but I don't understand why. Were the OP's suggestions/observations really that outlandish?! Also, using your argument, why is there no strict walled garden for macs?
  - strawberrypuree 6y ago
    >Were the OP's suggestions/observations really that outlandish?! I wouldn't call them outlandish. I think there's merit in the ability to install whatever software you want. But I also think there's merit in making sure there's a robust, unfragmented market of apps that work with the last 6 years of iPhones, and restrictions that Apple has in place ensure that. I think the Dev Store is a reasonable compromise to ensure that average users don't have to run AVG AntiVirus on their phones. That situation is absurdly anti-user. >why is there no strict walled garden for Macs? There is, and it's annoying: GateKeeper, which if I recall correctly requires you to basically outsmart your OS to install software using the GUI. This is why I'm happy the iPad Pro is getting more desktop-like, hopefully bridging the gap between people who want a laptop to do weird stuff and people who want a device that will work no matter what you do to it.
Razengan 6y ago
> Apple's insistence on refusing users control of their devices is why I switched to Android Google lets banks remotely disable phones [0] Google lets apps prevent users from taking screenshots [1] How's the permissions situations on Android? Is it still all-or-none? [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25026050 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25026050 [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25025066 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25025066
- pjmlp 6y ago
  We are now on Android 11, and the permission model has changed since Android 7.
- djeiasbsbo 6y ago
  The permission system on Android is still severely broken. Any app can access the clipboard at any time. There are many permissions that are not controllable by an end user. A combination of gyroscope and microphone data can be used to "keylog" everything one is typing. Any app also has access to a lot of information that is not covered by the permission system, such as Android ID, IMEI, SSID, etc.
clusterfish 6y ago
> I would happily use an iPhone if iOS was even just as "open" as macOS Oh don't worry they are diligently working on this... from the macos side. It's getting more locked down like iOS with every release.
nickm12 6y ago
I'm an Android user for the same reasons. I don't understand the argument that locking down the iPhone somehow makes it more secure. If you like the locked down model, you can use Android and buy from the Play Store and I'm sure the vast majority of Android users (in western countries) do just this.
camhart 6y ago
I fear MacOS is headed the same direction as iOS with the notarization requirements.
varispeed 6y ago
To me it feels incredibly wasteful as this is addressing artificial problem and then will have to catch up with Apple moving goal posts. Sure the authors can gather some experience with software development, but other than that it sounds like a huge time sink for no real benefit as Apple can always shut it down one way or another. I would rather see people working on an open fork of Android and address real issues like the fact that Google removed call recording API from Android, to help insurance and other phone sale companies scam their customers, as they can no longer record telemarketers lying to them.
asadkn 6y ago
And yet we'll have fans defending and arguing over something that's simply so inherently clear. It's all about money. Everything else is just an excuse.
nomoreusernames 6y ago
i think it is possible to pay for an apple developer license and then youd be able to create a certificate for a year. not sure if that would be possible since i am too lazy to do any research today on my off day ;)
dkonofalski 6y ago
See... and I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum here. I love that this has a high enough barrier of entry that I can easily set it up and take advantage of it while never having to worry about any one of my friends or family that aren't tech-savvy "accidentally" or even "unintentionally" setting this up and getting adware, malware, scams, etc. set up on their phones. For me, it's never been enough to just have an option in the settings because I've been around long enough to know that scammers will just start including instructions for how to bypass those things and access developer modes and unwilling and uninformed users will follow those as long as the instructions look trustworthy enough. I'm all for installing whatever software you want on the hardware you paid for but there is definitely a balance that needs to be struck for the majority of users and I can tell you that the majority of users aren't informed enough to know the drawbacks of an alternate App Store. Source: I was an early jailbreaker and remember when, as soon as the jailbreak became an app that you just installed and ran with the phone hooked up to a computer, my business exponentially increased. People would jailbreak phones for their friends and families without explaining anything and then I'd have to service their devices to un-brick them and get them back to stock.
- montagg 6y ago
  I wholeheartedly agree, and I think when it comes to Apple holding the keys to their own platform, we have that balance: you don’t like Apple’s management, you go to Android instead, and there’s competition. Plenty other areas I’d like to see Apple’s control weakened where it impacts the user experience, but running arbitrary code on iOS devices isn’t one of them, for me.

