5 ms·

Well I love my Apple App Store. It protects me for certain things with payments, and it’s another line of defense against some attacks.

kaiju0 6y ago
Yep it neatly organizes everything with subscriptions and vetted apps into a single location. Can't ask for more. The only people that want out of it is people who want a bigger rev cut, to bypass app store rules and infect devices.
- SilverRed 6y ago
  > people who want a bigger rev cut This is not unreasonable. Apps like netfix and spotify can not possibly pay the Apple cut and stay competitive with apples own services which pay nothing. Not a single user is going to pay 30% extra to listen to the same music.
  - subroutine 6y ago
    Do netflix and spotify currently pay apple 30%?
    - jackson1442 6y ago
      They don’t allow you to subscribe in-app and are not allowed to show CTAs to subscribe online, just an opaque “sign in” screen.
    - SilverRed 6y ago
      When you install the app they throw you on a screen that says "You can't continue via the app. Yes, we know it sucks" They aren't allowed to tell you how to subscribe, they can just say you must and it can't be done in the app. While on Apples own services, it just uses your already filled payment details.
- 1vuio0pswjnm7 6y ago
  According to this reasoning Apple could make the app store optional and (except for "people who want a bigger rev cut, to bypass app store rules and infect devices") every user would continue to choose the app store. I suppose the reasoning further leads to the conclusion that there is no point in giving users a choice because they would all choose the app store anyway. I do not subscribe to this reasoning. If there was a non-app store option I would choose it and I doubt I am the only such user. Among many potential benefits, a non-app store repository might give me the ability to install/remove old versions of apps on older devices.
- sneak 6y ago
  The bigger problem is the amount of PII they demand from users to install even free apps. I should be able to install free apps on my device without giving up my name, address, email, phone number, and device serial number. Apple's App Store requires all of these.
- ThatPlayer 6y ago
  I want out because Apple doesn't approve the apps I want to use. Everything from emulators to cloud gaming (Xbox Game Streaming and Google Stadia) and alternative browser engines (all browsers are just Safari skins on iOS) are blocked by Apple because of their app store rules. These types of apps being blocked by Apple does not benefit anyone but Apple.
gumby 6y ago
We’ll me too but if there is an alternative I can still direcr my business to Apple’s store. On the Mac I avoid the store if it’s possible to download directly from the developer so that they don’t have to pay a cut. If there were an alternative Mac App Store I would avoid it too like the plague.
- gfxgirl 6y ago
  I avoid the Microsoft store on Windows but I use Steam all the time. I've also used Steam on MacOS for those few games that run on MacOS that I wanted to play. I'd can see myself using other stores on iOS depending on the store. If Steam existed on iOS I'd certainly consider it, especially if buying a game that ran across platforms included the iOS version.
  - trissylegs 6y ago
    I use the MS store for MS software. But avoid Steam if I can as well as they also take a substantial cut (Although this does mean I still get a lot through steam). Although they're more flexible, if a game sells you a CD-key outside the store (eg on Humble, through promotions, etc) they don't take a cut. Steam only gets it when it's through the Steam store.
cma 6y ago
What Apple should do is charge users $10 to turn off competing app stores, since from posts like this it seems to be worth so much to users to have them locked out.
SilverRed 6y ago
These proposed changes don't prevent that. The Australian government just wants the stores to be more clear with developers about what is going on. There is an endless stream of Android and iOS devs saying their app got dropped without warning and the support person refuses to explain or respond to them. That's just unacceptable when an app being removed has the ability to break a business.
madeofpalk 6y ago
Does it actually? Or does OS security models protect you from attacks?
2OEH8eoCRo0 6y ago
Then stick with it? Nobody is killing the app store. Having options doesn't kill anything except maybe Apple and Googles profits.
- jackson1442 6y ago
  There will also be the fragmentation that you see with streaming services today; apps will choose an app store, there will be exclusivity deals; your kid will install a pirate app store to get games filled with deceptive crap in them for free, etc.
  - ThatPlayer 6y ago
    And fragmentation is competition. The issue with Apple App Store is they're using their monopoly to stop competition.
post_break 6y ago
Have you ever used a Mac though? Has an App Store, and you can choose to install apps from third parties if you want to. Best of both worlds.

kaiju0 6y ago

Yep it neatly organizes everything with subscriptions and vetted apps into a single location. Can't ask for more. The only people that want out of it is people who want a bigger rev cut, to bypass app store rules and infect devices.