teawrecks 6y ago

From Apple's POV, a completely unlocked system that allows the user can do anything is like selling a solid cube of untouched marble. It's the default. The Apple ecosystem on the other hand is a completed sculpture. They removed parts to craft a very specific vision. Yes you get less marble, but most people aren't sculptors, and they're not buying it for the marble. They're buying Apple's vision.

rStar 6y ago
>From Apple's POV, a completely unlocked system that allows the user can do anything is like selling a car you can drive on all passable roads. It's the default. The Apple ecosystem on the other hand is a artificially restricted environment. They removed parts like the steering wheel to craft a very specific vision. Yes you get less freedom, but most people aren't technically literate, and they're not buying it for general purpose computing. They're buying Apple's monopolistic, user subjugating vision. Which includes as many ways as possible for Apple to capitalize on their monopoly.
- _dibly 6y ago
  Is there anything you wanted to contribute, or were you just fishing for upvotes here? There are about a million different ways to make any of the points you made that would actually merit a response, but you really took the ball and ran with it. Do you think anyone is going to read your snarky response to someone who was making a reasonable point and think "this seems like someone who wants to have a conversation"?
  - rStar 6y ago
    I wanted to contribute the comment I did, to illustrate what I believe, and how it differs to the view of the user I was responding to.
  - hyperdimension 6y ago
    I'm not usually a fan of repeat-the-comment's-argument-but-replace-it-with-analagous-terms-type comments, I thought it was at least a decent comparison, especially considering that phones and cars are pretty general-purpose devices.
stale2002 6y ago
> They're buying Apple's vision. Well then I have a great solution that helps both these users, and others who want to control their own device! There could be a simple, easy to switch setting that says "all uncurated apps". A jailbreak switch, if you will. And the consumers who want to turn that on could do it, and the people who prefer "Apple's vision" can choose not to do so. Everyone wins! Just don't flip the jailbreak switch if you prefer "apples vision". Easy.
bluescrn 6y ago
Then you browse the App Store and see that the beautiful sculpture is actually covered in excrement.

eyelidlessness 6y ago

> functionality that should really be present out of the box (install whatever software you please on hardware you paid a ton of money for) I know that this sentiment is going to resonate here, but I'm not sure it's representative of the overwhelming majority of the people actually paying for said hardware. The reality is that what tech people complain about in terms of lack of control over their devices has been a huge boon in device security for people who neither care about nor want such control.

saurik 6y ago
A lot of this is just trying to decide what is best for other people, though; whenever we've managed to make it easy for people to quickly jailbreak their devices, we got a very large number of users installing complex system modifications so they can get something as inane as wallpaper or themed icons. People who don't know how to jailbreak their devices themselves see their friends phones and ask them for help or even bring their phone to phone repair shops to get them jailbroken and customized (in the same manner that you don't have to be a mechanic to modify your car: you simply need to have the money to pay a body shop for whatever you want; I gave a TEDx talk on this topic a while back called "Even Software Should Have Screws" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReKCp9K_Jqw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReKCp9K_Jqw). Honestly, I am not sure if I've ever heard an "end user" ask to be prevented from doing something they actually wanted to do... the only people who seem to have that particular kink are developers attempting to justify the bondage and control ecosystem they are a part of maintaining; everyone else either finds out after it is too late, had to accept it for some other reasonable (but entirely unrelated) tradeoff such as "I wanted a phone with a good camera and both of the top options from Apple/Samsung were locked down", or are "stuck" due to ecosystem lock-in and networking effects (it doesn't just cost you a new phone to escape the jail you are in: you will have to re-purchase all of the software you already own and even lose access entirely to some unique services... and again, all of this is entirely unrelated to the actual issue in question).
- eyelidlessness 6y ago
  I don’t think it’s that end users explicitly ask to be prevented from doing things they want to do with their devices. I think it’s that they feel safer in a restricted environment that’s relatively free of the dangers of unrestricted environments, and they’re willing to accept that some lack of control is likely tied to that relative safety. Heck, I’ll just speak for myself. I’m a software engineer. I pride myself on being able pull things apart, understand how they work, and put their pieces together in unintended ways. There are aspects of Apple’s control over their devices that I’ve accepted grudgingly... because even being familiar with the tradeoffs they’ve largely benefited me, and all that I’ve given up has been either moot (UI hacks that are better served with other apps or just not available anywhere anymore) or not a hindrance for my actual usage (it turns out blocking system modification has made clever things I use be more respectful of the integrity of my system!). The biggest thing I’ve lost as an Apple customer has been due to third party developers turning my whole computer into a web browser. Glad it isn’t full of security holes!

zer0w1re 6y ago

> though I will be overjoyed once GNU/Linux on phones reaches enough maturity to replace Android You do realize that Android does run the Linux kernel, and generally has GNU coreutils available, right?

ekianjo 6y ago
You do realize that Android requires a Google Account on most devices to function? (not talking about custom ROMs here). Also, Android devices have outdated Linux kernels are are only updated once or twice before EOL.
- zer0w1re 6y ago
  If you care about not having a Google account, then start talking about custom ROMs. Not really a relevant complaint since custom ROMs exist. And it'd be trivial to compile the latest kernel and load it on your device. Someone who really cares and needs features or fixes from a newer kernel could do it if they wanted.
  - kaba0 6y ago
    No? Android phones are full of binary blob drivers, etc. It is phone specific whether you can do that or not.
srtjstjsj 6y ago
Why isn't purism using AOSP as a base?
- Polylactic_acid 6y ago
  Because people don't want just another android phone. They want their desktop on a phone. They want to use desktop GUI toolkits, desktop package managers and all the rest. Android also contains a mountain of anti features that are hard to remove. Its also missing a lot of critical features without the GApps so maintaining a fork of android is almost as much work as making GTK work on a phone.

crystaln 6y ago

The vast majority of iOS users appreciate the security, safety, and stability provided by Apple’s restrictions. In fact, at this point I strongly dislike MacOS for how poorly it manages resources and security- even tho it does an outstanding job for a desktop app. There’s a reason Apple tops satisfaction scores. So while I see the above sentiment on HN frequently, the perspective lacks an understanding of the enormous benefits of Apple’s restrictions. https://www.macrumors.com/2020/05/19/apple-smartphone-customer-satisfaction-index/ https://www.macrumors.com/2020/05/19/apple-smartphone-custom...

httpsterio 6y ago
Sure, but a lot of them do not understand vendor lock and having to fear the whims of Apple. When Apple decided that an app simply can't reside on their platform, then that's basically how it is. When I buy a phone, I actually want to buy it and not just rent and have someone else setting the rules for me.
- zepto 6y ago
  Then don’t buy an iPhone?
  - sunderw 6y ago
    What am I left with if I don't like how Android handles things ?
    - Google234 6y ago
      Linux phone
    - zepto 6y ago
      Or buy an unlocked one and install whatever you like. But actually I am with you on this - we should have the right to install any OS we like. But shouldn’t have the right to force others to build it for us.
- 6y ago

strawberrypuree 6y ago

I think I've come up with a reasonable solution for Apple to implement that MacOS style of openness: the iPhone Developer Edition. "Developer" is being used here as a byword for "power user", since "Pro" has been diluted. The Developer Edition requires you to register for a now-free developer account. There's big friendly letters that say, "Welcome, developer! We know that you'll enjoy getting the most of your hardware and not clogging up our forums and support lines with complaints about things that are broken due to the unreviewed apps, because you're a developer, and you know how to fix things when they break. Here's your unwalled garden. Enjoy." Then there can be that Dev Store where Advanced stuff goes, and if there's ever any hacks / vulnerabilities / bad stuff Apple can point to the Dev Edition and say "That's what they signed up for, but for normal folks the walled garden awaits." iPhone Developer Edition and iPhone Customer Editions are identical in hardware. You can buy a Customer Edition and convert it to a Developer Edition phone by simply registering as a developer and signing away your right to bitch and moan if apps contain spam, porn, scams, or brick your device. iPhone Developer Edition can be turned back into a Customer edition through a setting, all ready to be sold.