SilverRed 6y ago
> people who want a bigger rev cut This is not unreasonable. Apps like netfix and spotify can not possibly pay the Apple cut and stay competitive with apples own services which pay nothing. Not a single user is going to pay 30% extra to listen to the same music.
- subroutine 6y ago
  Do netflix and spotify currently pay apple 30%?
  - jackson1442 6y ago
    They don’t allow you to subscribe in-app and are not allowed to show CTAs to subscribe online, just an opaque “sign in” screen.
  - SilverRed 6y ago
    When you install the app they throw you on a screen that says "You can't continue via the app. Yes, we know it sucks" They aren't allowed to tell you how to subscribe, they can just say you must and it can't be done in the app. While on Apples own services, it just uses your already filled payment details.
1vuio0pswjnm7 6y ago
According to this reasoning Apple could make the app store optional and (except for "people who want a bigger rev cut, to bypass app store rules and infect devices") every user would continue to choose the app store. I suppose the reasoning further leads to the conclusion that there is no point in giving users a choice because they would all choose the app store anyway. I do not subscribe to this reasoning. If there was a non-app store option I would choose it and I doubt I am the only such user. Among many potential benefits, a non-app store repository might give me the ability to install/remove old versions of apps on older devices.
sneak 6y ago
The bigger problem is the amount of PII they demand from users to install even free apps. I should be able to install free apps on my device without giving up my name, address, email, phone number, and device serial number. Apple's App Store requires all of these.
ThatPlayer 6y ago
I want out because Apple doesn't approve the apps I want to use. Everything from emulators to cloud gaming (Xbox Game Streaming and Google Stadia) and alternative browser engines (all browsers are just Safari skins on iOS) are blocked by Apple because of their app store rules. These types of apps being blocked by Apple does not benefit anyone but Apple.

gumby 6y ago

We’ll me too but if there is an alternative I can still direcr my business to Apple’s store. On the Mac I avoid the store if it’s possible to download directly from the developer so that they don’t have to pay a cut. If there were an alternative Mac App Store I would avoid it too like the plague.

gfxgirl 6y ago
I avoid the Microsoft store on Windows but I use Steam all the time. I've also used Steam on MacOS for those few games that run on MacOS that I wanted to play. I'd can see myself using other stores on iOS depending on the store. If Steam existed on iOS I'd certainly consider it, especially if buying a game that ran across platforms included the iOS version.
- trissylegs 6y ago
  I use the MS store for MS software. But avoid Steam if I can as well as they also take a substantial cut (Although this does mean I still get a lot through steam). Although they're more flexible, if a game sells you a CD-key outside the store (eg on Humble, through promotions, etc) they don't take a cut. Steam only gets it when it's through the Steam store.

cma 6y ago

What Apple should do is charge users $10 to turn off competing app stores, since from posts like this it seems to be worth so much to users to have them locked out.

SilverRed 6y ago

These proposed changes don't prevent that. The Australian government just wants the stores to be more clear with developers about what is going on. There is an endless stream of Android and iOS devs saying their app got dropped without warning and the support person refuses to explain or respond to them. That's just unacceptable when an app being removed has the ability to break a business.

madeofpalk 6y ago

Does it actually? Or does OS security models protect you from attacks?

2OEH8eoCRo0 6y ago

Then stick with it? Nobody is killing the app store. Having options doesn't kill anything except maybe Apple and Googles profits.

jackson1442 6y ago
There will also be the fragmentation that you see with streaming services today; apps will choose an app store, there will be exclusivity deals; your kid will install a pirate app store to get games filled with deceptive crap in them for free, etc.
- ThatPlayer 6y ago
  And fragmentation is competition. The issue with Apple App Store is they're using their monopoly to stop competition.

post_break 6y ago

Have you ever used a Mac though? Has an App Store, and you can choose to install apps from third parties if you want to. Best of both worlds.