osrec 6y ago
I know you're being sarcastic, but I don't understand why. Were the OP's suggestions/observations really that outlandish?! Also, using your argument, why is there no strict walled garden for macs?
- strawberrypuree 6y ago
  >Were the OP's suggestions/observations really that outlandish?! I wouldn't call them outlandish. I think there's merit in the ability to install whatever software you want. But I also think there's merit in making sure there's a robust, unfragmented market of apps that work with the last 6 years of iPhones, and restrictions that Apple has in place ensure that. I think the Dev Store is a reasonable compromise to ensure that average users don't have to run AVG AntiVirus on their phones. That situation is absurdly anti-user. >why is there no strict walled garden for Macs? There is, and it's annoying: GateKeeper, which if I recall correctly requires you to basically outsmart your OS to install software using the GUI. This is why I'm happy the iPad Pro is getting more desktop-like, hopefully bridging the gap between people who want a laptop to do weird stuff and people who want a device that will work no matter what you do to it.

Razengan 6y ago

> Apple's insistence on refusing users control of their devices is why I switched to Android Google lets banks remotely disable phones [0] Google lets apps prevent users from taking screenshots [1] How's the permissions situations on Android? Is it still all-or-none? [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25026050 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25026050 [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25025066 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25025066

pjmlp 6y ago
We are now on Android 11, and the permission model has changed since Android 7.
djeiasbsbo 6y ago
The permission system on Android is still severely broken. Any app can access the clipboard at any time. There are many permissions that are not controllable by an end user. A combination of gyroscope and microphone data can be used to "keylog" everything one is typing. Any app also has access to a lot of information that is not covered by the permission system, such as Android ID, IMEI, SSID, etc.

clusterfish 6y ago

> I would happily use an iPhone if iOS was even just as "open" as macOS Oh don't worry they are diligently working on this... from the macos side. It's getting more locked down like iOS with every release.

nickm12 6y ago

I'm an Android user for the same reasons. I don't understand the argument that locking down the iPhone somehow makes it more secure. If you like the locked down model, you can use Android and buy from the Play Store and I'm sure the vast majority of Android users (in western countries) do just this.

camhart 6y ago

I fear MacOS is headed the same direction as iOS with the notarization requirements.

varispeed 6y ago

To me it feels incredibly wasteful as this is addressing artificial problem and then will have to catch up with Apple moving goal posts. Sure the authors can gather some experience with software development, but other than that it sounds like a huge time sink for no real benefit as Apple can always shut it down one way or another. I would rather see people working on an open fork of Android and address real issues like the fact that Google removed call recording API from Android, to help insurance and other phone sale companies scam their customers, as they can no longer record telemarketers lying to them.

asadkn 6y ago

And yet we'll have fans defending and arguing over something that's simply so inherently clear. It's all about money. Everything else is just an excuse.

nomoreusernames 6y ago

i think it is possible to pay for an apple developer license and then youd be able to create a certificate for a year. not sure if that would be possible since i am too lazy to do any research today on my off day ;)

dkonofalski 6y ago

See... and I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum here. I love that this has a high enough barrier of entry that I can easily set it up and take advantage of it while never having to worry about any one of my friends or family that aren't tech-savvy "accidentally" or even "unintentionally" setting this up and getting adware, malware, scams, etc. set up on their phones. For me, it's never been enough to just have an option in the settings because I've been around long enough to know that scammers will just start including instructions for how to bypass those things and access developer modes and unwilling and uninformed users will follow those as long as the instructions look trustworthy enough. I'm all for installing whatever software you want on the hardware you paid for but there is definitely a balance that needs to be struck for the majority of users and I can tell you that the majority of users aren't informed enough to know the drawbacks of an alternate App Store. Source: I was an early jailbreaker and remember when, as soon as the jailbreak became an app that you just installed and ran with the phone hooked up to a computer, my business exponentially increased. People would jailbreak phones for their friends and families without explaining anything and then I'd have to service their devices to un-brick them and get them back to stock.

montagg 6y ago
I wholeheartedly agree, and I think when it comes to Apple holding the keys to their own platform, we have that balance: you don’t like Apple’s management, you go to Android instead, and there’s competition. Plenty other areas I’d like to see Apple’s control weakened where it impacts the user experience, but running arbitrary code on iOS devices isn’t one of them, for me.